The last notion probably had its origin in those false associations of more modern times which dis parage hand-labour. Among the ancient Jews all handicrafts were held in so much honour, that they were learned and pursued by the first men ot the nation.
Jewish tradition (Hie ros Sclzaph. c. 14) names the father of Jesus N-1,1)D, Phenedira, and represents him (Orig. c. Cels. 31) as a rough soldier, who became the father of Jesus, after Mary was be trothed to Joseph. Another form of the legend sets him forth (Tiled. yeschn, p 3, ed. Wagenseil ; Epiphan. Haw. 78. 7) under the name of Pandira. Christian tradition makes Joseph an old man when first espoused to Mary (Epiphan. Her. 78. 7), being no less than eighty years of age, and father of four sons and two daughters. [Comp. the Apo cryphal Gospels, especially the Protevangelinm Ya c obi, whence all the traditionary stories concerning Christ are derived.] Theophylact, on Matt. xiii. 555 says that Jesus Christ had brothers and sisters, all children of Joseph, whom he had by his sister in-law, wife of his brother Cleophas, who having died without issue, Joseph was obliged by law to marry his widow. Of the sons, James, the brother of the Lord, was, he states, the first bishop of Jerusalem. Eusebius (Hist. Eccles. ii. r) agrees in substance with Theophylact ; so also does Epi phanius, adding that Joseph was fourscore years old when he married Mary. Jerome, from whom it appears that the alleged mother's name was Escha, opposes this tradition, and is of opinion that what are termed the brothers of Jesus were really his cousins. The painters of Christian anti quity conspire with the writers in representing Joseph as an old man at the period of the birth of our Lord—an evidence which is not to be lightly re jected, though the precise age mentioned may be but an approximation to fact.
Another account (Niceph. 3) gives the name of Salome as that of Joseph's first wife, who was related to the family of John the Baptist.
It is not easy to determine when Joseph died. That event may have taken place before Jesus en tered on his public ministry. This has been argued from the fact, that his mother only appeared at the feast at Cana in Galilee. Tbe premises, however, hardly bear out the inference. With more force of argument, it has been alleged (Simon, Dict. a'e Bible) that Joseph must have been dead before the crucifixion of Jesus, else he would in all probability have appeared with Mary at the cross. Certainly the absence of Joseph from the public life of Christ, and the absence of reference to him in the dis courses and history, while Mary ' and his brethren ' not unfrequently appear, afford evidence not only of Joseph's death, but of the inferior part which, as the legal father only of our Lord, Joseph might have been expected to sustain. So far as our scanty materials enable us to form an opinion, Joseph appears to have been a good, kind, simple-minded man, who, while he afforded aid in protecting and sustaining the family, would leave Mary unrestrained to use all the impressive and formative influence of her gentle, affectionate, pious, and thoughtful soul. Those who may wish to pursue this subject in its details, we refer to the following works T. Meyer, Num Yos. tempore Nativ. C. fnerit senex decretilus ; Hist. 7oseph. jabri lignar., Arab. ed. G. Wallin, a Latin trans lation of which may be found in Fabricii Psetede pigr. 3o9. [The original, with a translation and notes, is given in Hirtii Anthdog...47-ab., Jen. 1774, P. 411 The traditions respecting Joseph are collected in Act. Sanct. p. 4, sq.; there is a Life of Joseph written in Italian by Affaitati.—J. R. B.