BOSTON (CBS) – A Harvard professor has discovered an ancient reference to Jesus being married.

Professor Karen King, of Harvard Divinity School, revealed her discovery Tuesday in Rome.

King was asked by a private collector to examine a small piece of Egyptian papyrus.

With some help, she has determined it was written in the fourth century and includes a passage where Jesus references his wife.

King says four words, written in Coptic, a language of ancient Egyptian Christians, translate to “Jesus said to them, my wife.”

Professor King says the words on the papyrus fragment are a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples.

“One of the things that strikes one immediately is it is about family members, my wife, my mother,” King tells WBZ. “It mentions Mary, we’re not sure if that’s Mary, referring to the mother, or if it’s referring to the wife.”