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I’m Faith Lapidus. Today, we tell about a debate over words written on an ancient piece of papyrus. The wording suggests that some early Christians believed Jesus was married. We also tell about an ancient statue of a man. Scientists now say the statue was made from a rock that may have come from outer space. Scientists and religious experts are debating the value of a small piece of papyrus that found its way to a researcher in the United States. The piece of paper raises an ages-old question about Jesus, whose life and teachings form the heart of Christianity. Could Jesus have been married? Harvard Divinity School Professor Karen King recently explained the Coptic wording on the papyrus. She says the words mean that Jesus called Mary Magdalene, an early Christian, “my wife.” She says he did this while speaking to his disciples, or followers. Professor King adds that, in another part of the papyrus, Jesus says, “She will be my disciple.” And she says other wording on it means, “I dwell with her.” This sentence may suggest that Jesus lived with Mary Magdalene. The possibilities suggested by Karen King’s work are important for many Christians. Roman Catholic Church clergy members are banned from marriage and having sexual relations. The official Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, dismissed the papyrus as a fake, a falsified document. Catholics are not alone in believing that Jesus was sexually pure and never married. Some Protestant groups also condemn the idea of a married Jesus. | 
