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Audiobook edition · 55 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 38 pagesAbout 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.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this if you love ancient Christian stories, wonder about the family of Jesus, or like tender portraits of fathers and sons.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Joseph receives a human story
- A son tells his father's story
- Work and grief shape Joseph's household
- Mary enters a home of refuge
- Fear does not prevent Joseph's obedience
- Ordinary family life holds sacred value
- Joseph brings his fear to God
- Illness brings ordinary failings into view
- Holiness leaves room for human fear
Who’s who
- JosephA priest and carpenter from Bethlehem, a widower with six children, who wants to serve God faithfully and to die without terror.
- JesusThe speaker, who remembers his earthly father with love and wants his apostles to honor Joseph and understand the meaning of death.
- MaryA young woman raised in the temple, then entrusted to Joseph, who lives quietly in his house and cares for his children.
- GabrielThe angel who comes to Joseph in a dream and tells him not to fear taking Mary as his wife.
- MichaelThe prince of angels whom Joseph begs God to send, so that his soul may depart in peace.
- James the LessJoseph's young son, grieving his mother's death when Mary arrives, and raised by her in his father's house.
- AssiaOne of Joseph's two daughters, who weeps when she sees her father's illness, which reminds her of her mother's.
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The History of Joseph the Carpenter
by Attributed to early Christian writers
A carpenter of 111 years prays in the temple for an angel to guide him through death without trouble, terror or anguish.
ChallengingUnder 2 hours to readEnglish
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“Woe to the day on which I was born into the world!”
In short
Picture a man of 111 years who has never lost a tooth, never lost his sight and never stopped working at his bench. Now picture him in bed in Nazareth, afraid of what comes next.
The History of Joseph the Carpenter at a glance
- Reading time
- About 25 min20 min fast, 30 min slow
- Length
- 5,940 words32 chapters
- Pages
- 38 pages52 in large print
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
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Listen freeOr hold it in print: paperback, hardcover or large print, at costFrom the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A Gospel Told by Jesus on the Mount
The History of Joseph the Carpenter opens on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sits with his disciples and speaks to them in the first person. He reminds them that he must be crucified and will rise again. He promises to clothe them with power from on high and sends them to preach repentance and forgiveness to every nation. Only then does he turn to the story of his father.
This frame matters. Because Jesus is the speaker, Joseph's story carries the highest authority the text can give. He is remembered, honored and mourned by the son who knew him at home.
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A carpenter of 111 years prays in the temple for an angel to guide him through death without trouble, terror or anguish.
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Details
- Language
- English
- Listening time
- 55 min
- Level
- Challenging
- Paperback
- 38 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print paperback
- 52 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Delivery and returns
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For Christmas, order by Thu 12 Nov
Cite this edition
The History of Joseph the Carpenter. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-history-of-joseph-the-carpenter.
The history of Joseph the Carpenter. (2026). Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-history-of-joseph-the-carpenter
The History of Joseph the Carpenter. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-history-of-joseph-the-carpenter.
@book{anonymous2026history,
title = {The History of Joseph the Carpenter},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/loa-history-of-joseph-the-carpenter}
}
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What is the History of Joseph the Carpenter about?
It tells of Joseph's family, his work as a carpenter, his guardianship of Mary and his last illness, all spoken by Jesus to his apostles on the Mount of Olives. It centers on a loving father and son and on facing death.
Who wrote the History of Joseph the Carpenter and when?
The author is unknown. Scholars place its origin in Egypt, probably among Coptic Christians, between the fourth and sixth centuries. It survives in Coptic, Arabic and Latin versions, which differ in some details.
Why is the History of Joseph the Carpenter not in the Bible?
It is classed as an apocryphal gospel. Particular churches, mainly in the West, settled the canon and left this text outside it. It was never formally condemned, and Eastern Christians kept and valued it.
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