The Vatican has taken a look at the “Jesus Wife” papyrus that had the media falling all over themselves last week declaring historical Christianity invalid and they have issued their response.
Vatican to “Jesus’s Wife” papyrus scholars…Fake You!!
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican newspaper has added to the doubts surrounding Harvard University’s claim that a 4th century Coptic papyrus fragment showed that some early Christians believed that Jesus was married, declaring it a “fake.”
The newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published an article Thursday by leading Coptic scholar Alberto Camplani and an accompanying editorial by the newspaper’s editor, Giovanni Maria Vian, an expert in early Christianity. They both cited concerns expressed by other scholars about the fragment’s authenticity and the fact that it was purchased on the market without a known archaeological provenance.
“At any rate, a fake,” Vian entitled his editorial, which criticized Harvard for creating a “clamorous” media frenzy over the fragment by handing the scoop to two U.S. newspapers only to see “specialists immediately question it.”
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
September 27, 2012 at 10:10 pm
Right up there with the ossuary that supposedly proved that Jesus had biological brothers or some such thing. I think it took a while for that one to make it through the courts but the guy did get convicted of antiquities fraud.
September 28, 2012 at 1:40 am
ProudHillbilly, that isn't true. In fact, the ossuary's owner and his supposed confederate were both acquitted of all forgery charges this March:
http://subcreators.com/blog/2012/03/15/the-james-ossuary-forgery-trial-verdict-not-guilty/
This doesn't saying anything in particular about the controversy over the ossuary. Experts are quite united in saying it is a genuine first-century ossuary and the inscription is from then too. Whether the James mentioned on it is Jesus' brother is anyone's guess. Even many Catholics think Jesus' brothers were sons of Joseph from a first marriage, and this is consonant with the ossuary's inscription.
September 28, 2012 at 1:41 am
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September 28, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Lori – Maybe I'm thinking of a different case, or have a couple tangled up in my mind, because I remember seeing the conviction but it was a couple years ago and even then I thought it seemed like it had taken a long time to get to court.
I sometimes regret I let my "Biblical Archeology Review" subscription lapse, but I can't keep up with the couple magazines I still have.
September 28, 2012 at 6:52 pm
WHO knows where it has been. Is there proof that Jesus' bones were in the ossuary, even if the ossuary was prepared for Christ's bones? There is nothing to validate the claim. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four eyewitnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ's institution of the Sacrament of Penance and His command to evangelize the world, the apostolic succession and the Catholic Church give testimony to the resurrection of Jesus. no bones about it.
September 28, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Some thoughts on "wife". God’s name is “I AM WHO I AM”. “I AM” is a Supreme Sovereign Being. There can only be one Supreme Sovereign Being. If there were two Supreme Sovereign Beings, one would preempt the other and there would be no Supreme Sovereign Being as two preempt each other. God, the Creator, created all men out of nothing, therefore, God, the Father, has no wife, nor need for a wife, God the Son, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, and the whole world, is one with His Father and has no need for a wife, God, the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, is pure LOVE has no need for a wife. Pure Love requires pure LOVE. The atheist says that pure Love does not exist and no human being needs pure LOVE. All men are children of God endowed with pure LOVE. The atheist denigrates the condition and reality of mankind. The atheist brings man into the slavery of untruth.
The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, WHO are God, are distinct and independent of each other except as they will to be in communion with LOVE and Obedience. The Father suffers as His Begotten Son is crucified. The Holy Spirit suffers as the Father and Jesus suffer, a perfect suffering, a sacrifice, a Divine and a human sacrifice.
September 30, 2012 at 3:22 am
Excuse me but Jesus had earthly siblings. His Mother didnt remain a virgin for the rest of her life. There is no real evidence as per history that Joseph had children before marrying her and it isn't supported in the Bible. Also even though the same age or less than 10 years older than Mary Joseph wasn't this old man either. It would have been unnecessary for her to remain a virgin after Jesus was born. Jesus Christ wouldn't have needed an everlasting virgin Mother in order to be Jesus Christ. I think that mentality is insane. As for Him having a wife, I don't think so. Considering the job that he had to do it would make no sense for Him to be involved seriously and marry a woman and perhaps have children. His higher calling is to be married, but to be married to the Church not just to one individual person. Considering the apostles had no problems making a woman the first true apostle and making other notations that would have been unthinkable for a first century jew, I dont see why they wouldn't mention a widow or why His widow wouldnt be the one to meet Him at the tomb after He resurrects. If Jesus Christ wanted to be married to one person and live a life of that way He could have done it and it would be NO problem for me whatsoever. In fact that would mean that He must CERTAINLY understand ALL human behavior as He lived it Himself. However, as God He doesn't need to experience all aspects of human behavior to be human or to help us so a marriage and a sexual relationship would be unnecessary and too time consuming for the type of life that he had to lead. It is difficult to imagine that He would marry and later divorce or abandon a human wife and leave a widow behind (with children).
September 30, 2012 at 11:12 am
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September 30, 2012 at 4:18 pm
"purchased on the market without a known archaeological provenance"
In other words, this is the archaeological equivalent of going to a garage sale, buying a plastic toy lightsaber, and concluding that it is evidence for the force and the Star Wars universe being a reality.