Illustration created for this project.
Joseph (husband of Mary) — the carpenter
A carpenter of the line of David, betrothed to Mary; a righteous man who took Jesus as his own son and raised him in Nazareth.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 3
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 3
Family & lineage
ScholarlyThe so-called James Ossuary bears an Aramaic inscription reading "Jacob (James) son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," and if genuine its "Joseph" could in principle be Mary's husband. However, the artifact's authenticity is heavily disputed: the Israel Antiquities Authority declared the inscription a forgery, the owner Oded Golan was acquitted of forgery in 2012 without the piece being authenticated, and no scholarly consensus ties it to this specific Joseph. It cannot honestly be presented as attestation.
James (Yaakov) Ossuary inscription; IAA forgery finding and the 2012 Jerusalem District Court verdict.
Tribe & people
BibleOf the tribe of Judah.
Matthew 1:20
Life, role & deeds
ScholarlyLater non-canonical Christian texts expand Joseph's life far beyond the Gospels: the second-century Protevangelium of James makes him an aged widower with prior children, and the Coptic "History of Joseph the Carpenter" narrates his death. These are legendary traditions of the second century and after, not independent historical evidence.
Protevangelium of James (2nd c.); History of Joseph the Carpenter (Coptic, later apocryphon), presented as tradition.
Name & titles
ScholarlyThe name Joseph renders the Hebrew Yosef, understood as "may he add" or "(God) will add," a form built on the verb yasaf. Genesis 30:24 supplies exactly this folk-etymology when the matriarch Rachel names the patriarch Joseph.
Standard Hebrew onomastics; the naming pun is internal to Genesis 30:24.
Where in scripture
MatthewFamily
Places in their life
Photo: Neil Ward — CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
In art
