How much older was Joseph than Mary?
Introduction
As one of the Bible’s most significant couples, Mary and Joseph stand high among parents who shaped life, culture, and the Christian faith. Jesus’ story might have taken another turn without these two godly couples.
The Bible did not give a definitive answer about Joseph’s age when Mary was betrothed to him or when Jesus was born.
However, many inquisitive Bible readers ask and imagine the age difference between the couple.
At the same time, scholars give answers using sources outside the Bible.
Although the Bible is silent about Joseph and Mary’s age, many people desire an answer or, at best, an attempt to solve the puzzle.
This article will give different views about the man’s age.
Who was Joseph in the New Testament?
The Bible gave some details about the lives of Mary and Joseph (a bit more about Mary and a little about Joseph).
The most we know about Joseph was from the tribe of David, chosen by prophecy to be the earthly father of Jesus.
He was a carpenter betrothed to a young virgin called Mary (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 2:4).
However, after discovering that his virgin wife was with a child, he became disappointed.
He decided to divorce her secretly to save her from the embarrassment that may follow his action. However, God’s angel intervened, explaining to him that God was involved and the child was the awaited Savior of the world, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:18-24).
Convinced, he held on to his wife, supporting her throughout the pregnancy period and helping her and the baby escape to Egypt when King Herod tried to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13–23).
We last heard about Joseph when he and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to observe the Passover when he turned twelve (Luke 2:42-47). Joseph’s age was never mentioned in the Bible.
His time of birth and death was also not recorded.
Also, his parent’s name or age were not mentioned.
This was unlike what was done in the Old Testament, where a complete record of people, especially important biblical figures, from birth and death were highlighted.
How much older was Joseph than Mary?
Same age bracket
It is believed that the Jewish people encouraged early marriage in the first century.
A typical girl between three and twelve was considered old enough to be betrothed to a man. It is also believed that marriage can take place when the girl is in her early teenage years while the man is in his mid and late teenage.
Based on this, a certain school of thought believes the age bracket between the couple was not too wide, mostly likely between two and four years.
Therefore, some believe Joseph and Mary were young lads who agreed to marry and start a family together.
Significant age difference
Another tradition believes that Joseph was significantly older than Mary.
According to Matthew 13:55–56, Joseph had other children besides Jesus.
They include James, Joses, Simon, Judas, and girls not mentioned. It is said that these children were from Joseph’s previous marriage and not Mary’s children.
So, Joseph was advanced in age.
Although historical customs in that era supported marital union between older men and younger ladies, we are not sure if Joseph was previously married as the Bible did not state that.
Also, when the Bible mentioned his other siblings, Jesus was about thirty years old, meaning Mary could have had other kids within the years (Luke 3:23). However, the Roman Catholic tradition states that Mary was a perpetual virgin, meaning she remained a virgin all her life.
They believe her marriage with Joseph was not consummated, so Jesus’ siblings were not her children.
Another biblical fact used to support the significant age difference between Mary and Joseph is that Joseph was not present or mentioned during Jesus’s ministry, especially His death on the cross, but Mary was active.
The Bible records that Mary was at the foot of Jesus’ cross, drained in agony.
Before Jesus took His last breath, He committed Mary to the hands of one of His disciples.
“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26–27).
It is natural for Joseph to mourn His son and console his wife in that vulnerable state. But he was nowhere to be found.
Does it mean that he was already dead due to old age?
We cannot be sure as well because other natural causes could have been responsible for his death.
Or maybe the Bible was only silent about his participation in His son’s ministry since he had a job and mouths to feed as a responsible man and father.
How Old Were Mary And Joseph
We cannot explicitly state how much older Joseph was than Mary because the Bible, our final authority, is silent concerning the matter. Perhaps it was so because God wanted us to focus on the lessons in the story instead of figures and other unnecessary details.
Even if Joseph’s age is not gotten, the fact remains that he was a supportive husband to his wife and a loving father to his son.
Joseph exemplified the spiritual head of a home just as Jesus is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:25-29).
He was godly and obedient to God.
He was submissive to divine authority against his will and showed his son the ways of God the best he could.
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David Akeju is a Christian writer who believes in the transformational power of God’s Word. His articles and books have been published on global platforms, and thousands of lives have been touched. He works with pastors and ministers, churches and ministries, and brands.