A papyrus fragment discovered by a Harvard historian in 2012 has now been authenticated through extensive carbon tests of the ink. Evaluators can say with confidence that it was written sometime between the 4th century and the 9th century BCE. That means, of course, that it was written at least 400 years after Jesus' death.
"Authenticated" means only that they have established that it is an ancient document, not that the content is anything other than what someone wrote, probably several hundred years after what's being described. So this is no proof of what the historical man called Jesus actually said or thought.
However, that does not stop it's being debated. Referred to as the "Gospel of Jesus' Wife," it has been hotly debated by historians and theologians because of its supposed words of Jesus referring to his "wife." The idea of a married Jesus -- ie, a more ordinary human being -- is unthinkable to many theologians. There is also reference to his wife being his disciple, which some have taken to support the place of women in the church.
To me, it makes not a whit of difference. Jesus -- or at least the teachings attributed to him -- was one of the great moral teachers of all time.
I also understand that, for those whose faith depends on his being the divine Son of God, it would shatter something important to them.
But for me, as a humanist, the message stands regardless of what we know of the facts or our later fantasies about the life of the man.
Ralph
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