Vatican newspaper weighs in on 'Jesus' Wife'

VATICAN CITY (AP)—The Vatican newspaper has added to the doubts surrounding Harvard University's claim that a 4th century Coptic papyrus fragment showed that some early Christians believed that Jesus was married.

The L'Osservatore Romano published an article Thursday by leading Coptic expert Alberto Camplani. While praising Harvard scholar Karen King's academic paper on the subject, Camplani cited concerns by colleagues about the scrap's authenticity and the fact that it was purchased on the market without a known archaeological provenance.

He also challenged King's interpretation of what the fragment's script means, if it was real.

King sparked high interest last week when she delivered a paper at an international Coptic conference in Rome. She said the fragment doesn't prove that Jesus was married, just that some early Christians thought he was.

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