A piece of Egyptian papyrus that mentions Jesus having a wife was tested by several academics and Harvard University says the document is likely not a forgery.
The ancient document is written in Coptic and was originally revealed back in 2012 by Karen King, a divinity professor at Harvard, reports The Associated Press. She wrote in the Harvard Theological Review that tests done on the document places it at about eighth-century Egypt.
The document was examined by academics from Columbia University, MIT and Harvard. The review of the document says, "Over the past two years, extensive testing of the papyrus and the carbon ink, as well as analysis of the handwriting and grammar, all indicated that the existing material fragment dates to between the sixth and ninths centuries CE."
The part of the papyrus that drew attention was translated as "Jesus said to them, my wife," according to The Telegraph. King has stressed that the text doesn't definitely mean Jesus was married.
She believes that the words are actually discussing relationships and celibacy in early Christianity.
Others are still skeptical of the papyrus document. When it was first revealed by King, the Vatican and others claimed it had to be a fake.