Joseph, Jesus' adoptive father

The accounts of the Gospels provide limited information about several of their protagonists, and Joseph, the earthly “father” of Jesus, is no exception. Faced with this lack of detail, some Christian believers, driven by a desire to know these important figures better, have produced unofficial biographical accounts. This tendency to enrich the historical context of biblical characters belongs to an ancient tradition that seeks to give life and substance to figures otherwise mentioned only briefly in the sacred texts.

Joseph appears 19 times in the Gospels, but these occurrences give us few details about his life and role. We are thus faced with the challenge of distinguishing what is historically established from what comes from the collective or individual imagination.

This approach requires critical analysis to separate historical facts from later interpretations and additions that do not appear in the canonical texts.

Joseph, as presented in the Gospels, is recognized chiefly as the adoptive father of Jesus. In Matthew 1.16, he is described as the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus, who is called the Christ, was born. Although the account in Matthew 1.13-25 details his relationship with Mary, it is Luke who sheds light on the miraculous conception of Jesus Luke 1.26-35.

Figures such as Philip, a future apostle, and other Jews of the time perceived Joseph as the biological father of Jesus, as John 1.45 and John 6.41-42 attest.

This perception is also reflected in the incident reported by Luke, in which Jesus, at the age of 12, is found in the temple, astonishing his parents, Joseph and Mary, with his understanding and his questions to the Jewish teachers (Luke 2.46-51).

Luc 2.46–51 (S21)

These texts indicate that, in everyday life, Joseph was perceived as the father of Jesus; knowledge of Mary’s virginal conception was not explicitly mentioned.

Matthew 13.54-57 and Mark 6.2-3 reveal that Joseph practiced the trade of ‘tekton’, generally translated as carpenter, although this term can also refer to a builder or a stonecutter.

This trade, far from lucrative, indicates that Joseph had to work hard to provide for his family, in a context where even slaves could find themselves in better material conditions.

In sum, the Gospels paint a portrait of Joseph as a humble man, devoted to his family, who played a key role in the upbringing and life of Jesus.

His trade and financial situation reflect the ordinary, laborious life of an inhabitant of Nazareth at that time.

Joseph, mentioned in the Gospels, disappears from the biblical narrative rather quickly, particularly when it comes to the important moments of the public life and the crucifixion of Jesus. This notable absence suggests that he may have died before the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Although the details of his death are not spelled out in the biblical texts, a premature death is plausible, perhaps due to a work accident, which was common at the time.

The widespread idea that Joseph was considerably older than Mary and died of old age rests on apocryphal writings — show definition INF029, whose historical reliability is uncertain. The notion that he could have married Mary when he was already old and she a girl of 12 or 13 seems unlikely from a historical and cultural point of view. Moreover, the hypothesis that the brothers and sisters of Jesus came from a previous union of Joseph lacks concrete historical foundations.

It is more likely that Joseph was only slightly older than Mary. His early death would have plunged his family into a difficult financial situation, forcing Jesus, probably a teenager at the time, to take over the role of family breadwinner as a ‘tekton’. This period of Jesus’ life, not described in the Gospels, would have been marked by hard work and poverty.

As for Mary, widowed young, a remarriage would have been a common and socially acceptable practice in first-century Jewish society. The law of the levirate, which stipulated marriage to a brother of the deceased in certain circumstances, could have applied. However, the Gospels provide no information about a possible second marriage of Mary, leaving this question open to interpretation and speculation.

Addressing the question of Mary’s remarriage after Joseph’s death may seem delicate, but it is essential to take into account the social and economic realities of the time. For a young widow with children, the loss of her husband often meant a plunge into poverty and precariousness. Remarriage, in such circumstances, appeared not only as a viable solution but sometimes as the only option to ensure the survival of the family.

It is important to return to the historical context of the first century in order to fully understand the scale of this problem. The writings of the New Testament, notably in the Acts of the Apostles, show the need to care for widows within the early Christian community, underscoring the importance of family and community solidarity in the face of such situations.

However, none of the Gospels mentions or implies a remarriage of Mary. In the absence of such information, it is reasonable to assume that family solidarity and the support of relatives would have played a crucial role. Moreover, the work of the children became a necessary contribution to the family economy.

According to this analysis, Jesus, then about 13 years old, would have had to assume adult responsibilities and take over from Joseph to provide for his family. This phase of his life, omitted from the Gospel accounts, would have been characterized by modest living conditions and hard work, reflecting the reality of many families of the time.

Traditions and certain writings, not recognized as historically reliable, have attempted to fill the gaps in the Gospels by providing details about the life of Joseph.

The term “tekton,” used in Matthew 13.55 and Mark 6.3 and often translated as “carpenter,” could also refer to a stonecutter or a mason. Other sources, such as the Didache 88.8, suggest that Joseph built plows, presenting him as a contractor or a business owner, an image that also emerges in apocryphal writings — show definition INF029 such as the apocryphal Gospel of James. However, the reliability of these details remains questionable.

Moreover, tradition, notably the Protevangelium of James, suggests that Joseph was clearly older than Mary. This idea seems to arise from the difficulty some Christians of the first centuries had in accepting that Mary could have had other children with Joseph after the birth of Jesus.

To resolve this dilemma, a theory developed according to which Joseph was a widower and already had children from a previous marriage. Figures such as Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and Justin referred to this tradition.

Along the same lines, the brothers and sisters mentioned in the Gospels are sometimes reclassified as cousins, in an attempt to preserve the image of Mary as the mother of Jesus alone.

It is important to note that these speculations do not rest on solid historical foundations, but rather reflect the beliefs and expectations of a few Christian communities of the time.

As for Mary’s widowhood, it is often accepted on the basis of the information in the Gospels, although the circumstances and cause of Joseph’s death remain unknown. Some traditions speak of a death from old age, but this hypothesis, like others, lacks concrete evidence to be asserted with certainty.