There are other sources we can turn to for further light on the subject. Almost everyone is aware of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. However, very few are aware of a second major find. Just two years earlier in the Sinai Desert at a place called Nag Hamadi an entire library of about fifty ancient manuscripts was found sealed in a jar in a cave. The Nag Hamadi Library includes the only known copies of the Gospels of Thomas, of James, of Philip and of Mary as well as many other documents. A passage in the Gospel of Philip states that the three most important women in Jesus' life were all named Mary. They were Mary his mother, Mary his sister and Mary Magdalene his companion. I find, as I am sure you do too, the use of the word companion to be most interesting since it suggests something more personal and more equal than a rabbi/student or a master/ disciple relationship. The Gospel of Mary is a gospel about Mary Magdalene rather than a gospel authored by her. It opens with the apostles bewildered and grieving after the final departure of the resurrected Jesus. Mary assumes a leadership role by comforting and encouraging them. They in turn ask her to reveal to them any teachings that Jesus had imparted to her in private and not to the whole group. The question seems significant in and of itself. She does answer their question but encounters disbelief on the part of Peter. He as much as accuses her of lying saying "Has the Savior spoken secretly to a woman and not openly so that we would all hear? Surely he did not wish to indicate that she is more worthy than we are?" Mary, quite naturally, is very upset by Peter's attack but is defended by Levi (probably Matthew) who says "Peter, you have a constant inclination to anger and you are always ready to give way to it. And even now you are doing exactly that by questioning the woman as if you were her adversary. If the Savior considered her to be worthy, who are you to disregard her? For he knew her completely and loved her devotedly." Once again we are teased but the record stops just short of being unequivocal. We don't quite get a glimpse of the wedding ring! Returning to the Gospel of Mary, we are told that Jesus often preferred to walk and talk with her to the exclusion of the other disciples and that he frequently kissed her on her …?… Here there is a word missing in the manuscript. We could guess and fill in words like cheek or lips. Missing words are not all that unusual in ancient manuscripts. They naturally tend to deteriorate along the edges with an effect quite similar to tearing a strip from the edge of the page of a book. In addition to these ancient records, we can also turn to some not so ancient traditions. There is a strong tradition in the south of France that Mary Magdalene was the first Christian missionary to that region. This is attested to in a stained glass window in the Cathedral of Marseilles that depicts Mary consecrating a bishop! From the fifth through to the eighth centuries this same region of southern France was ruled by the Merovignian dynasty of kings. This unique and most interesting family claimed an incredible family tree. To begin with, they claimed descent from the Tribe of Benjamin which was driven out of Israel by the other Jewish tribes. But, more to the point of this investigation, they also claimed lineal blood descent from Jesus through the children of Mary Magdalene. This claim was never disputed by the Church at the time. The descendants of the Merovignian family still reside in France and continue their claim. While we are talking family here, let me interject another aside. The first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem were all circumcised Jews and most, if not all, claimed a blood relationship to Jesus through his brothers and sisters. The Acts of the Apostles makes it quite clear that the first bishop of Jerusalem and the first head of the early church was James the brother of Jesus and not Peter as we are frequently encouraged to believe. Why then has the possibility of a married Jesus never been given serious consideration in the mainline Christian tradition? I can only reply with the old adage that "history is written is written by the winners." Christianity is not now nor has it ever been monolithic in belief or practice. If the Jerusalem Church, the earliest Christians, had survived the setback of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the face of Christianity today would be vastly different. Instead, rejected by their Jewish brothers and persecuted as heretics by the Gentile Church, they disappeared from history after about 400 years. Modern Christians, for the most part, are the spiritual heirs of Paul who brought a strong flavour of the Greek philosophy of dualism to what was originally a small Jewish cult. This philosophical influence has infected Christianity with a strong anti-sex, anti-woman, pro-virginity emphasis which persists in most churches right to the present day. Admitting even the mere possibility of a married Jesus flies in the face of this patriarchal agenda. Is it any wonder then that it is not just given no consideration but is actively denied? I'd like to leave you with one last question. What, if any, would be the ramifications of a married Jesus to the Christian Churches today? As a former Catholic, I can see one major upset - the long overdue demise of the celibate male clergy. Ask yourself in all seriousness, "What would be the impact of a married Jesus in my faith?" To answer for myself, I would have to say that it would place a renewed emphasis on the humanity of Jesus. He was not an other-worldly paragon of sanctity and virtue - he was one of us in every aspect of his life. It would also have the effect of raising the status of both women and marriage within the Christian community, particular those communities presently of more traditional or fundamentalist bent. By and large, it would tend to cancel out some of the more negative aspects of Paul.

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