Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King recently unveiled a papyrus, which is stirring worldwide debate regarding the marital status of Jesus Christ.

Last month, King, an expert in early Christian history, presented the scroll, which she identified as a copy of a Gospel written in Greek sometime during the second century. King cited a portion of the text, in which Jesus makes references to his wife, whom he identifies as Mary.

The release of this information sparked major debate amid religious scholars and the Vatican, which denounced the artifact as a fake. An article

published in L’Osservatore Romano on Sept. 25 discredited the validity of King’s findings, expressing concern about the scroll’s origin.

San Diego State religious studies professor Dr. Pam Fox Kuhlken, pointed out while it may be an authentic historic artifact, it’s important to remember it was written centuries after Jesus’ death, at which point “oral stories (of his life) had inevitably been embellished by the faith community.”

“It is even later than the gospels, and none of the Gospels mention Jesus’ wife, although several of the apostles were married.”

Kuhlken added that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if Jesus had been married. “Rabbis weren’t celibate,” Kuhlken said. “Even God in a sense isn’t celibate since he impregnated

the Virgin Mary, like Zeus impregnated mortal women in classical mythology.”

King plans to publish her findings in January 2013 if all necessary testing and research is complete by then. In her publication, she will also address the questions and skepticism her research has raised.

Kuhlken remains unconvinced Jesus was married, although she believes this scroll underscores a more pressing matter.

“The real issue here is the suppression of women by the church, and the suppression of sexuality in enforcing priestly celibacy,” she said. “That’s why this scroll fragment makes headlines. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s true, although it was true to some early, and contemporary Christians.”