Smithsonian Channel Postpones 'Jesus' Wife' Documentary Amid Controversy

The Smithsonian Channel has announced that it will delay airing a documentary about the controversial "Jesus' wife" papyrus fragment after scholars raised doubts about its authenticity and questioned its lack of known archaeological origin, CBN News reports. The documentary was set to air Sept. 30, but the Smithsonian Channel says it put the film on hold until the papyrus undergoes additional tests. Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King, who released the fragment last month, said it did not prove Jesus was married, only that some early Christians believed he was. However, Christian theologians and scholars have largely dismissed the supposed fourth-century find, saying it was likely forged. "This is sensationalism masquerading as scholarship," said Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. "Do not miss what all this really represents -- an effort to replace biblical Christianity with an entirely new faith."