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\f0\fs24 \cf2 (Image source: {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/us/historian-says-piece-of-papyrus-refers-to-jesus-wife.html?pagewanted=all"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 The New York Times}})\ \
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\b \cf2 BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN \b0 \
\ We recently told you about{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/09/was-jesus-married-ancient-papyrus-mentions-his-wife/"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul a Harvard professor\'92s discovery}}
from an ancient, faded piece of papyrus. \f1 \uc0\u8232 \u8232
\f0\b \'93Just eight lines, but translated it reads, Jesus said to them, my wife, and
later says, she would be able to be my disciple.\'94 \b0 \
The fragment\'92s text, written in the Coptic language and supposed to have been written
in the fourth century,\'a0reignited the provocative debate over whether Jesus was married, because
of the translated phrase, \b \'93Jesus said to them, my wife.\'94
\b0 \ It cuts off after that, because the fragment\'92s
owner only has a portion of the document. All of which inspired some teasing from {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-20-2012/the-god-wife"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 Comedy Central\'92s Jon Stewart.}}
\f1 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 \f0\b \'93Let me see if I can fill that sentence
out for you. Jesus said, my wife, if I ever find one. Or how about this: My wife? Question
mark. No, I\'92m not married.\'94 \b0 \
And after the high of the headline came down a little, observers began weighing in \'97
with some even suggesting the document could be a fake.
\f1 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/21/gospel-jesus-wife-forgery"}}{\fldrslt
\f0 \cf3 \ul \ulc3 The Guardian newspaper\ulnone }}
\f0 quotes a New Testament scholar who writes, \b \'93I would be very surprised if it were
not a modern forgery, although it is possible that it was composed in this way in the fourth
century.\'94 \b0 \
Dr. King and fellow researchers say they were convinced by the fragment\'92s ink fading,
with one researcher telling reporters the words would be \'93impossible to forge.\'94
But Francis Watson, that New Testament scholar we just quoted, says the actual words appear
influenced by modern printed books rather than the fourth century. But even Dr. King
herself didn\'92t present her findings as conclusive.
\f1 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 \f0 When the discovery was announced,{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/us/historian-says-piece-of-papyrus-refers-to-jesus-wife.html?pagewanted=all"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul The New York Times reported,}}
\b \'93[King] repeatedly cautioned that this fragment should not be taken as proof that
Jesus, the historical person, was actually married.\'94
\f1\b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 \f0 \
}