It’s entirely possible that Jesus was not a carpenter in any sense of the word. I commented on this three years ago, citing a comment I made twenty years ago. From that thread:
Regarding Jesus being the “son of a carpenter,” have a look at this thread from way back in 2002. It’s not necessarily a sure thing:
https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-125771.html
My contribution:
In one book on Jesus – I don’t recall whose, unfortunately – it was claimed that there was a proverbial expression at that place and time that went something like “What Carpenter or Son of a Carpenter Could do ______?” He was suggesting that someone reputed to do miraculous things might, by virtue of the proverb, be “assigned” the position of a carpenter and a son of a carpenter. In other words – the legend of Christ accumulated details over the years, and this is how that detail was generated. Interesting theory, but I haven’t heard anyone else corroborate it.
RedNaxela ’s response:
CalMeacham, that’s particularly interesting because there is in fact such an expression in the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 50b), about a knotty problem of Jewish law: “there is no carpenter nor son of a carpenter that could answer this.” [The Aramaic root for “answer,” parak, literally means “to take apart,” so that may have suggested the image of a carpenter working on it.]
What is the relevant distinction between the two terms?