When Did Jesus Step-Father, Joseph, Die?

We all know Jesus died on Nisan 14 according to the Jewish calendar, but have you ever wondered when his human-step-father, Joseph died?

 Joseph did not likely live long enough to see Jesus begin his earthly ministry, but he was alive when Jesus was a 12-year-old boy and was still alive   when Jesus was 15 years old when Jewish youths entered their trade apprenticeship -- in this case, carpentry for Jesus as Joseph was a qualified carpenter who taught Jesus the trade.

But it seems unlikely Joseph was still alive when his son  began his earthly ministry 15 years later when he was 30 years old. For one thing, all of Jesus  brothers are sisters were living at that time, but their father, Joseph, was not mentioned at all.

Then at Mark 6:33 Jesus is referred to as the "son of Mary" not the son of John and at John 2: 1-5 the Apostle John portrayed Mary as taking the iniitative on her to own to ensure that there was enough wine at a wedding feast. Joseph again is not mentioned at all.  This is not something she would likely  have done in the Jewish world of that time -- unless -- she was a widow.

And finally, when dying on the torture stake Jesus said to the apostle John: "See! your mother!" entrusting the care of his Mother to to this apostle whom he felt very closely.  He would not have done this if his father, Joseph, was still alive.

So it is thought that Jesus must have died when Jesus was still quite young -- definitely before he was 30 years old -- but he set a memorable example in taking care of his young human-step son who went on to become the most influential man who ever lived.

Where Did Idea of Going the Second Mile For Somebody Come From?

The concept of going the second mile for somebody -- or doing more than is expected of you is well known, but did  you ever stop to think where it came from?

If you answered: "Jesus" you're right. Remember in his Sermon on the Mount  he encourages his disciples to do this with the words recorded at Mathew: 5:4l,  "If someone under authority impresses you into service for a mile, go with him two miles."

It seems that Jesus was referring  to the compulsory service that the Roman authority of his day could demand from citizens. Apparently they could commander anything they need to accomplish their tasks from animals to men.

Such demands were highly oppressive ( such as the time that Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus' torture stake)  and of course highly unpopular amongst the Jewish people and naturally  they would not want to go any farther than absolutely necessary.

But Jesus urged his followers to be willing to carry out such work willingly and without resentment when the ruling authorities had legitimate demands -- and not only that -- but to be willing to go that "extra mile" or do more than what was expected of them.

This no doubt created a good name for early Christians and the same attitude can also help us to create a good name when  some friend -- or boss -- or government officials asks us to carry out some task.

 

Did Jesus Really Exist?

Yes. There has been conjecture about whether Jesus really existed or not. And, of course,the big argument of those trying say he was just the figment of somebody's imagination would be  that there is no mention of him outside of the Bible.

But there is. There are at least two secular historians who mention him. The first of these is Corneliuis Tactus, a Roman historian. In his account of the fire that destroyed Rome in AD 64 he said that Nero tried to blame members of a sect called "Christus" for the fire.

According to Tactus the  people gave this group this name because they were followers of Christus {or Christ}who died at the hand of the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate.

Another well known historian, Flavius Josephus also writes of Jesus as a historical figure describing how High Priest Ananus {Ananias},"convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother  of Jesus who was called the Christ, and several others."

This  record of Tactus can be found in Anals, XV, 44   and that of Josephus in  Jewish Antiquities, XX, 200 (ix1).

So  no, the  Gospel accounts of Jesus' life were not fictional. He did exist.

Tracing Family Histories

 Although the checking of personal ancestries has never been more popular than it is today with numerous magazines and web sites offering  help to trace your family roots  the idea is not new at all.

Ancestral records were vital in the ancient nation of Israel where such records were used in setting up tribal and family relationships such as land divisions and inheritances and they were particularly vital in proving the lineage of the promised Messiah.

That is no doubt why both Mathew and the physician, Luke in their accounts of the life of Jesus started out tracing the lineage of Jesus all the way back to both King David and Abraham. You will remember how Jehovah God made a promise to Abraham that through his family someone would be born who would help mankind to regain God's favour and how King David was told  that this one -- the Messiah -- would come through his family line.

The Jews of  were well aware of this as shown  at John 7:42   Where members of a crowd are quoted by John say, "Does not scrpture not say that the Christ [Messiah] is coming from the offspring of David?" So the Gospel writers  wanted to make this relationship between Abram, David and the Messiah, Jesus, clear.

But where did Mathew and Luke get their information?  Likely from an ancestral record. These took two forms. The ancestral records of priestly families which according to The Jewish Encyclopedia were given special care  and the "public registers".

These were still very accurate histories of Jewish families as seen by the fact that one Hillel, a rabbi of Jesus time was able to prove  he was a descendant of King David according to a Jewish midrash or commentary and the first century historian Flavius Josepheus  also claimed that such records proved his ancestors were priests and that through his mother's side of the family he had "royal blood".

These public archives  were maintained by family heads recording family information at centers  in their home towns such as ones  the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar had set up during Jesus' era as recorded at Luke 2: 1-5.



 

Is The Bible Not A Book Worth Looking Into?

 Is the Bible  not a book spending time looking into  to learn more about?

Is there one that can match it's influence on the world's greatest art, its literature, its music -- and legal systems?

Is there another book that has been copied thousands of times over the centuries yet today is basically the same today as when it was written?

Is there another publication  that has inspired so  many persons to risk hardship and even death in order to translate it?

Is there another book with accurate scientific information about our earth written thousands of years ago?

Is there another book with clear predictions concerning mankind  that came true, as proved by historical facts?

And is there any other book that contains timeless principles that can help people off all races and ethnic groups to solve problems in their lives? 

How Would You Have Made Contributions?

You are quite familiar with the picture of a plate been passed around the isles of a local church for members to add their contributions -- but in the ancient Jewish temples people were not confronted by such a plate when they came to worship.

According the book The Temple -- Its Ministry and Services persons wishing to make a contribution did by dropping money into a chest built in the walls of the Court of Women.

This  Court had a colonnade and within it, against a wall, there were thirteen trumpet shaped chests. Each chest was used to collected money for different uses which were clearly marked on the chest itself. People made contributions in various amounts depending on their financial situation. This could vary widely as seen by Jesus comments about a widow who was making a voluntary contribution of a few small coins at Luke 21: 1-2 which he commended her for.

The chests were set up as follows:

• One chest for temple tax for current year
• One chest for temple tax for past year

Chest 3-8 held funds for turtledoves, wood, incense, and golden vessels.

Sometimes the person could afford more than the stipulated amounts for these temple and other contribution and had other options to choose from:

• Chest 8 was used for money left over from sin offerings.
• Chests 9 through 12  used for money left over from guilt offerings, from the sacrificing of birds, from offerings of Nazarites,  and from offerings of leppers.

Chest 13, finally was there for any voluntary offerings.

All of this was done anonymously and according to each person's financial ability.

 

 

Liquor Enjoyed in Bible Times

Residents of Israel and other Middle-Eastern lands enjoyed a variety of  wines and other intoxicating beverages during daily meals as well as festive occasions..

The Bible writers describe the use the use of wine and intoxicating liquor  on numerous occasions.  The one were Jesus is described turning water into wine for wedding guests is well known, and  other evidence abounds such as the Bible record in places like Deuteronomy 14:26 and Luke 1:15 which describe the use of wine and other "intoxicating liquors".

These liquors  were not the gins and whiskys of modern distillers, however.  This type of liquor we consume so much today came much later in human history. 

The term "intoxicating  liquor" mentioned in the Bible could also refer to to beer  such as the barley beer of Mesopotamia apparently popular not only among the elite  but also the poor people.

This alcoholic beverage was very popular in Bible times, as seem from the discoveries of  clay models of breweries and brewers in Egyptian tombs and the remains of jugs with strainer spouts to keep drinkers from choking on  the husks of the barley plant while drinking. These were discovered throughout Palestine in areas occupied by the Philistines as well as around ancient Babylon.

According to researchers beer seems to have been an everyday drink not only by Babylonian nobles but also the poor people.

So the term "intoxicating liquor" likely referred to such beers. While it was low in alcohol content it could still be intoxicating in drunk in any quanitity.

Or the term could also refer to other alcoholic beverages such as drinks made  from  applies , dates, figs, pomegranates and honey.