Papyrus is too small to be shown around. It is brittle and the ink has faded. But the text on it is interesting. It reads thus: ".....My wife she will be able to be my disciple"....and the text in Coptic continues.

There are two points to be commented upon. Firstly, this is a written proof of marriage of Jesus to one named Mary. Secondly, Jesus thought that his wife would be his disciple. Thus it shows that Jesus wished his disciples number to swel up for spreading the new religion - later came to be known as Christianity. Further, it shows that there was no ban on admitting married women to the priestly class.

The new discovery of papyrus will give rise to a fresh DA VINCI CODE - both a book and a movie.

- The Priests may clamour again for admitting married men and women to the priestly class. Thus the doors of the Vatican will be knocked at again. The holy Father, the Pope, will have another controversial issue to decide upon.

- Indeed the old school of Christian theology may draw some comfort from the fact that the so dim writing on Papyrus is dated much after the crucifixion of Jesus. Therefore, its reliability becomes a suspect. After his resurrection, Jesus was becoming a hero in the eyes of common man and the nobility alike. Could be that the priestly class of other religions thought that the easy way to malign Jesus would be to declare him a married man and thus deprive him of the halo of celibacy.

- All said and done, it goes without saying that students of divinity have much material to do research upon. Never a dull moment before one is admitted to the covetous degree of Doctor of Divinity.