Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3)
- The Bible clearly states that Mary was a Virgin (Matthew 1:18-25 , Luke 1:26-38) and Jesus was her only Son (Luke 1:31).
- James and Joseph (Josa) were in fact sons of Mary of Cleophas (Mark 15:40, John 19:25). The Bible is simply silent on the relationship of Jesus with Simon and Judas, they could be cousins of Jesus.
- The Hebrew and Aramaic languages (spoken by Jesus and his disciples) did not have a special word meaning ‘cousin’. So, the speakers of these languages either used the words ‘brother’ or ‘son of my uncle’. The word ‘brother’ was the simplest and less clumsy choice.
- ‘Septaguint’ (the Greek translation of the old testament from Hebrew) uses the term ‘Adelphos’ meaning brother to indicate the relation between Abram and his nephew Loth (Genesis 13:8, 14:14 -16). The same term is used to refer to Jacob and his uncle Labaan (Genesis 29). ‘Adelphos’ thus has a broader meaning and not just implying biological brothers.
- Further if Mary had other sons then, why does Jesus entrust his mother to his disciple John ? (John 19:26-27)
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