Would St Joseph have been armed?

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St Joseph and St Mary traveled several times that we know about, from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census while Mary was pregnant, then to Egypt to flee Herod, and later to Jerusalem to go to the Temple when Jesus was 12. I was wondering, may Joseph have carried defensive weapons on these trips to guard his family against thieves or wild animals?

Three examples come to mind suggesting it is possible he was armed:

We read in the parable of the Good Samaritan told by Jesus that a man traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho and was beaten and robbed. biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:25-37

In the Old Testament a man was attacked and killed by a lion along a road biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+13%3A23-25&version=NIV

The disciples tell Jesus they have two swords biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A36-38&version=NIV
 
According to Philo of Alexandria (20 B.C.- A.D. 50), it was lawful for a Jew during that time to kill a thief only in self-defense or the defense of others who are in harms way, but the victim must first make a cry for help.

Also the Mitzvot number 247 requires one to save a person who is being pursued even if it means the death of the pursuer. 293 tells one that they should have pity on the pursuer. It is better to kill him before he kills or rapes the person he is pursuing.

Take that with Jesus’s comments you mention, I think that there is a high degree of certainty that St. Joseph was prepared to defend himself, but we don’t know for sure.
 
If St Joseph was carrying a “Staff” or stout walking stick…he was well armed for those days.
 
I think since he was a carpenter by trade, he would have taken tools with him that could’ve also served as defense weapons. I’m sure also that he was prepared to do whatever it took to get keep the Holy Family safe.
 
I would hazard that for travelling by itself they would have carried knives at the very least for utility.

St Joseph was a master carpenter. I would figure that he was built like a barn door because of it, particularly with the difficulty of carpentry in those days. It’s an interesting thought. He knew he had a serious calling as a protector, after all.
 
POJIUJH said:
I would hazard that for travelling by itself they would have carried knives at the very least for utility.

St Joseph was a master carpenter. I would figure that he was built like a barn door because of it, particularly with the difficulty of carpentry in those days. It’s an interesting thought. He knew he had a serious calling as a protector, after all.
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But St Joseph also knew he was being commanded by God to go to Egypt to keep the Holy Family safe and would presumably have a lot more divine protection than the average traveler. God wouldn’t send the Holy Family on a long journey (to Egypt, Bethlehem, or Jerusalem) just to get them killed. Although St Joseph may have been quite strong and even well-armed, I think it was God who provided all the protection they needed.
 
Cara_Serrano said:
But St Joseph also knew he was being commanded by God to go to Egypt to keep the Holy Family safe and would presumably have a lot more divine protection than the average traveler. God wouldn’t send the Holy Family on a long journey (to Egypt, Bethlehem, or Jerusalem) just to get them killed. Although St Joseph may have been quite strong and even well-armed, I think it was God who provided all the protection they needed.
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Indeed, God is always the main protector. But even without Our Lady or St Joseph, the Christ child is God and could have more than sufficiently protected Himself on His own even if every army in the world stood in front of Him. It’s true that He willed to call St Joseph as a guardian and protector to Himself, so the thought isn’t unreasonable.

Needless to say, St Joseph was never going to fail with the graces given to him, but his sword might also have been protected from failing too.
 
Is this some attempt to aid gun enthusiasts? Using Joseph as the basis to form the belief in aiding gun enthusiasts?
 
I am a gun owner but only became one in my early 40’s following a series of misfortunes suffered by ourselves and people we know. For me it is about protecting my wife and children. I wondered whether St Joseph would also be motivated as the family protector to have weapons available.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Is this some attempt to aid gun enthusiasts? Using Saint Joseph as the basis to form the belief in aiding gun enthusiasts?
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I’m not sure if we have a Scriptural account to tell us whether or not St Joseph had any particular passion for guns.
 
Brendan said:
Not necessarily true, swords were common among travelers. Even St. Peter carried one.
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You are correct. I forgot about Luke, caliber 22, caliber 38 oops…I mean Luke Chapter 22, verse 38. I wouldn’t want anyone to think we were attempting to use St. Joseph as the basis to form the belief in aiding gun enthusiasts. 🙂
 
tws said:
There is at least one thing a believer can do that a non believer cannot. If you could do it, it would make all the difference in your world.
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What would this thing be thread hijacker? Shouldn’t you PM me personally to ask me about my beliefs that have nothing to do with this thread, or hide yourself under a thread like a snake in the grass?
Name it.
 
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