Regular readers will know that I have posted many, many times over the years on the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, whether breaking news, offering round-ups of the latest news, or hosting contributions from others like Andrew Bernhard and Francis Watson. I have just finished reading Ariel Sabar's remarkable new book about the affair, and I realized that it's time, once again, to return to this topic.The new book is out today, and I strongly encourage you to read it. It's very, very good: Ariel Sabar, Veritas: A Harvard Professor, A Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife (New York: Doubleday, 2020). I have podcasted my thoughts here:
NT Pod 94: Review of Ariel Sabar's Veritas (mp3)In providing this update, I realized that I hadn't also drawn attention to earlier podcasts in the series, which I released as classes were all going online in March in the wake of the pandemic. (I was at the time teaching my Non-canonical Gospels class). Here are some links to those podcasts:
NT Pod 87: What is the Gospel of Jesus's Wife?NT Pod 88: Is the Gospel of Jesus's Wife a forgery?NT Pod 89: How was the forgery of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife proved?NT Pod 90: How was the forgery of the Gospel of Jesus's Wife confirmed?
I realize that podcasts are not to everyone's tastes, and the good news is that there is already some excellent academic commentary on the release of Sabar's book. I would draw special attention to the following:
Interview with Ariel Sabar about his new book, VeritasJames McGrath (ReligionProf Blog)
How a Star Harvard Professor Got Suckered by Jesus' WifeCandida Moss (Daily Beast; not her title!)
Ariel Sabar's Veritas: Some First ReactionsBrent Nongbri (Variant Readings Blog)
More to come!
