▁Early ▁Christian ▁Writ ings ▁site ▁gives ▁it ▁a ▁date ▁c . ▁ 1 8 0 – 2 5 0 . ▁Meyer ▁gives ▁its ▁date ▁as ▁" 2 nd ▁or ▁ 3 rd ▁century ". ▁ ▁Inter pret ation ▁ ▁The ▁text ▁has ▁been ▁interpreted ▁by ▁ ▁as ▁a ▁Christian ▁G nost ic ▁sacr amental ▁c ate ches is . ▁Bent ley ▁L ay ton ▁identified ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁Val entin ian ▁anth ology ▁of ▁ex cer pts , ▁and ▁Ela ine ▁P ag els ▁and ▁Mar tha ▁Lee ▁Turner ▁have ▁seen ▁it ▁as ▁possess ing ▁a ▁consistent ▁and ▁Val entin ian ▁the ology . ▁It ▁is ▁dismiss ed ▁by ▁Catholic ▁author ▁Ian ▁Wilson ▁who ▁arg ues ▁that ▁it ▁" has ▁no ▁special ▁claim ▁to ▁an ▁early ▁date , ▁and ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁merely ▁a ▁M ills ▁and ▁Bo on - style ▁fant asy ▁of ▁a ▁type ▁not ▁un common ▁among ▁Christian ▁ap oc ry phal ▁literature ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁and ▁ 4 th ▁centuries ". ▁ ▁L atter - Day ▁Saint ▁( M orm on ) ▁scholar ▁Richard ▁O . ▁Cow an ▁sees ▁a ▁parallel ▁between ▁the ▁" brid al ▁chamber " ▁that ▁is ▁a ▁central ▁theme ▁in ▁the ▁G ospel ▁and ▁the ▁M orm on ▁doctrine ▁of ▁" the ▁new ▁and ▁ever last ing ▁c oven ant ▁of ▁marriage ", ▁or ▁" et ernal ▁marriage ". ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁List ▁of ▁G osp els ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁▁ ▁Wes ley ▁W . ▁Is enberg , ▁transl