Age of Jesus at time of Joseph's passing

[FortyDays]

I hope i’m in the right place to post this question, but thru trial & error i guess i’ll manage to learn soon enough.

My question today concerns the age of Jesus when Joseph, His father “in the flesh”, passed on.

According to “New Advent” sources, Joseph was 111 (and The Holy Mother may have been about 33), so was Jesus about 18?

Thanks to all for your time and for any insights you are able to share with me.

My God’s Blessings continue to rain down on you all. . . .

 

[NotWorthy]

Is New Advent getting that from early Catholic tradition (such as the Protoevangelium of James)? I’m not aware of any constant teaching on the age of Joseph or when he died.

BTW, if this is the wrong forum, which I don’t think it is, our good moderators will certainly move it to the appropriate one.

 

[FortyDays]

Is New Advent getting that from early Catholic tradition (such as the Protoevangelium of James)? I’m not aware of any constant teaching on the age of Joseph or when he died.

BTW, if this is the wrong forum, which I don’t think it is, our good moderators will certainly move it to the appropriate one.

Gee, i really have no idea, but i’d the feeling the man spoke with some authority (a feeling i don’t get too often), and it kinda jibed with something i’d read years ago. And i’ve no immediate idea of what “the Protoevangelium of James” is, but i beg to be enlightened.

There’s just so much knowledge out there, and i’ve not one whit!

 

[NotWorthy]

Gee, i really have no idea, but i’d the feeling the man spoke with some authority (a feeling i don’t get too often), and it kinda jibed with something i’d read years ago. And i’ve no immediate idea of what “the Protoevangelium of James” is, but i beg to be enlightened.

There’s just so much knowledge out there, and i’ve not one whit!

Here’s what I saw from New Advent.

Among these apocryphal productions dealing more or less extensively with some episodes of St. Joseph’s life may be noted the so-called “Gospel of James”, the “Pseudo-Matthew”, the “Gospel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary”, the “Story of Joseph the Carpenter”, and the “Life of the Virgin and Death of Joseph”.

It looks like most of what we gather is from several Apochyrphal works. Although not inspired works, they often reflect commonly held Christian traditions of the 1st-3rd centuries. BTW, the “Proto of James” is also known as the “Gospel of James”.

And here is where I think you are getting your information:

According to the apocryphal “Story of Joseph the Carpenter”, the holy man reached his hundred and eleventh year when he died, on 20 July (A.D. 18 or 19). St. Epiphanius gives him ninety years of age at the time of his demise; and if we are to believe the Venerable Bede, he was buried in the Valley of Josaphat. In truth we do not know when St. Joseph died; it is most unlikely that he attained the ripe old age spoken of by the “Story of Joseph” and St. Epiphanius. The probability is that he died and was buried at Nazareth.

The bottom line is, the Church simply doesn’t know for sure. In cases like this, the Church prefers to remain silent.

 

[NotWorthy]

I always like to look at the Proto-Evangelium of James (aka “Gospel of James”), which was supposedly written around 150AD for information about Mary and Joseph. I think this work is where Catholics get the names of Mary’s parents - St. Joachim and St. Ann.

Again, the work is not inspired, but it does reflect the commonly held beliefs of the faithful Christians during this time on the lives of Mary and Joseph. If I recall correctly, Joseph was around 40 and a widower when the Temple priests chose him to be Mary’s husband. Mary was a consecrated virgin to the Temple, but since she’d come to the age of adulthood (13 or so!), the priests needed to set her up with a husband in order to avoid any confusion that she might be a Temple Prostitute, a common tradition among Pagan temples in that time.

 

[FortyDays]

. . . Temple priests chose him to be Mary’s husband. Mary was a consecrated virgin to the Temple, but since she’d come to the age of adulthood (13 or so!), the priests needed to set her up with a husband in order to avoid any confusion that she might be a Temple Prostitute, a common tradition among Pagan temples in that time.

Originally, i’d figured out Joseph may have been about 45 (old in those times?) and a widower when he was given responsiblity to care for The Virgin.

And it was thru something entitled “The Revelation of James” (themass.org/novena/life.htm) sponsored by Saint Ann’s Media in Pennsylvania that I learned more about Mary’s parents.

And now thanks to you, the “something” that was bothering me about what happens to young women serving in the temple has been cleared up.

Hang tight: i’ll surely be picking your brain from time to time!!

 

[NotWorthy]

Hang tight: i’ll surely be picking your brain from time to time!!

Something else to think about. There was a certain custom among temple prostitues in Corinth (there were over a 1000 of them back then) that prompted St. Paul to tell the women to keep their hair long.

This helped prevent other embarrasing mistakes or scandalous misconceptions

 

[FortyDays]

. . . custom among temple prostitues in Corinth . . . prompted St. Paul to tell the women to keep their hair long.

This helped prevent other embarrasing mistakes or scandalous misconceptions

Okay, i’m definitely astray from my original task(s) now: exactly what was the custom, and why did Paul insist they not cut their hair? And what “mistakes” and “misconceptions” did they risk?

And what’s this bizness about “temple prostitutes”? I’ve not read too much concering this, altho’ i’ve heard bits 'n pieces.

 

[NotWorthy]

Okay, i’m definitely astray from my original task(s) now: exactly what was the custom, and why did Paul insist they not cut their hair? And what “mistakes” and “misconceptions” did they risk?

And what’s this bizness about “temple prostitutes”? I’ve not read too much concering this, altho’ i’ve heard bits 'n pieces.

Well, the Temple prostitutes (pagan temples, mind you) in Corinth, and yes there were about a 1000 of them, would cut their hair to a certain length or even shave it so someone can more easily spot them.

So Paul, demonstrating the authority of the Church to make disciplines binding on certain regions and only for a period of time, instructed the faithful women not to cut their hair and to wear a veil over their heads so that they are not mistaken for these pagan temple prostitutes.

 

[FortyDays]

The links you included, NotWorthy, are gems i’ve deposited into my research vault. Thank you for sharing all this precious info.