Lineage Joseph appears in Luke as the father of Jesus and in a "variant reading in Matthew".
Matthew and
Luke both contain a
genealogy of Jesus showing his ancestry from
David, but through different sons; Matthew follows the major royal line from
Solomon, while Luke traces another line back to
Nathan, another son of David and
Bathsheba. Consequently, all the names between David and Joseph are different. According to Matthew 1:16 "Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary", while according to Luke 3:23, Joseph is said to be "the son of
Heli". The variances between the genealogies given in Matthew and Luke are explained in a number of ways. One possibility is that Matthew's genealogy traces Jesus' legal descent, according to
Jewish law, through Joseph; while Luke's genealogy traces his actual physical descent through Mary. Another possibility proposed by
Julius Africanus is that both Joseph and his father were the sons of Levirate marriages. A third explanation proposed by
Augustine of Hippo is that Joseph was adopted, and his two genealogies trace Joseph's lineage through his biological and adopted families.
Professional life '', 1850, by
John Everett Millais In the Gospels, Joseph's occupation is mentioned only once. The
Gospel of Matthew asks about Jesus: Joseph's description as a "
tekton" (τέκτων) has been traditionally translated into English as "carpenter", but is a rather general word (from the same root that gives us "technical", "technology") that could cover makers of objects in various materials. The Greek term evokes an artisan with wood in general, or an artisan in iron or stone. But the specific association with woodworking is a constant in
Early Christian tradition;
Justin Martyr (died c. 165) wrote that Jesus made
yokes and
ploughs, and there are similar early references. '', by
Georges de La Tour, c. 1645 Other scholars have argued that
tekton could equally mean a highly skilled craftsman in wood or the more prestigious metal, perhaps running a workshop with several employees, and noted sources recording the shortage of skilled artisans at the time.
Géza Vermes has stated that the terms 'carpenter' and 'son of a carpenter' are used in the Jewish
Talmud to signify a very learned man, and he suggests that a description of Joseph as 'naggar' (a carpenter) could indicate that he was considered wise and highly literate in the Torah. At the time of Joseph,
Nazareth was an obscure village in
Galilee, about from the Holy City of
Jerusalem, and is barely mentioned in surviving non-Christian texts and documents.
Archaeology over most of the site is made impossible by subsequent building, but from what has been excavated and tombs in the area around the village, it is estimated that the population was at most about 400. It was, however, only about 6 kilometers from the city of
Sepphoris, which was destroyed and depopulated by the Romans in 4 BC, and thereafter was extensively rebuilt. Analysis of the landscape and other evidence suggest that in Joseph's lifetime Nazareth was "oriented toward" the nearby city, which had an overwhelmingly Jewish population although with many signs of
Hellenization, and historians have speculated that Joseph and later Jesus too might have traveled daily to work on the rebuilding. Specifically the large theatre in the city has been suggested, although this has aroused much controversy over dating and other issues. Other scholars see Joseph and Jesus as the general village craftsmen, working in wood, stone, and metal on a wide variety of jobs.
Modern appraisal , 1650s The name "Joseph" is found almost exclusively in the genealogies and the infancy narratives. The canonical gospels created a problem: they stated clearly that Mary conceives Jesus virginally, and Joseph is not his father; however, Jesus was described unambiguously by John and Matthew as "Joseph's son" and "the carpenter's son", and Joseph's paternity was essential to establish Jesus'
Davidic descent. The theological situation was complicated by the gospel references to
Brothers of Jesus, who may have been • the sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph; • sons of
Mary, the wife of Clopas and sister of Mary the mother of Jesus; or • sons of Joseph by a former marriage. The positions on the question of the relationship between Joseph and the Virgin Mary vary. The
Eastern Orthodox Church, which names Joseph's first wife as , following Eusebius and Epiphanius, holds that Joseph was a widower and betrothed to Mary, and that references to Jesus' "brothers" were children of Joseph from a previous marriage. The position of the
Catholic Church, derived from the writings of
Jerome, is that Joseph was the husband of Mary, but that references to Jesus' "brothers" should be understood to mean cousins. Such usage is prevalent throughout history, and occurs elsewhere in the Bible.
Abraham's nephew Lot (Genesis 11:26-28) was referred to as his brother (Genesis 14:14), as was
Jacob's uncle Laban (Genesis 29:15). Jesus himself frequently used the word "brother" as a generic term for one's fellow man. This custom has continued into modern times, with close friends, colleagues, and fellow churchgoers often called "brothers and sisters." Generally, most Protestants believe these Jesus' brothers were children of Mary and Joseph. The
perpetual virginity of Mary is a Christian doctrine that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin "before, during and after" the birth of Christ, which means that Joseph and Mary never had sexual relations. The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church adhere to this doctrine, as do some Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed, and other Protestants. The term
kiddushin, which refers to the first part of a two-part marriage, is frequently translated as "betrothal". Couples who fulfill the requirements of the
kiddushin are married, until death or divorce.
Death The New Testament has no mention of Joseph's death, but he is never mentioned after the story of finding Jesus in the temple when Jesus was 12. Some eastern traditions made Joseph out to be 90 years old, a tradition intended to protect Mary's perpetual virginity.
Mauro Gagliardi presents a hypothesis that Joseph was
assumed into Heaven with body and soul because he belongs to the few saints who left no bodily relics. ==Later apocryphal writings==