New Christian gospel indicates Jesus may have had a wife (+video)

King’s own analysis of the papyrus is concerned with interpretation, which is extremely difficult due to the fragmentary nature of the text, according to Harvard Magazine. The first line reads, “My mother gave to me,” and what follows is probably the word “life.” Line two reads “the disciples said to Jesus.” The third line reads “deny. Mary is worthy of it.” It is the fourth line, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife,’” that is most clear. “Those words can mean nothing else,” says King. Line five reads “She will be able to be my disciple,” but it is unclear whether Jesus is referring to Mary, to his wife, or to someone else.

"The discovery of this new gospel," King said, "offers an occasion to rethink what we thought we knew by asking what role (the) claims about Jesus' marital status played historically in early Christian controversies over marriage, celibacy, and family. Christian tradition preserved only those voices that claimed Jesus never married. The Gospel of Jesus's Wife now shows that some Christians thought otherwise."