(KCEN) -- It's an ancient debate and now an equally ancient scrap of papyrus is shedding some light on the question of if Jesus was married.
Experts have been examining a remnant with text saying that Jesus referred to, "my wife."
The fragment is a faded piece of papyrus with the phrase, "Jesus said to them, 'my wife ....'"
It's written in the ancient Egyptian Coptic language.
Harvard Divinity School professor Karen King translated it and her findings are being presented in a new documentary on the Smithsonian channel.
It's being called the Gospel of Jesus's Wife and will discus whether or not Jesus was married.
And if so, was his wife Mary Magdalene?
Father Tom Reese at Georgetown University said, "Very few words are legible on it. Jesus, disciples, wife, question arises, is this same Jesus they are talking about? There were a lot of Jesuses running around in the Middle East."
All of this comes as the church looks at present day issues.
Should priests be allowed to marry? Or should women be allowed to serve?
