JOSECH (AV Joseph).— l^&m&A. in our Lord's
genealogy (Lk 3™).
JOSEPH ('Iwffvi^).— 1. The patriarch, mentioned only in the description of the visit of Jesus to Sychar (Jn 4'). — 2. 3. Joseph son of Mattathias and Joseph son of Jonam are both named in the genealogy of Jesus given in Lk. (3=^- =»).*— 4. One of the bretliren of the Lord, Mt 13« (KY Josea, the form adopted in both AV and RV in Mt 27'»', Mk 6^ 15*- «. See Joses).
5. Joseph, the husband of Mary and the reputed father of Jesus (Lk 3^), is not mentioned in Mk., and only indirectly in Jn. (1*^ 6^). He was of Davidic descent ; and, though Mt. and Lk. differ in the genealogical details, they connect Jesus with Joseph and through him with David (Mt l'^^-, Lk 323ff). Joseph, who was a carpenter (Mt 13") and a poor man, as his ofi'ering in the temple showed (Lk 2^), lived in Nazareth (2'') and was espoused to Mary, also of Nazareth (1=«). By their be- trothal they entered into a relationship which, though not the completion of marriage, could be dissolved only by death or divorce. Before the marriage ceremony Mary was ' found with chOd of the Holy Ghost,' but the angelic annunciation to her was not made known to Joseph. He is de- scribed as a just man (Mt 1''), a strict observer of the Law. The law was stern (Dt W^- =<'), but its severity had been mitigated and divorce had taken the place of death. Divorce could be efl'ected publicly, so that the shame of the woman might be seen by all ; or it could be done privately, by the method of handing the bill of separation to the woman in presence of two witnesses.! Joseph, not willing to make Mary a public example, ' was minded to put her away privily' (Mt 1"). An angel, however, appeared to him in a dream, telling him not to fear to marry Mary, as the conception was of the Holy Ghost, and also that she would bring forth a son, whom be was to name Jesus (y 2o(.) -pjjg fiream was accepted as a revelation, J as a token of Divine favour, and Joseph took Mary as his ^vife, but did not live with her as her husband till she had brought forth her firstborn son (y.^-).
Before the birth of Christ there was an Imperial decree that all the Avorld should be taxed, and Joseph, being of the house and lineage of David, had to leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem, to be taxed with Maiy.§ In Bethlehem Jesus was born ;
* Joseph the son of Juda in v.26 (AV) becomes Josech the son of Joda in RV.
t Cf. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, i. 154. Dalman asserts that Edersheim is incorrect in stating that public divorce was possible (see Hastings' VB, art. * Joseph ').
t Op. cit. i. 166.
5 On the question of the visit to Bethlehem see Eamsay's Was Christ born at Bethlehem?
902
JOSEPH
JOSES
and there the shepherds, to whom the angel had announced the birth of the Saviour, found Maryl- and Joseph and ' the babe lying in a manger' (Lk 2'*). At the circumcision, on the eighth day after the birth, the child received the name 'Jesus' which Joseph had been commanded to give Him ; and on a later daj, wlien Mary's purification was accomplished (cf. Lv 12-- '■ *), she and Joseph took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem (Lk 2~), to ' present him to the Lord ' * and to offer a sacrifice, according to the requirements of the law (Ex 13-', Lv 12*). Joseph fulfilled the law as if he were the father of Jesus ; and after the ceremonies in the temple he must have returned with Mary and her son to Bethlehem, which was 6 miles distant from Jerusalem. In Bethlehem the Wise Men who had come from the East saw Mary and 'the young child ' and worshipped Him ; and after their de- parture the angel of the Lord appeared again to Jo.seph, bidding him take Mary and the child and flee into Egypt on account of Herod, who would seek to destroy Him (Mt 2'^). Joseph was quick to obey, and rising in the night he took the young child and His mother and departed for Egypt, where Herod had no authority (v."). In Egypt they were to remain till the angel brought word to Joseph (v.'") ; and there they dwelt, possibly two or even three years, till the death of Herod, when
the angel again appeared in a dream to Joseph
' icled him to take the young
and His mother and go into the land of Israel.
The angel commancfed him to take the young child
Obedience was at once given by Joseph, but he became afraid when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judaea. Again the angel appeared in a dream, and after a warning Joseph proceeded to Nazareth, which was not under the rule of Arche- laus, who had an evil reputation, but under that of the mUder Antipas (vv.""^).
It is recorded of Joseph that he and Mary went every year, at the Passover, to Jerusalem, and that when Jesus was twelve years of age He acconi-