Harvard publication postpones releasing 'Jesus' Wife' article

Our take: In September of 2012, a piece of papyrus in which Jesus uses the phrase "my wife" was presented by Harvard professor of divinity Karen L. King. For some, the discovery raised questions about the practice of celibacy among Christian priests. For critics, however, the crucial question was about the authenticity of the fragment. To allow time for further testing to be done on the papyrus, an article about "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife" written by King and scheduled to appear in the January edition of the Harvard Theological Review has been postponed.

The Harvard Theological Review is postponing publication of a major article on the papyrus fragment in which Jesus seems to refer to his wife, raising further doubts about a discovery that was set to turn Christian history on its head when it was announced last September.

The article by Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King was scheduled for the reviews January edition. It was expected to provide answers to questions that had been raised about the relics authenticity soon after King announced the discovery to select national media and at an international conference of biblical scholars in Rome.

Read more about the postponing of the article on Religion News Service.