8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
How does a just man face death when even a lifetime of faith cannot quiet his fear?
In The History of Joseph the Carpenter, Jesus sits with his apostles on the Mount of Olives and tells Joseph’s story. This anonymous early Christian text portrays a patient craftsman, a widower with children, and Mary’s guardian. It gives space to a life the Gospels describe only briefly.
The account follows Joseph into old age and his last illness, where devotion meets the fear of dying. According to the story, Jesus comes to comfort him, and Mary stays beside him. This work of devotion offers a window into how early Christians in Egypt pictured the Holy Family and understood death.
What you’ll discover
- The gathering on the mountain Enter the scene where Jesus shares the account of Joseph with his listening apostles.
- A household beyond the Gospels Meet Joseph’s first family and explore the text’s account of Mary entering his home.
- Faith beside fear Follow an aging carpenter whose prayers for peace do not erase his dread of death.
- Comfort at the bedside Read how the story brings Jesus and Mary close to Joseph during his illness.
- Early Egyptian Christian devotion Discover a devotional portrait that honours Joseph through his work, family, faith, and frailty.
Is it for you?
This is for readers curious about the Holy Family beyond the four Gospels, and for anyone who studies early Christian devotion in Egypt. It may suit you less if you want a fast plot or a text that matches the New Testament closely.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Jesus tells the story on the mountain
- Joseph lives a long life at his craft
- A widower takes Mary into his home
- Joseph prays as old age closes in
- The Lord comes to the old man's bedside
- What the story means and how it is told
Who’s who
- JesusHe tells the whole story to his apostles and comes to his father's bedside, wanting to comfort him in his last illness.
- JosephAn old carpenter of 111 years, just and hard working, who fears death and prays for peace.
- MaryJoseph's young charge and the mother of Jesus, who stays at the old man's side during his illness.
- The apostlesThe disciples gathered on the Mount of Olives, who listen to the Lord's account of his father.
- Michael and GabrielThe two archangels who attend Joseph and are bound up with the care of his soul.
- Joseph's childrenThe sons and daughters of his first marriage, including James and Simon, who belong to the household.
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The History of Joseph the Carpenter
by Attributed to early Christian writers
Jesus recounts Joseph’s life and his fear of death.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Jesus tells the story on the mountain
The text opens with a gathering. Jesus sits with his apostles on the Mount of Olives, and he begins to speak to them about Joseph, whom he calls his father after the flesh. He says that this is the story of the death of a just old man, and that his friends should hear it with care. The frame matters, because everything that follows is given as the Lord's own memory.
This device gives the story weight for the community that valued it. It is not a rumour about Joseph passed down by neighbours. It is the Savior himself recalling a household he lived in and a man he loved. Readers in Egypt would have heard the voice of Jesus as the best possible witness.
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What is the History of Joseph the Carpenter about?
It is an early Christian tale in which Jesus tells his apostles about the life and last illness of his earthly father Joseph. It covers his age, his family, his fear of death and the comfort given to him.
How old was Joseph when he died in this story?
The text says Joseph lived to 111 years. It also gives other numbers, such as his age when he first married and the age of Mary when she came into his care.
Who wrote the History of Joseph the Carpenter and when?
No author is known. Scholars generally place it in Egypt between the fourth and seventh centuries, probably first in Greek. It survives in Coptic and Arabic versions, and the exact date is debated.
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