What Are The Names Of Jesus Brothers And Sister?

What were the names of jesus brothers and sisters

What are the names of Jesus sisters?

In addition to his father and mother, Jesus had five brothers: James (Ya’qov) and Simon (Shim’on) and his brothers: Judah and Yehudah, Joses and Yosef, and Thomas (Toma’). He also had two sisters, Rachel (Rakhel) and Lea (Le’ah), who were his closest friends.

Is James the biological brother of Jesus?

In their interpretation of Matthew 1:25, the statement that Joseph ″knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son″ means that Joseph and Mary continued to have normal marital relations after Jesus’ birth, and that the natural sons of Mary and Joseph were James, Joses, Jude, and Simon, who were half brothers of Jesus, and that Joseph and Mary had normal marital relations after Jesus’ birth.

Who were the 3 Marys at the cross?

The Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Cleofas are referred to as Las Tres Maras, or the Three Maries. They are frequently pictured at the scene of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion or at his tomb.

Did Jesus have brothers and sisters Catholic?

Jesus was the sole child of his parents. Mary’s garment was not being tugged at by her brothers and sisters. According to Catholic tradition, however, when the Gospels refer to Jesus’ siblings or when the apostle Paul refers to the ″brothers of the Lord,″ these words–translated from the Greek–really refer to Jesus’ relatives or cousins rather than his siblings.

Did Jesus have a twin?

According to Pullman’s rendition of the narrative, Jesus had a twin brother named Christ who is also named Christ. ″I was captivated, you see, by the distinction between the two portions of the name Jesus Christ that we often use interchangeably,″ Pullman explains. ″It was the contrast between the two parts of the name Jesus Christ that I was intrigued by.″

What was Jesus’s brothers name?

The brothers and sisters of Jesus James, Joseph/Joses, Judas/Jude, and Simon are all mentioned as brothers of Jesus, the son of Mary, in the Gospel of Mark (6:3) and the Gospel of Matthew (13:55–56), respectively. The same lines also refer to unidentified sisters of Jesus who are mentioned in passing.

What was Jesus parents last name?

Jesus
Born	c. 4 BC Kingdom of Judea, Roman Empire
Died	AD 30 or 33 (aged 33–36) Jerusalem, Judea, Roman Empire
Cause of death	Crucifixion
Parent (s)	Mary Joseph

Who was the female disciple?

This is what the scripture says about the twelve: ″He was accompanied by some ladies who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Many others were there, including Mary Magdalene, from whom seven devils had been cast out; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and others.

Who is the cousin of Jesus?

Elizabeth’s cousin Mary gave birth to the infant Jesus. The pregnant Elizabeth felt the child St. John the Baptist leap in her womb at the sound of Mary’s welcome, which, according to subsequent belief, indicated that he had been sanctified and purged of original sin over the course of the conversation. The Magnificat was then sung by Mary (q.v.).

What is the name of Jesus wife?

Mary Magdalene in the role of Jesus’ wife.

How many Marys were at the crucifixion?

A group of three Marys who were present during Jesus’ crucifixion; On Easter Sunday, there were three Marys at the tomb of Jesus; three Marys who were the daughters of Saint Anne.

Who was the angel at Jesus tomb?

Mark 16 refers to a young man, who is most likely an angel, who is sitting on the right side of the throne. Two males, designated as angels in Luke 24:23, appear standing next to the ladies in the story of the women of Luke. Many believers in the Bible’s inerrancy say that the different stories are explained by Mary making many excursions to the tomb during her time there.

Who was Jesus father?

Life of Jesus in a nutshell He was born to Joseph and Mary somewhere between 6 bce and just before the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2; Luke 1:5) in 4 bce, according to the earliest available evidence. However, according to Matthew and Luke, Joseph was solely his legal father in the eyes of the law.

Does Jesus have a wife?

You should be aware that, hidden under millennia of disinformation and deceit, Jesus had a secret wife named Mary Magdalene with whom he fathered two children. They want you to be aware of this fact. They also want you to know that their book on the subject, titled ″The Lost Gospel,″ will be available for purchase shortly for $21.74.

Does Jesus eat meat?

If it is considered that Jesus did really consume various kinds of meat, then the same rationale might be applied to support the consumption of any meats that he ate throughout his lifetime (the Bible does not explicitly say Jesus ate any meat other than fish, and some writers have made much of the fact that no lamb is mentioned at the Last Supper.)

Who Were Jesus’ Brothers?

Those of us who have siblings are well aware of the toll they may have on our ability to remain calm under pressure.I recall thinking as a youngster that I would have sinned significantly less if I had not been given siblings.I was probably right.

Of course, knowing me, I would’ve sinned regardless, but I had a strong belief in this idea for many years before I realized it.Our first thoughts aren’t often about Jesus’ brothers and sisters; they’re more typically on Jesus himself.For the reason that we frequently envision Jesus in his early years in a stable and a manger as an only child, we sometimes forget that Mary and Joseph had numerous children after Jesus is born into the world.After all, ancient Israel lacked effective contraceptive measures, and Mary gave birth to Jesus when she was a very young girl.This would indicate that they may have had a number of children before Joseph died, if not enough to fill an entire homeschool passenger van.But who are the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ?

Are there any of them that we get the chance to meet in the Bible?And what unanticipated insights may we get from Jesus’ brothers and sisters?

Did Jesus Have a Twin?

In a nutshell, no.After the birth of Jesus, the Bible makes it plain that Joseph and Mary did not have sexual relations until after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:25).Despite this, the belief that Jesus has a twin brother continues to pervade churches today.

The notion that Jesus had a twin called ″Didymus Judas Thomas″ is completely absurd, especially in light of the fact that Joseph and Mary did not engage in sexual intercourse until after the birth of Jesus.Jesus, on the other hand, did not grow up in a family without siblings and sisters.Scripture has several references to Jesus’ half-brothers and sisters, and we even have a few books in the New Testament that were written by some of these individuals.Let’s have a look at some of the names of Jesus’ brothers and sisters that appear in the Bible.

Jesus’ Brother and Sister Names

In the Bible, there are no names for sisters that are mentioned.Women’s names are rarely mentioned in the Bible, unless they had major parts in the story, such as the judge Deborah or Mary the mother of Jesus, who were both mentioned.Consider some of the scriptures that refer to Jesus’ brothers and sisters.

″While Jesus was still speaking to the multitude, his mother and brothers stood outside, eager to meet with him,″ Matthew 12:46 says.As a result of the verses below, we know that Jesus had sisters.″Aren’t all of his sisters here with us?″ says Matthew 13:56.″How did he obtain all of these things?″ you might wonder.When it comes to the names of brothers, we only have four names given in the Gospels: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Judas Iscariot) (also known as Jude).What is now happening to some of these brothers will be discussed in detail later.

We can presume that Jesus had at least six siblings based on the fact that the Gospels refer to them as sisters (plural) and that four brothers are named.The number of children he has is not specified in the Gospels.Despite this, we do know that Jesus is the firstborn, and the firstborn had obligations when it came to caring for his siblings and the rest of the family, which is why Mary appeared with all of Jesus’ brothers during one of his lectures, as we have previously said.Joseph was most likely deceased, and she need Jesus to serve as the home’s head of household.Since the notion of Mary’s eternal virginity, which holds that she did not engage in sexual intercourse during her whole life, this subject of Jesus’ half-siblings has been problematic among Christians.Regardless of one’s objections, Scripture refers to these individuals as Jesus’ siblings, and for the sake of this essay, we will refer to them as half-siblings.

What Happened to Jesus’ Brothers and Sisters?

Even while Mary initially supports Jesus’ work, as the going gets rough, she urges him to step back and return home to take care of his family, as recorded in Matthew 12.In the New Testament, we don’t learn anything about what happened to Jesus’ family until much later in the book of Matthew.The New Testament story is dominated by two of Jesus’ brothers, James and Jude, and we know that they play a significant role in it.

As we have seen, James and Jude must have had some reservations about Jesus at initially since they arrive with Mary in order to stop Jesus from continuing his teachings.These two, on the other hand, subsequently became Christians.Following his conversion, James becomes the pastor of a church in Jerusalem, and he later goes on to write the Book of James.He serves as the pastor of the church for more than ten years, until he is martyred in AD 62.He is either stoned to death or thrown from the Temple tower, depending on the circumstances.Jude, Jesus’ half-brother, goes on to compose a book that is included in the New Testament, despite ongoing debates over his true relationship with Jesus and where he belongs in the family.

The Book of Jude, as you would have guessed.Jude identifies himself as James’s brother in the Bible (Jude 1:1).Beyond the fact that Jude converted after Jesus returned to the Father’s presence in heaven, we don’t know much about his life.In other words, throughout Jesus’ time on this planet, he did not believe in the existence of God.As far as the rest of Jesus’ siblings are concerned, we know that many of them have converted and have gone on to finish missionary missions (1 Corinthians 9:5).Whether or not they all decided to have a saving connection with him is unknown, but it is likely that a significant number do so.

3 Lessons from Jesus’ Brothers

In spite of the fact that we don’t get to learn much about Jesus’ siblings and sisters in Scripture, we may take away a number of important truths from them.First and foremost, Jesus’ relationship with his siblings demonstrates that he fully comprehends every element of our existence.He understands what it’s like to grow up in a family with folks who don’t always agree with you.

Even though ancient Israel did not have the same individualistic worldview as we have now, there was nonetheless sibling rivalry and competitiveness between brothers and sisters.Jesus was completely innocent in his relationships with his siblings, and it speaks a lot about him.Second, even Jesus’ siblings expressed skepticism.Despite the fact that his mother initially supported his ministry, once Joseph died, they wanted Jesus to return to carpentry and take care of the rest of the family.Until after Jesus has ascended back into heaven, James and Jude do not accept him as their Lord and Savior.It is possible that we have family members that are hostile to our Christian beliefs in the same manner.

We may take consolation from Jesus’ example, knowing that even his own family did not stand by him during his trial.Finally, we know that many members of Jesus’ family later became Christians.This might provide encouragement to those of us who have family members who have not yet made a commitment to Christ.Not only do James and Jude become Christians, but one of them goes on to become the leader of a church in the city of Jerusalem.Both of them are New Testament authors that compose books for the New Testament.At least one of them is martyred as a result of their actions.

• That exemplifies real dedication.
• Siblings, whether you love them or tolerate them, can be one of the most difficult groups of individuals to persuade to accept Christ as their Savior.
• In the end, many of us are stubborn and stubbornness can stand in the way of developing a positive relationship with others.
• In spite of this, we may learn from Jesus’ example and discover creative methods to pray on a consistent basis and provide a positive example for our siblings.

Perhaps, like Jesus’ half-brothers and half-sisters, they will come to understand the magnificent lovingkindness of our Lord.Perhaps, as a result of our transformed life, people will be curious to learn more about the hope we have and will ask us to throw light on what has brought about such a shift within ourselves.When it comes to our siblings, we should ask God for patience and prayer.Allow him to demonstrate to you the various ways you may love them.

Sources She is the author of many novels and a graduate of Taylor University’s professional writing program.Hope Bolinger lives in Nashville, Tennessee.More than 1,200 of her writings have been published in a variety of periodicals, ranging from Writer’s Digest to Keys for Kids and everything in between.As a writer and editor, she has worked for a number of different publishing firms as well as periodicals, newspapers, and literary agencies, and she has worked with writers such as Jerry B.Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams.Her modern-day Daniel trilogy, published by IlluminateYA, is now available.

1. She is also the co-author of the Dear Hero duology, which was released by INtense Publications and has received positive reviews.
2. Her inspirational adult novel Picture Imperfect, which will be released in November of 2021, will also be released.
3. You may learn more about her by visiting her website.
4. Persons of Christianity is a collection that includes the biographies, importance, and meaning of well-known people from the Bible and history.
5. This article is a component of the People of Christianity catalog.
6. Some of the most popular articles for getting to know major personalities in Christian history are listed here.

What Caused the Apostle Paul’s Death?In the book of Revelation, who are the Nicolaitans?Deborah was a biblical character.Who was she?Was Moses a historical figure or a mythical one?

The Bible tells the story of King Solomon.In the Bible, who was Lot’s wife and what was her name?The Biblical character Jezebel was a woman named Jezebel.Who Was the Prodigal Son, and What Was His Story?

They Were Brothers And Sisters, Not Cousins

2:12 12 JOHN 2:12 In the aftermath of this, He and His mother, as well as His siblings and followers, traveled down to Capernaum, where they did not stay for very long.Who was with Jesus, His followers, and Mary as they traveled to Capernaum?The ″brothers″ of Jesus (John 2:12).

Jesus had brothers, didn’t he?Yes, and there are sisters as well.What was the total number of brothers and sisters that Jesus had?Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters, according to the Bible: ″55 Isn’t this the offspring of the tektonos, after all?Isn’t His mother’s given name Mary?56 His brothers James and Joses, as well as Simon and Judas, as well as His sisters, aren’t they all here with us?

″So, where did this Man obtain all of these things?″ you might wonder.(Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 10:45-46) Is it possible that ″brothers″ refers to people who have come to trust in Jesus?Because Jesus’ brother did not believe in Him, those who did believe in Him were referred to be ″His disciples,″ as previously stated in John 2:12.Could the term ″brothers″ allude to Jesus’ more distant cousins and aunts and uncles?When used in the broad sense of ″brethren,″ the Greek word for ″brothers″ (adelphoi) above can also refer to more distant relatives – ″brethren″ in the broad sense – but this usage does not fit the narrow nuclear family context above: the sequence ″father, mother, brothers, and sisters″ fits, whereas the sequence of ″Father, Mother,″ ″Father, Mother, relatives, and sisters″ does not.Could Jesus’ ″brothers″ be His half-brothers from Joseph’s previous marriages before his marriage to Mary, as some have speculated?

• Because Joseph was not Jesus’ original father, all of Jesus’ siblings and sisters stated above were biological half brothers and half sisters of Jesus’ biological father, Joseph.
• The fact that Joseph having been married before he married Mary, however, is not supported by the evidence.
• Joseph’s children from prior marriages would have joined him and Mary to Bethlehem of Judea to register for the census mandated by Augustus Caesar, assuming Joseph had any children from previous marriages.
• In light of this, what does it say about Mary’s purported virginity throughout her life?

A myth created by those who wish to deify Mary and pervert the meaning of the words ″brothers″ in Matthew 13:55-56 to suit their own purposes.However, there is another passage in Matthew that they are unable to ignore: ″Then Joseph, awoken from his slumber, did as the angel of the Lord told him and took to him his wife, whom he did not know until she had given birth to her firstborn Son.″ ″And he called His name Jesus,″ he continued.(See Matthew 1:24-25.) As can be seen from the context of the paragraph above, the term ″to know″ is used in the Bible to refer to sexual encounters or encounters with another person.The fact that Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary ″until″ she had given birth to her firstborn son implies that Joseph did have sexual relations with her after that.

What does the Greek word ″tektonos″ mean in Matthew 13:55?The Greek word tektonos (which literally translates as ″builder″) is the origin of the term.Is that a slang term for ″carpenter″?It doesn’t work like that.While builders in northern Europe, where the Bible was originally translated into English, constructed their structures with wood, builders in Israel at the time of Jesus constructed their structures using rocks.The majority of their time was spent quarrying and constructing with rocks, though they did occasionally work with wood to create doors and other fixtures.

1. The people who are cited in Matthew 13:55 above are not referring to Jesus as the son of a carpenter, but rather as the son of a builder who constructed a structure out of rocks (photo).
2. What is the location of ″Capernaum″ (John 2:12)?
3. Take a look at Capernaum.

Who Were the Brothers and Sisters of Jesus?

Now we’ll take a look at Jesus’ brothers and sisters and see what the Bible has to say about each of them.

Older Siblings

In the Book of Exodus, we learn about the 10 plagues that God inflicted on the stubborn Egyptians in order to rescue the Hebrews from their oppressive rule.The plagues were terrible: water that turned to blood, locusts, gnats, and darkness, to mention a few examples of what was happening.The tenth plague, the last of the plagues, was the most terrible of them all.

Because of this, God issued a fair warning: ″I will send one more plague onto Pharaoh and upon Egypt.″ After that, he will release you from his custody.He will really drive you away when he finally decides to let you go″…All firstborn in Egypt will perish, from Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave-girl who is working at a handmill, as well as all of the firstborn of the animals, according to this prophecy.The LORD declares, ″I will go across Egypt, striking down every firstborn in the land, human being and beast alike, and bringing retribution on all the idols of Egypt″!(12:12, for example) And thus it came to pass that the firstborn in the country of Egypt was murdered – both humans and beasts alike, it seemed.As a result of striking down all the firstborn in Egypt, God declared that ″I devoted to me every firstborn in Israel, whether human or beast.″ The LORD says, ″They are mine; I am their owner.″ (Num.

3:13; et cetera) A procedure that God devised would be used to accomplish this task, in which the firstborn son of every marriage would need to be ″redeemed″ (committed) to God; therefore the name of the ritual, The Redemption of the First Born Son…or Pidyon Haben as it is known to modern-day Jews, is derived.This ritual is only performed for the firstborn son, who is also the one who opens the womb, and it takes place at the age of 30 days.Unless the firstborn child is born to a male, the ritual is not performed: ″Consecrate to me every firstborn; whatsoever opens the womb among the Israelites, whether human being or beast, belongs to me…″ It is necessary for you to ransom every human firstborn of your sons.″ (Exodus 13:2 and 13) As a result of Jesus’ dedication to God at the age of thirty days, we can be certain that he had no older sisters or brothers: ″When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, ″Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord″!(Lk 2:22-23; cf.While taking part in the ritual, the father declares, ″This is my first born son, and the first born of his mother.″ Once again, this demonstrates that Jesus did not have any elder siblings.

Younger Siblings

When it comes to younger siblings, this is also ineffective.When Jesus was dying on the cross and ″seeing his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, look, here is your son,’″ he said to his mother.Then he turned to the disciple and said, ‘Look, here is your mother.’ As a result, the disciple accepted her into his house from that point on″ (Jn 19:26-27).

According to Jewish tradition, younger siblings are expected to care for their parents after their elder siblings have passed away.However, because Jesus did not have any younger siblings, he entrusted John with the responsibility of caring for his mother.What’s the deal with John?Perhaps he was the eldest of the apostles to have lived.Perhaps he was the ″one whom Jesus loved,″ as the saying goes (Jn 13:23).There was a good chance that John was the only one of the apostles in attendance.

Then there’s Mary, who was described as having given birth to ″her firstborn son″ (Lk 2:7).The prefix ″o″ (prototokos) is used in Greek to demonstrate that Jesus is the one who is to be presented to God (or to offer himself, depending on the situation) and that he is the one who inherits all of the rights to the kingdom of God.As a way of giving freely, Jesus declares, ″Everything that the Father has is mine.″ ″For this reason, I told you that he will take from what is mine and disclose it to you″ (Jn 16:15).Because ″the Father and I are one,″ as the saying goes (Jn 10:30).

Siblings By Name

So, who exactly are those brothers and sisters who are listed by name as belonging to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark?It is the carpenter who is being referred to, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon.″Aren’t His sisters our neighbors here,″ says Jesus in Mark 6:3.According to Fr.William Saunders, ″the mistake stems from the languages of Hebrew and Aramaic, which were the languages of the majority of the original Old Testament manuscripts as well as the language of Christ.

″ Because there was no unique term for cousin, nephew, half-brother, or step-brother in these languages, they had to rely on the word brother or a ″circumlocution,″ such as ″The son of Paul’s sister″ (Acts 23:16), which clearly indicates that Paul’s nephew is being addressed.″When the Old Testament was translated into Greek and the New Testament was written in Greek, the word adelphos was employed to encapsulate all of these connotations,″ Fr.Saunders explains further.Consequently, we must consider the context in which the title is being utilized in each instance.″ For instance, when Spanish-speaking individuals (or French-speaking people) talk about their parents, they use the word ″my padres″ (″mes parents″ in French), which means ″my parents.″ When they refer to aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives, the word ″mis padres″/″mes parents″ is still used.This is true in other languages as well, including English.

The Gospels provide further clarification on the aforementioned ″siblings.″ Mary of Clopas had two sons, James and Joses, who were related to each other (Mk 15:40).Judas was the son of James (not one of the Apostles), and he was a traitor (Lk 6:16).James the Lesser was the younger brother of Alphaeus (Lk 6:15).They were the sons of Zebedee, who had a mother other than our Blessed Mother Mary, and they were called James the Greater and John (Mt 20:20).But why these four in particular?

• Their relationship with Jesus was documented in the works of Eusebius, a church Father and historian.
• They all unanimously declared Symeon, the son of Clopas, whom the Gospel also mentions, to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish,″ Eusebius writes in his Church History when describing the process of selecting someone to replace James (the head of the Church in Jerusalem), who had been martyred.
• He was, as the saying goes, a cousin of the Saviour.

• Clopas was Joseph’s brother, according to Hegesippus, who writes this.″ So… Uncle Clopas was a relative of Jesus!
• ″There were others, descended from one of the so-called brothers of the Saviour, whose name was Judas…″, says the author once more.
• And then there’s this…
• The next bishop was selected after James the Just had been killed in martyrdom, as had also been the Lord on the same account.

• Symeon, the son of the Lord’s uncle, Clopas, was the next bishop.
• Because he was a cousin of the Lord, everyone wanted him to be the second bishop.″

The Founders of the Protestant Reformation

Mary’s permanent virginity was upheld even by the three fathers of the Reformation – Martin Luther, Hulrych Zwingli, and John Calvin — all of whom were committed to the doctrine.″Christ…was the sole Son of Mary, and the Virgin Mary carried no other children save Him,″ according to Martin Luther.″Brothers″ truly means ‘cousins’ in this context, because the Bible and the Jews usually refer to cousins as brothers.″ (Sermons on John, chapters 1-4, 1537-39; Sermons on John, chapters 1-4, 1539) ″To deny that Mary remained ‘inviolata’ before, during, and after the birth of her Son was to dispute the power of God,″ writes Zwingli.In addition, it was appropriate and beneficial to repeat the angelic greeting, which was ‘Hail Mary’…God saw Mary as superior to all other creatures, even saints and angels, since it was her purity, innocence, and unwavering faith that mankind was called upon to emulate.

It was his final booklet, ‘Fidei expositio,’ that he wrote…On the subject of Mary’s continuous virginity, there is an especially strong emphasis.″ To paraphrase John Calvin, ″He claims that she was the mother of Jesus, and in doing so he uses the phraseology of the Hebrew language, which includes cousins, and other relatives, under the name ‘brothers.″ Despite the fact that many of the Early Church Fathers wrote and preached about Mary’s perpetual virginity, the great St.Augustine is credited with having said it best: ″It was not the visible sun, but its invisible Creator, who consecrated this day for us, when the Virgin Mother, fertile of womb and integral in her virginity, brought him forth, made visible for us, by whom, when he was invisible, she too was created.″ A Virgin conceiving, a Virgin carrying, a Virgin pregnant, a Virgin giving birth, and a Virgin perpetuating are all examples of virginity.″What is it about this that you are perplexed about, O man?″ (Sermons 186, verse 1)

How Early Church Leaders Downplayed Mary Magdalene’s Influence by Calling Her a Whore

She was Mary of Magdala, one of Jesus of Nazareth’s early disciples, and she was one of the most famous women in the world.It is said that she journeyed with him, witnessed his Crucifixion, and was one of those who were informed of his Resurrection, all according to the Scriptures.Everybody, from early church officials and historians to authors and filmmakers, has contributed to the revision and expansion of the tale of Mary Magdalene throughout history.On the one hand, they downplayed her significance by stating she was a prostitute, a wrecked woman who repented and was rescued by Christ’s teachings.On the other hand, they emphasized her value by claiming she was a prostitute, a ruined woman who repented and was saved by Christ’s teachings.

Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, is represented in several early Christian scriptures as more than just a mere follower; she is also depicted as Jesus’ close companion—which some have taken to suggest his wife.Which begs the question: is there any truth to either of these tales?What exactly do we know about Mary Magdalene, the lady who is considered to be the most intriguing woman in the Bible?WATCH: Jesus: A Biography on the HISTORY Vault

What the Bible Says About Mary Magdalene

However, only the Gospel of Luke discussed Mary Magdalene’s role in Jesus’ life and ministry, listing her among ″some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities″ (Luke 8:1–3).All four canonical gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) noted Mary Magdalene’s presence at Jesus’ Crucifixion, but only the Gospel of Luke discussed her role in his life and ministry.According to Luke, when Jesus drove out seven devils from her, Mary joined a group of women who went with him and his twelve disciples/apostles, ″proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.″ They were ″proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.″ However, although Magdalene is not a surname, it is associated with the city of Magdala, which is located in Galilee, in the northernmost area of ancient Palestine, and from whence Mary hailed (now northern Israel).In the words of Robert Cargill, an associate professor of classical and religious studies at the University of Iowa who is also the editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review, ″Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ early supporters.″ ″She was mentioned in the Gospels, which indicates that she was significant.There were hundreds, if not thousands, of followers of Jesus, but we don’t know the names of the majority of them, according to what we know.

As a result, the fact that she has been identified is significant.″ Mary Magdalene had an important role in the tale of the Resurrection, which took place after Jesus’ crucifixion, which she observed from the foot of the cross with many other women, and after all of Jesus’ male disciples had fled from the scene.In accordance with the gospels, Mary went to Jesus’ tomb on Easter Sunday, either alone herself (according to the Gospel of John) or in company with several women, and discovered that the tomb was vacant.The ladies are the ones who go to the disciples and inform them what has happened, as Cargill points out.That’s crucial since they were the ones who found that Jesus had resurrected from the dead.According to the Gospel of John, Jesus personally comes to Mary Magdalene after his Resurrection and urges her to inform his followers of his appearance (John 20:1-13).

READ MORE: What Did Jesus Look Like When He Was Alive?

Mary Magdalene as sinner

Because of Mary Magdalene’s obvious significance in the Bible—or maybe because of it—some early Western church leaders attempted to minimize her power by presenting her as a sinner, notably as a prostitute, according to the Bible.In Cargill’s words, ″There are many academics who think that because Jesus empowered women to such a great extent early in his career, it made some of the males who would govern the early church uncomfortable later on.″ In response to this, there were two different reactions.She was to be turned into a prostitute, for example.″ Early church leaders conflated Mary with other women mentioned in the Bible in order to portray her as the original repentant whore.These women included an unnamed woman, identified in the Gospel of Luke as a sinner, who bathes Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries them, and applies ointment to them (Luke 7:37-38), as well as another Mary, Mary of Bethany, who also appears in Luke.Pope Gregory the Great clarified this confusion in a sermon in 591 A.D., saying, ″We think that the Mary, whom Luke names the wicked woman and whom John calls Mary, is the Mary from whom seven demons were evicted according to Mark.″ ‘By becoming a prostitute, she has diminished in importance.’ It has a negative impact on her in some manner.

Look at what she did for a job, and you can see why she couldn’t have been a leader,″ Cargill adds.″Of course, the second option was to advance Mary to the next level.Some believe she was actually Jesus’ wife or friend, rather than his mother.″She had a particular place in the world.″ READ MORE: The Bible Claims That Jesus Was a Real Person.Is there any further evidence?

Mary Magdalene as Jesus’s wife

While some early Christians wanted to downplay Mary’s influence, others sought to emphasize her as a source of inspiration.Several centuries after Jesus’ death, the Gospel of Mary, a document dating from the second century A.D.that was discovered in Egypt in 1896, ranked Mary Magdalene higher in wisdom and influence than Jesus’ male disciples.She was also extensively featured in the so-called Gnostic Gospels, a collection of books thought to have been authored by early Christians as far back as the second century A.D.but which were not discovered until 1945, near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi, and which were written in Greek.

According to one of these manuscripts, referred to Mary Magdalene as Jesus’ friend and said that Jesus loved her more than the other disciples.This document is known as the Gospel of Philip.Possibly the most contentious statement in the scripture was that Jesus used to kiss Mary ″frequently on her.″ Damage to the writing rendered the final word illegible, while some scholars have substituted the word ″mouth″ for the unreadable term.In the years after its publication, Dan Brown’s enormously popular mystery The Da Vinci Code has been consumed by tens of millions of readers worldwide.The premise of the novel revolves around the long-held belief that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had children together.

This concept was also at the heart of The Last Temptation of Christ, a novel written by Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis in 1955 that was subsequently made into a film directed by Martin Scorsese, as well as the cinematic adaptation of the novel.And then there was the discovery of a previously unknown papyrus fragment in 2012 that was considered to be a copy of a second-century narrative in which Jesus refers to Mary Magdalene as ″my wife,″ according to Karen King, a professor at Harvard Divinity School.She ultimately changed her mind after being bombarded with criticism and concluded that the so-called ″Gospel of Jesus’s Wife″ was most likely a fake after defending the document’s validity.

Mary Magdalene as trusted disciple

The Bible, on the other hand, provided no indication that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ wife.One can’t get a sense of that type of connection from any of the four canonical gospels, despite the fact that they include the women who travel with Jesus and, in some cases, their husbands’ names as well.The depiction of Mary Magdalene as a prostitute endured for decades after Pope Gregory the Great declared it official in his sixth-century sermon, though neither Orthodoxy nor Protestantism embraced it once their respective religions separated from the Catholic Church later in the sixth century.At long last, in 1969, the Church acknowledged that the text of the Bible did not support such interpretation..Mary Magdalene is now venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and her feast day is observed on July 22nd in all four of these denominations.

According to Cargill’s conclusion, ″Mary appears to have been a disciple of Jesus.″ ″What’s noteworthy is that Jesus had both male and female disciples in his ministry, which was not often the case at the time,″ says the author.He notes that while the prostitute and wife hypotheses have been around for centuries, they are tales and customs that have developed long after the fact: ″Neither of them is anchored in the Bible itself.″ MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: The Evolution of Christian Thought

Mary of Clopas – Wikipedia

SaintMary of Clopas
Mary of Clopas – Sant’Andrea della Zirada Venice
Myrrhbearer
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox ChurchRoman Catholic Church
Feast	May 23 (Orthodoxy)April 24 (Catholicism)

In the Gospel of John, Mary of Clopas (Ancient Greek: K, Mara htou Clpá) was one of the women who were present at Jesus’ crucifixion and who brought provisions for his funeral, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.It is not clear whether Mary was Clopas’ daughter or his wife from the Greek text, although exegesis has generally supported the translation ″wife of Clopas″ as the most likely meaning of the phrase.Hegesippus recognized Clopas as a sibling of Saint Joseph, according to Hegesippus.Her memory is commemorated on April 24th, along with Saint Salome, in the Roman Martyrology.Mary of Clopas is regarded as one of the Three Marys, together with Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James, who were present at the tomb of Jesus.

Her relics are reported to be located in two locations in France: the Church of the Saintes Maries de la Mer and the Church of the Virgin of the Sea.

Appearances in the gospels

It is only in John 19:25 that Mary of Clopas is specifically identified as one of the women who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion: ″Now there stood beside the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene,″ says the author of the Gospel of John.Identical sections from the Gospels of Mark and Matthew are found in both books and are almost identical to one another: Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, as well as Zebedee’s children’s mother Mary.(See Matthew 27:56 for further information.) There were additional ladies who were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome, who were all present.(Matthew 15:40) As a result, some academics have suggested that Mary of Clopas is the same person as ″Mary the mother of James and Joseph/Joses.″ When it comes to the four brothers of Jesus, the Gospels of Matthew (13:55–56) and Mark (6:3) specifically name James and Joseph/Joses (with Mark usually using the less common form ″Joses″) as being among them.According to certain readings, the same Mary was also one of the women who went to the tomb on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection to anoint the corpse of Jesus with spices on that occasion.

In Matthew 28:1, she is referred to as ″the other Mary″ in order to separate herself from Mary Magdalene, yet in Mark 16:1, she is referred to as ″Mary, the mother of James″ (Maria Iacobi in Latin).

Apocryphal writings

The apocryphal Gospel of Philip (3rd century) appears to name Mary of Clopas as a member of Jesus’ female entourage in a way that is very similar to that of the Gospel of John: Among those who accompanied the Lord at all times were Mary, his mother and her sister, and Magdalene, the woman who was referred to as his companion by the apostles.His sister, his mother, and his partner were all named Mary, as was he.To further complicate matters, the Gospel of Philip appears to refer to her as both Jesus’ mother’s sister (″her sister″) and Jesus’ own sister (″her sister″) (″his sister″).Pseudo-Matthew (7th century) describes Mary of Cleophas as the daughter of Cleophas and Anna: Jesus appeared to them, accompanied by Mary His mother and her sister Mary of Cleophas, whom the Lord God had given to her father Cleophas and her mother Anna because they had offered Mary the mother of Jesus to the Lord.And she was given the same name as her mother, Mary, as a comfort for her parents’ grief.

Identity of Clopas

It is not clear whether Mary was Clopas’ daughter or his wife from the Greek text, although exegesis has generally supported the translation ″wife of Clopas″ as the most likely meaning of the phrase.Clopas is mentioned in early Christian sources as Joseph’s brother and as the father of Simeon, the second bishop of Jerusalem, among other things.According to Eusebius of Caesarea, who draws on the works of Hegesippus, the Christians of Jerusalem unanimously declared Symeon, son of Clopas, of whom the Gospel also speaks, to be deserving of the episcopal throne in the parish of Jerusalem following the destruction of the city in 70 AD, according to Book III, chapter 11.He was, as the saying goes, a cousin of the Saviour.Clopas was Joseph’s brother, according to Hegesippus, who reports this.

As a result of this identification, Joseph would be considered Mary of Clopas’ brother-in-law.Clopas was sometimes referred to as Cleopas and Alphaeus, the father of James, who was one of the Twelve Apostles, in addition to Clopas.As recently as 1982, the late Stephen S.Smalley, Dean Emeritus of Chester Cathedral, determined that this identification was ″likely.″ Clopas was named as Saint Anne’s second spouse and as the father of Mary of Clopas, allowing Mary to be identified as the half-sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, according to medieval legend.

Mary of Clopas and the brothers of Jesus

As part of his defense of Mary’s perpetual virginity, Jerome (347-420) contended that the brothers of Jesus (James, Simon, Jude, and Joses or Joseph) were offspring of Mary of Clopas, the mother’s sister.As a result, they were first cousins of Jesus, according to Jerome’s argument in Against Helvidius.Jerome also linked James, Jesus’ brother, with the Apostle James, son of Alphaeus, leading him to believe that Mary of Clopas was the wife of Alphaeus, a claim that was later disproved.It is supported by a fragment of a medieval manuscript, which includes four Maries described in the gospels and contains the inscription ″Papia″ on the margin, which lends credence to this viewpoint.It is said that ″Mary the wife of Cleophas or Alphaeus was the mother of James and Simon and Thaddeus,″ as well as ″of one Joseph,″ according to Papias.

While the attribution of this fragment to Papias of Hierapolis (ca.70–163 AD) has been challenged in favor of an unknown medieval author (perhaps Papias the lexicographer, fl.1040s–1060s), the work of Anglican bishops and theologians, such as J.B.Lightfoot, has been supported (1828-1889).both of whom were born between 1825–1901), and Brooke Foss Westcott Papias would have fully backed Jerome’s point of view, and the statement appears to be drawn from Jerome’s works with certain portions of it practically word for word with what Jerome said in adv.

Helvid, as Lightfoot demonstrated in his book The Invention of Jerome.As a result of his deductions, James Tabor came to the conclusion that ″Mary the mother of James and Joses″ is none other than Mary, the mother of Jesus herself.It would appear that Mary the mother of Jesus married a guy called Clopas following her marriage to Joseph in accordance with the above view (perhaps after his death).Tabor believes that a brother of Joseph would have been obligated to wed his bereaved wife in a Levirate marriage, despite the fact that this was only permitted if the previous marriage had resulted in the birth of children.

References

1. A b Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, Book III, Chapter 11
2. a b Herbermann, Charles, ed., Church History, Book III, Chapter 11. (1913). ″St. Anne″ is a saint. The Catholic Encyclopedia is a resource for learning about the Catholic faith. The Robert Appleton Company, New York
3. S. S. Smalley, New York City. ″Mary,″ New Bible Dictionary, p. 793 (in 1982)
4. Robert M. Grant, ″The Mystery of Marriage in the Gospel of Philip,″ Vigiliae Christianae 15.3 (September 1961:129-140), discusses the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Gnostic backgrounds and the text.
5. The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew. On the 19th of June, 2018, Eusebius of Caesarea’s Church History, Book III, Chapter 11, was retrieved. St. Cleophas, Catholic Online
6. Apostle Cleopas, OrthodoxWiki
7. Joseph the Betrothed, OrthodoxWiki
8. ″CHURCH FATHERS: The Perpetual Virginity of Mary (Jerome)″ are some further resources. http://www.newadvent.org/ Papias, the ruler of Hierapolis. Exposition of the Lord’s words in their original context. Fragment X is a fragment of a longer fragment. Peter Kirby is a fictional character created by author Peter Kirby. ″Fragments of Papias. Fragment X.″ biblehub.com. Retrieved on September 10, 2015. Retrieved on the 4th of May, 2019. These four women are mentioned in the Gospel: (1.) Mary, the mother of the Lord
9. (2.) Mary, the wife of Cleophas or Alphus, who was the mother of James the bishop and apostle, as well as of Simon and Thaddeus, and of one Joseph
10. (3.) Mary Salome, wife of Zebedee, mother of John the evangelist and James
11. and (4.) Mary Magdalene. James, Judas, and Joseph were all sons of the Lord’s aunt (2), who had two sons of her own. James and John were also the sons of another aunt (3) of the Lord’s who was also their grandmother. It is possible that Mary (2), mother of James the Less, and Joseph, wife of Alphus, was a sister to Mary the mother of the Lord, whom John names of Cleophas, either because of her father or because of the clan’s lineage, or for some other reason, and that she was the mother of James the Less and Joseph. Mary Salome (3) is given the name Salome either by her husband or by the people in her community. ″Papias’ Fragments. Fragment X.″ Some believe she is the same as Mary of Cleophas due to the fact that she married twice. biblehub.com. Retrieved on the 4th of May, 2019. Grabe discovered this piece in a manuscript at the Bodleian Library, which has the inscription ″Papia″ written in the margin. According to Westcott, it is a section of a lexicon that was composed by ″a Papias from the Middle Ages Both Oxford and Cambridge have copies of the dictionary in their libraries.″
12. a b Lightfoot, J.B.
13. a c Lightfoot, J.B. (1865). On the website philologos.org, you may read about ″The Brethren of the Lord.″ The original version of this article was published on June 18, 2018. On May 31, 2016, I was able to get a hold of some information. As a result, Papias’ testimony is commonly cited at the head of the patristic authorities as evidence in support of Jerome’s point of view. It is puzzling that capable and knowledgeable reviewers were unable to see through a fiction that was so obviously fabricated. ″Archived copy″. Archived from the original on 2015-11-16. This paragraph was penned by Papias, a mediaeval namesake of the Bishop of Hierapolis who lived in the 11th century.
14. a b ″Archived copy″. James D. Tabor, James D. Tabor, James D. Tabor, James D. Tabor, James D. Tabor, James D. Tabor, James D. (2006). The Jesus Dynasty: A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Origins of Christianity is a new historical investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Origins of Christianity. Simon & Schuster (ISBN 0-7432-8723-1) is the publisher.

The Bible Speaks Today: Jesus’ last name has ancient meaning

Surnames are used in the western world to identify which family you are a member of or who your common ancestors are.In the eastern world, the surname is used to identify which family you are a member of.In the ancient Near East, a practice comparable to this was observed.People were referred to be the son or daughter of their father in some cases.Alternatively, if they were descended from a renowned ancestor, they may use his name.

It’s for this reason that when you see people presented in the Bible, they’re usually introduced as the son of a certain someone.The apostles John and James are recognized as the sons of Zebedee, the father of Jesus.Jesus would have been referred to as ″Jesus, son of Joseph″ in this scenario.The occupation of a person, such as Matthew the tax collector, or the location where they were born, such as Jesus of Nazareth, were often used to identify them.Our last names function in a same manner.

Some of our surnames are derived from the town where one of our forefathers or foremothers lived.Other surnames are derived from jobs such as Baker or Carpenter, for example.In other cases, surnames are used in the same way as they were in the ancient Near East, to link someone to their father.Consider the implications of this.As an example, the name Johnson signifies ″son of John,″ just as the name Smithson means ″son of Smith,″ and so on.

• A title, not a last name, is used in the name of Christ.
• Christ is the English translation of the Greek term, which literally translates as ″Anointed One.″ Messiah is the English translation of the Hebrew word for ″salvation.″ The name is a direct allusion to the method by which monarchs were elected in ancient times.
• The prophet Samuel anointed King David with oil before his death.

• Indeed, it was promised that a descendant of David would come and be a king like David, but even better than him.
• (I Samuel 16) As a result, the apostles referred to Jesus as the Messiah, or Christ, in order to announce that he was the King who had been foretold by the Hebrew Scriptures to return Israel to its former glory.
• With the title ″Christ,″ we are referring to Jesus as the prophesied and chosen final monarch of Israel as well as the cosmos.
• Obviously, not everyone thinks that Jesus is the Christ in the traditional sense.

• Even non-believers, though, are familiar with the phrase since it has been so closely connected with him.
• What matters more than what you name him is what you intend to convey by doing so.
• When you refer to him as Jesus Christ, are you announcing that he is the king?
• Consequently, God elevated him to the highest spot and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the mention of Jesus’ name, every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the Earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.
• Philippians 2:9-11 –

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus Christ and the spouse of the Virgin Mary, according to the gospels of Matthew and Luke, who first mentioned him in the book of Matthew.

Who Was Saint Joseph?

Saint Joseph is a biblical person who is revered as the bodily father of Jesus Christ in various Christian denominations.He is venerated as a saint in many Christian denominations.It is in the gospels of Matthew and Luke that Joseph first appears in the Bible; in Matthew, Joseph’s ancestry can be traced all the way back to King David.According to the Bible, Joseph was born in 100 B.C.E.and subsequently married the Virgin Mary, who was to become the mother of Jesus.

He died in Israel about the year 1 A.D.

Fact and Fiction

Almost all we know about Saint Joseph, Mary’s husband and the foster father of Jesus, comes from the Bible, and the few times he is mentioned, it isn’t particularly impressive.The 13 New Testament books authored by Paul (the epistles) contain no mention of him at all, and the Gospel of Mark, the earliest of the four Gospels, makes no mention of him at all.Joseph’s genealogy is traced back to King David in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, with one of them (Matthew) tracing Joseph’s pedigree all the way back to King David.Additionally, some apocryphal writings — such as the second-century Protevangelium of James and the fourth-century History of Joseph the Carpenter — muddy the historical waters even further by portraying Joseph as a widower with children when he met Mary, and by claiming that he lived to the ripe old age of 111 years.But these assertions are false, and the church does not recognize them as such.

Marriage to Mary

As soon as Joseph discovered that Mary was already pregnant, he chose to divorce her privately, knowing that if he did so openly, she would be stoned to death (Matt.1:19).Because he was ″a kind man and hesitant to put her to disgrace,″ he did not want to ″bring her to shame.″ An angel, on the other hand, appeared to Joseph and informed him that the child Mary was carrying was the son of God and had been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, Joseph decided to keep Mary as his wife.Joseph was visited by an angel again after Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, this time to warn him and Mary of the impending bloodshed brought on by King Herod of Judaea against the infant.Once again the angel arrived, telling Joseph that Herod had died and commanding him to return to the Holy Land.

Joseph again fled to Egypt with Mary and Jesus.Joseph, Mary, and Jesus relocated to Nazareth, in Galilee, in order to avoid Bethlehem and probable acts by Herod’s successor, Herod Antipas.Because Joseph is described as a ″tekton,″ which historically meant ″carpenter,″ it is likely that he taught Jesus his trade when he was in Nazareth, according to the Gospels.The Bible does not mention Joseph’s name again beyond this point, despite the fact that his parents are named twice in the tale of Jesus in the temple: ″both his parents.″

Death and Sainthood

Joseph’s death is not known, however it is likely that he died before Jesus’ career began, and it is inferred that he died before Jesus was crucified (John 19:26-27).Joseph was already the patron saint of Mexico, Canada, and Belgium when Pope Pius IX named him the patron saint of the worldwide church in 1870.Pope Pius XII declared May 1 as ″Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker″ in 1955, in response to the Communists’ May Day celebrations in the United States.

Fact Check

We aim for accuracy and fairness in all we do. If you see something that doesn’t appear to be quite right, please let us know!

Sorry, Roy Moore. Joseph Wasn’t Twice Mary’s Age.

Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler resorted to one of the most reliable weapons in the religious right’s defensive arsenal after allegations surfaced last week that Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore had pursued relationships with several teenage girls (and sexual assaulted at least one of them) some 40 years ago, when Moore was in his early 30s.Ziegler’s response: the Bible.″Take Mary and Joseph,″ Ziegler said in an interview with the Washington Examiner on November 9, only hours after the Washington Post published its report about Moore’s behavior.″Mary was a teenager, and Joseph worked as a carpenter as an adult.They were adopted as Jesus’ parents.″ It is recommended that those who adhere to Ziegler’s interpretation of Scripture—and many of Moore’s evangelical fans may fall into this category—read more attentively.

In the Bible, there is no indication that Joseph was a year or more older than Mary.″We know virtually nothing about Joseph, and no age is mentioned for either Joseph or Mary in the Gospels,″ says Paula Fredriksen, professor emerita of scripture at Boston University and author of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.″We know virtually nothing about Joseph, and no age is mentioned for either Joseph or Mary in the Gospels.″ In truth, according to Jewish law and customs of the time, Mary and Joseph were most likely both quite young when they tied the knot, if not younger.Fredriksen explains that ″girls were often engaged between the ages of 12 and 15, and would be married sometime thereafter, at 15 or 16,″ and that ″guys would have been 19 or 20″ at the time of their marriage.In contrast to Mary’s perennially bright post-natal youth, what about the many great paintings and depictions, not to mention the many church yard Nativity displays and Christmas cards that depict Joseph as a grey-bearded, almost grandfatherly figure?

It turns out that this has absolutely nothing to do with the biblical record.It was a later response to early church discussions concerning Mary’s permanent virginity that resulted in the ″superannuation of Joseph″ in art and public imagination, according to Fredriksen.As predicted in Scripture, if Mary had sexual contact with Joseph, she would lose her pure and chaste status, which would result in her death.As a result, theologians decided to age Joseph in order to dispel any doubt.When it comes to Joseph’s age, the debate revolves around the subject of Jesus’ siblings, who appear in both Mark (6:3) and Matthew (28:19).

• (13:55-56).
• If the siblings were the result of unions between Mary and Joseph, it is impossible for Mary to have remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus, as some scholars believe.
• Many in the church, on the other hand, thought that Mary was a virgin during her whole life.

• Her eternal virginity symbolized her complete and unwavering dedication to her role as the mother of Christ throughout her life.
• The question of Mary’s eternal virginity came to a climax in the 4th century, about the time that the books of the Christian Bible were being collected, and was resolved by the time the Bible was completed.
• The only way to explain Jesus’ siblings, according to certain heretical bishops (most of whom were stationed in the Byzantine East), was through sexual encounters between Joseph and Mary after Jesus was born.
• Against this, the mainstream church launched a coordinated media effort in which it promoted a collection of books known to scholars as ″Apocrypha.″ One of the campaign’s most important weapons was a 2nd century Greek book known as the ″Protoevangelium of James,″ which translates as ″first gospel of the apostle James,″ and which served as the campaign’s centerpiece.

• One of a number of ″infancy gospels″ that circulated throughout the first few decades CE but were excluded from the final 4th century edition of the Christian Bible because they included teachings that were incompatible with the Bible The ″Protoevangelium of James,″ on the other hand, was invaluable when it came to bridging the large generation gap that existed between Joseph and Mary.
• When Joseph is mentioned in the Bible, he is presented as the now-familiar, older companion of Mary: as a widower with grown children from a previous marriage, which served to explain away Jesus’ obnoxious brothers.
• Because of his tiredness and the possibility of disgrace, the old saint states that he is not up to the responsibility of caring for a young, pregnant wife.
• ″I have children, and I am an elderly guy, and she is a young girl,″ he says, referring to his children.
• In his complaint to the high priest, Joseph laments, ″I am frightened that I will become a laughing joke among the sons of Israel.″ Elizabeth Pagels, a professor of history of religion at Princeton University, states that the Protoevangelium of James ″was a manner of reasserting, in a most forceful fashion, the virginity of Mary.″ However, it was not the first one to do so.
• Joseph the Carpenter is mentioned in another early text, The History of Joseph the Carpenter, which was composed in Egypt between the 6th and 7th centuries and in which Christ himself tells the story of his step-father, claiming that Joseph was 90 years old when he married Mary and died at the age of 111.

• The hypothesis gained popularity.
• During the Middle Ages, Joseph the old citizen rose to prominence as a fictional character in literature and visual art.
• During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, depictions of Joseph as elderly and grey reached their zenith in paintings like as Guido Reni’s 1640 ″St.
• Joseph and the Christ Child,″ in which a loving, grandfatherly Joseph cradles the newborn Jesus in his arms.
• Such representations of the saint were a great cry from the early pictures of him.
• The mosaics in Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, dating from the 5th century, depict Joseph as healthy and somewhat buff, in keeping with his stated profession in the Gospels as a tekton, a Greek word that could mean carpenter but is more accurately translated into modern English as ″construction wor