Once, just once, could we have a hoax that claimed Jesus married someone else? Does it always have to be Mary Magdalene? According to the newest medieval rumor mill, not only does Jesus wed Mary (identified as a prostitute), the holy couple had two kids.
Greg Carey discusses the latest book that makes this claim here. Greg seems more confident than I am that Jesus never married. But we agree that the supposed document "uncovered" in the British Library is probably bogus. Moreover, the hoax contributes to the longstanding tradition of sexualizing Mary Magdalene.
Our earliest and best sources for the life of Mary tell us that she was an independent follower of Jesus. She was not attached to any male relative or husband. For two thousand years her independence has drawn rumor. This is just one more example of the clichéd male imagination.
-anthony
***UPDATE***
For a review of the book in question, Bob Cargill's is here: http://robertcargill.com/2014/11/10/review-of-the-lost-gospel-by-jacobovici-and-wilson/
I'm looking forward to reading this book. I had no idea Jesus had a gym membership.
ReplyDelete...little known fact, Larry. Though he used to create problems at the public pool. He refused to walk around it.
Delete... so long as he never overturned the tables of the merchants selling nutritional supplements.
ReplyDelete