# Jesus was a CARPENTER? Cite? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 25, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156 "2024-12-25T21:18:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/61 "2024-12-27T17:49:36Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Later scribes did not realize that mentioning the mother and omitting the father in a paternalistic society was a deliberate insult alluding to his questionable paternity. I don’t honestly know-- there are times when you identify a person by their mother (ie, “ben Sarah,” as opposed “ben Avraham”), and even very Orthodox do, such as when you are reading a list of people who are ill, and for whom you are praying-- they are are “ben mother’s name.” I have no idea why, and no idea whether or not this was true 2000 years ago, nor what about the situation would call for the mother’s name over the father’s. But both things could be true-- that Jesus was being put down both by questioning his paternity AND by saying that only a sage could figure out why he could gain a following in Jerusalem. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/62 "2024-12-27T18:34:19Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > They both trace a direct male lineage, they can’t both be right. 🤷‍♀️ OK, right, I didn’t think they were both male only. But who knows, maybe someone in one of those lists was transgender. > [@Chronos](#): > > It’s only a contradiction if you assume that all of the begats mentioned are firstborns, but it never claims that. They give different fathers for Joseph. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/63 "2024-12-27T19:02:27Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > Indeed, I teach at a school named after St. Joseph, sponsored by a religious order also named after him, and it’s a frequent topic of commentary just how little the Gospels actually say about him. We also don’t have any quotes attributed him, aside from the fact that **he must have said the name “Jesus” when he named him.** > > It was when Balthazar dropped the casket of myrrh on his foot. Mary, thoughtfully: “You know, I like that better than ‘Herschel.’” ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/64 "2024-12-27T19:07:45Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Mary, thoughtfully: “You know, I like that better than ‘Herschel.’” But is it also better than Emanuel, which was the name foreseen for the Messiah in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:14)? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/65 "2024-12-27T19:14:35Z")
Not in the joke as I heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/66 "2024-12-27T19:15:24Z")
> Jesus was a CARPENTER? Yea. But Karen & Richard kicked him out after their first concert, because he kept stealing the spotlight with his miracles-n-stuff. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/67 "2024-12-27T19:22:05Z")
But wasn’t it Joseph who sang _If I were a carpenter And you were a lady Would you marry me anyway Would you have my baby_ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/68 "2024-12-27T19:33:01Z")
I guess the answer to that is, “no”? Or maybe, “yes and no”? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/69 "2024-12-27T20:03:45Z")
Aslan, among many others, suggests that the travel to Bethlehen, and birth there was a later embellishment by the early scriptural writers to explain how someone from Nazareth was born in Bethlehem and descended from David as required by the scriptural references. The census in Syria about a decade before (the only thing that fits) had no requirement that people “go home” to register. OTOH, 50 years later when it’s time to write things down, who would remember those details, a large percentage of people were not even born then. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/70 "2024-12-27T21:21:21Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I guess the answer to that is, “no”? Or maybe, “yes and no”? Although there are frequent references to James, brother of Jesus. Supposedly he was the leader among the Christians hanging around the temple, until Jerusalem was sacked. Bu then, likely again thanks to writer embellishments, the heirs of Peter made sure that the church in Rome got top billing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/71 "2024-12-28T00:40:15Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > But is it also better than Emanuel, which was the name foreseen for the Messiah in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:14)? I’ll admit that I’ve never understood that part, and the fact that Matthew specifically calls it out: “They named him Jesus, to fulfill the prophecy that he would be named Emmanuel” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/72 "2024-12-28T00:45:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > “They named him Jesus, to fulfill the prophecy that he would be named Emmanuel” _Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us._ In other words, Jesus/ _Yeshua_ would be called the Messiah- which is true, he was called that. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/73 "2024-12-28T00:53:26Z")
> [@Cugel](#): > > Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet. And then [He built my hotrod](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCh9OhDiCI) > [@md-2000](#): > > In his book _Zealot_ Reza Aslan suggests that Joseph and Jesus were day labourers (construction workers), and that there was work building Herod’s new city (Tiberias?) a few hours away on the Sea of Galilee. That’s the most convincing set of arguments that I’ve heard. The word would’ve been somethng like “builder” but we’d have recognized these people as “construction day laborers.” Though one might suspect that Tiberias wasn’t built in a day, like other cities of similar reknown. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/74 "2024-12-28T01:08:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > _Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us._ Note _he_ wasn’t called Emmanuel. His _name_ was called that. _Haddock’s Eyes_ and all that… ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/75 "2024-12-28T01:17:22Z")
_Jesus was a carpenter He ate organic food He believed in love and peace And never wore no shoes Long hair, beard and sandals And a funky bunch of friends Reckon may just nail Him up If He come down again 'Cause everybody’s gotta have somebody to look down on Prove they can be better than at any time they please…_ Oh wait… that’s _Capricorn_. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/76 "2024-12-28T01:30:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Schnitte](#): > > > > But is it also better than Emanuel, which was the name foreseen for the Messiah in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:14)? > > I’ll admit that I’ve never understood that part, and the fact that Matthew specifically calls it out: “They named him Jesus, to fulfill the prophecy that he would be named Emmanuel” Emmanuel is a Hebrew name/word that means something like “God is with us”. (“El” meaning “God”). So they said of Jesus, “God is with us”, whatever his name was. I mean, it’s also a name, but it’s not crazy to just interpret it by its meaning. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/77 "2024-12-28T02:22:50Z")
All this time I thought he was a caterer; you know, the whole loaves and fishes gig along with the never empty wine cask. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/78 "2024-12-28T03:24:22Z")
My memory of that time is fuzzy, but I could have sworn it was just Karen and Richard. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/79 "2024-12-28T09:36:53Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ll admit that I’ve never understood that part, and the fact that Matthew specifically calls it out: “They named him Jesus, to fulfill the prophecy that he would be named Emmanuel” The discrepancy is probably an argument in favour of the historical existence of Jesus (though not for his divinity, of course). If he were all made up, those who made him up would have given him the name Emanuel, to fulfil the prophecy. But if he existed, and was known among his contemporaries as Jesus, then there’s a need for the gospels to gloss over this point. It’s the same with the story about the census of Quirinius, which is evidently an attempt to explain why someone who was known to have grown up in Nazareth was supposedly born in Bethlehem, as is said in the Book of Micha. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156/80 "2024-12-28T14:45:48Z")
Plus doctrine ignores the contradiction that the saviour would be descended from David, but that later church doctrine held that Joseph was descended from David (the excuse for going to Bethlehem) but also not really Jesus’ father. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-carpenter-cite/1012156.md?page=5)