After the media onslaught surrounding Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, questions about Jesus' celibacy have flooded both academic and religious circles. However, despite these hypotheses, nowhere in the Bible is there explicitly evidence of Jesus' marital status. Even the Gnostic Gospels, written years after the life of Christ, neither explicitly mention nor present inconsistent evidence to support the thesis of Jesus' marriage. Although Jesus lived in the midst of an unyielding Jewish society, where marriage was an essential requirement for a man, through his counterculture actions, Jesus demonstrates that he is willing and able to break social norms. Whether dining with tax collectors, teaching revolutionary parables, or even allowing women to become part of his ministry, Christ transforms the sociopolitical structure. Although various sources claim that he was indeed married, whether hinted at by the miracle of the wedding at Cana or by the five major requirements that a Jewish father fulfilled for his son, Jesus remained celibate, a claim supported by historical celibacy communities, by his actions and his revolutionary teachings. , and in general the lack of explicit scriptural evidence. During the life of Christ, Jewish culture apparently left no leeway to avoid marriage, an important rite of passage into adulthood. However, on the fringes of society, near Nazareth, a historically celibate community, the Essenes, thrived, centered around a city called Qumran. One of three major religious sects, through their teachings they worked to bring peace among humanity, eagerly awaiting God's intervention on earth. By promoting community relationships, they sought to create heaven on earth, help the poor, and live an overall righteous lifestyle. The likeness... middle of the paper... brother of Jesus. Overall, there is no evidence of Christ's marriage. Combine this fact with the general treatment of female disciples, his radical and revolutionary teachings, and the historical context of the Essenes, and Christ's celibacy seems explicit and inevitable. Works Cited http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried .htm http://www.christianity.com/Christian%20Foundations/Jesus/11543321/http://kevinscull.wordpress.com/2009/04 /14/textual-proof-that-jesus-was-unmarried/http: //www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Movies/The-Da-Vinci-Code/Why-Jesus-Didnt-Marry.aspxhttp://www .grailchurch.org/marriedjesus.htmhttp://www.halexandria.org/ dward226.htmhttp://home.comcast.net/~hdieterich/Celibacy.htmlhttp://www.gotquestions.org/was-jesus-married. htmlhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1178279/the_counterculture_of_jesus.html ?cat=34