So this must mean the fan fiction goes way back, huh?
These writings were composed in a Hellenistic venue, one that had a long literary tradition of composing entertaining god/cult hero tales.
As I see it, these tales evolved out of the bare work of an unknown 1st century CE Hellenistic writer acquainted with Judaism and its messianic traditions and expectations, let's term this as proto-Mark, (although there was not any actual 'Mark' as author, and the text of 'Mark' as we now have it does not with any exactitude conform to that original unknown authors text)
As this original author remained unknown, the tale became as it were a public literary resource with anyone free to use the basic theme and material and improvise and 'improve' and upon it as they saw fit.
One or more ancient writers thought the story would be improved, or perhaps more accurately reflect real c.1 Jewish culture if Jesus had a wife. (perhaps there even
was a wife of Jesus in that original 'Mark' that just got 'lost' for latter doctrinal reasons)
The first commandment given in The Torah and Halaka (literally 'way to walk') being; "Be fruitful, and multiply" (Gen 1:28)
A Torah observant and 'Law' abiding Jewish man at the height of c.1 'Jewish legalism' culture, would be socially expected to become married and raise up a family as his moral duty and obligation in obedience to God.
Thus it is believed by some that if Jesus was real, or even simply to avoid what appears to be a latter foreign introduced anachronism into the gospel tale, Jesus would in that
sitz leben have had a wife.
A wife that the latter patristic and male dominated gentile church excluded, extracted, and edited out of their versions of the Gospels.
