One of the most significant issues in Christianity is that we often accept what has been told to us as truth. Instead of being like the Bereans, we intake and forget. While this isn’t necessarily bad (provided Godly teachers surround you), the truth can often give us a clearer picture, thus helping us understand.
Take John 10:10, for example. I was always taught that the thief in that passage was Satan. However, in the passage’s context, the thief is someone trying to obtain salvation without Jesus. Essentially, it’s the religious people. Is it wrong to say Satan steals, kills, and destroys? Not at all; I think that is very true. But knowing the truth helps us better understand that being religious will steal, kill, and destroy us, and we should avoid becoming like that.
Similarly to John 10:10 is this idea that Jesus was a carpenter. Since it has always been so, we choose not to question it. Again, we must be like the Bereans and challenge everything we hear. So, let’s put this idea that Jesus was a Carpenter on trial and see what we come up with.
For hundreds of years, Western Christianity has taught that Joseph was a carpenter by trade and thus taught Jesus the trade as he grew up. We have all seen this in children’s books. The images always depict Joseph teaching Jesus woodworking. But just because something has been for a long time doesn’t mean it’s true.
Before we begin criticizing people, it’s important to note that this idea came directly from Scripture in Matthew 13:
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary?”
The passage in Matthew 13:55 seems irrefutable. Unfortunately, like many other misunderstood ideas, we forget to dive into the language and culture surrounding the bible. In truth, the bible was written with the mind of people back then and to people then. To fully understand it, we need to look at the language and culture of that period.
The word ‘Carpenter’ in this passage is “Tekton” which translates to architect. The word architect included stonemasons, carpenters, smiths, shipbuilders, and more. In the Septuagint (Greek translation of Hebrew text), each career was written with the same word: Tekton. But when paired with the following knowledge of Israel, the context helps us differentiate all those careers.
According to Hebraic scholar James W. Fleming, most homes during that time were made from stone. Fleming states, “Jesus and Joseph would have formed and made nine out of ten projects from stone either by chiseling or carving the stone or stacking building blocks.” While we can’t write off Jesus using wood to work with, we can plausibly say that due to the scarcity of wood both then and now, it’s likely that Jesus and Joseph were masons, not carpenters.
More supporting evidence comes into play when we realize Nazareth was located only 3 miles from Zippori (known as Sepphoris during the time of Jesus). Church historian Josephus called this town “The Jewel of Galilee” for the incredible developments Herod Antipas pushed for. Interestingly enough, halfway between Nazareth and Zippori was a large quarry. It stands to reason that with little wood and a vast amount of rock and demand, Joseph was likely a stonemason and not a carpenter.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
Honestly, this isn’t anything that causes a drastic change in our theology, nor does it change the fact that Jesus is the savior of this world. But I believe we can get a better picture and understanding of Jesus with the right cultural background and understanding. After all, who doesn’t want to have better knowledge and get in the head of the King of Kings?
For the sake of disagreement, let’s all say Jesus was brought up in the masonry trade. With this new understanding, we can look at passages where Jesus used what was familiar to Him and those around him—Luke 20, Acts 4, and 1 Peter 2 all speak of stones and cornerstones. Jesus used illustrations from his life to explain spiritual principles.
In Mark 13:1-2, one of Jesus’s disciples pointed out the beautiful buildings AND wonderful stones:
“As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, behold [a]what wonderful stones and [b]what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
With a background in masonry, this makes sense that the disciple would point out such beauty to the Master. To a mason, such beauty would be recognized and appreciated, and it would never be destroyed. But as we all read, Jesus reveals that even the best craftsmanship will be torn down.
Again, the only reason to bring this up is to give us a better understanding of Jesus. If we can better understand where he is coming from when he says chief cornerstone, the stone of offense, and upon this rock, we get a deeper glance into our beautiful savior. So next time you read through the Gospels, look through the glasses of a stonemason and see If you can better understand the person of Jesus.
Sources:
“The Forgotten Jesus” by Robby Gallaty
https://www.christianpost.com/news/jesus-carpenter-or-stonemason-181531/
https://www.christianpost.com/news/kathie-lee-gifford-myths-bible-jesus-wasnt-a-carpenter-he-was-stonemason-220613/