Category:History of Joseph the Carpenter (text)
The History of Joseph the Carpenter (see online text) is a 6th-7th century Christian writing, now in collections of NT Apocrypha.
Overview
By expanding the Protoevangelium of James the History of Joseph the Carpenter provides more detailed information about the life of Jesus' "stepfather," Joseph of Nazareth and from the theological point of view, aims to strengthen the belief in the virginity of Mary.
The text claims to be a discourse of Jesus of Nazareth to the Apostles on the Mount of Olives. Jesus reveals that Joseph was 90 years old when he was given charge of the twelve-year-old virgin Mary of Nazareth. Joseph was a widower and from his first wife, Joel, had fours sons (Justus, Simon, Judas and James) and two daughters (Assia and Lydia). Mary helped Joseph to raise his youngest son James the Less. Judas also still lived in the household, while the oldest sons (Justus and Simon) and the two daughters were married and had children.
Then the time came that Mary also, at the age of fourteen, was to be married. At this point the text proceeds paraphrasing the Protoevangelium of James, until the Birth of Jesus.
The second half of the writing is entirely devoted to the Death of Joseph of Nazareth. God blessed him to live a good and healthy life up to the age of 111. Then the angel of death, as well as the archangels Michael and Gabriel, appeared to him and announced him his imminent death. Joseph spent the last hours of his life in prayer.
While using earlier traditions, the text In its present form is a compilation most likely composed in Byzantine Egypt in the late sixth or early seventh century.
External links
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