Thursday, April 10, 2014

So-Called "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" Testing Findings

Harvard Theological Review 107 is entirely dedicated to the so-called "Gospel of Jesus' Wife."  While Karen King's article is the lead one, the more important ones would be those dedicated to the testing of papyrus and ink samples to determine whether their composition is ancient or modern.  One can read a press release here, which also contains links to the HTR 107.

The basic gist of the testing is that the papyrus and ink are consistent with 6th to 9th century CE, which removes them from "ancient" into the borderlands between late antique and early medieval.  I have yet to read the actual articles, but hopefully will have a chance in the next few days and be able to weigh in.

Larry Hurtado has some helpful initial comments based upon a cursory reading of the HTR 107.  I especially appreciate his comment that we should NOT call this the "Gospel of Jesus' Wife," since there is no evidence that this was part of such a broader work, but the "Jesus' Wife Fragment."

No comments: