(RNS) The Harvard Theological Review is postponing publication of a major article on the papyrus fragment in which Jesus seems to refer to his wife, raising further doubts about a discovery that was set to turn Christian history on its head when it was announced last September.
The article by Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King was scheduled for the review’s January edition. It was expected to provide answers to questions that had been raised about the relic’s authenticity soon after King announced the discovery to select national media and at an international conference of biblical scholars in Rome.
King told CNN, which reported the latest development on Thursday (Jan. 3), that the article has been delayed because testing on the fragment is not complete.
A spokesperson for Harvard Divinity School, Kathryn Dodgson, said in an email on Friday that the owner of the papyrus — whose identity has not been disclosed — “has been making arrangements for further testing and analysis of the fragment, including testing by independent laboratories with the resources and specific expertise necessary to produce and interpret reliable results.”
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