Was Jesus a carpenter?

[QED]

In another thread

Christians assume Jesus was a carpenter, but there is not one verse in the Bible where this guy even picks up a hammer. What did work mean to Jesus? I get up and go to the office the whole work week. Jesus doesn't talk much about work.

I've often wondered about this. Jesus, as God in human form, is supposed to have been a carpenter. So were people furnishing their homes with chairs that God made? I bet that would make them valuable! Too bad no ebay at that time!

Seriously though: In his supposed time here on Earth he must have created something akin to commercial produce, this is something a man of any time must do to live. So when it was realised (for example by the 500 or so that witnessed his ascension) that Jesus was indeed more than just a man -- wouldn't there have been a major run on his work? After all, nobody was keeping things a secret. People must have been going around telling others that God had just paid a visit and nobody thought to save any of his earthly artefacts? One might expect people to hang on to such invaluable treasures. What about his own property -- he may have lived light but I doubt if he was totally without personal possessions. How did all this stuff get thrown away? It doesn't sound right to me. Not if he was a real historical figure as described in the bible.

So what evidence is there that Jesus was a carpenter? And why did none of his possessions make it to the current day? We have all sorts of artefacts from previous millennia to his; from the Pharaohs kings and Priests. Surely even more care would have been taken by things handled by God?

[Bro Dave]

http://urantiabook.org/newbook/papers/p129.htm

(partial excerpt follows)

1. THE TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR (A.D. 21)

129:1.1 In January of this year, A.D. 21, on a rainy Sunday morning, Jesus took unceremonious leave of his family, only explaining that he was going over to Tiberias and then on a visit to other cities about the Sea of Galilee. And thus he left them, never again to be a regular member of that household.

129:1.2 He spent one week at Tiberias, the new city which was soon to succeed Sepphoris as the capital of Galilee; and finding little to interest him, he passed on successively through Magdala and Bethsaida to Capernaum, where he stopped to pay a visit to his father's friend Zebedee. Zebedee's sons were fishermen; he himself was a boatbuilder. Jesus of Nazareth was an expert in both designing and building; he was a master at working with wood; and Zebedee had long known of the skill of the Nazareth craftsman. For a long time Zebedee had contemplated making improved boats; he now laid his plans before Jesus and invited the visiting carpenter to join him in the enterprise, and Jesus readily consented.

129:1.3 Jesus worked with Zebedee only a little more than one year, but during that time he created a new style of boat and established entirely new methods of boatmaking. By superior technique and greatly improved methods of steaming the boards, Jesus and Zebedee began to build boats of a very superior type, craft which were far more safe for sailing the lake than were the older types. For several years Zebedee had more work, turning out these new-style boats, than his small establishment could handle; in less than five years practically all the craft on the lake had been built in the shop of Zebedee at Capernaum. Jesus became well known to the Galilean fisherfolk as the designer of the new boats

continued...

Jesus also was an expert in leatherwork, making saddles etc.

Bro Dave

[bernee51]

http://urantiabook.org/newbook/papers/p129.htm

(partial excerpt follows)

1. THE TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR (A.D. 21)

129:1.1 In January of this year, A.D. 21, on a rainy Sunday morning, Jesus took unceremonious leave of his family, only explaining that he was going over to Tiberias and then on a visit to other cities about the Sea of Galilee. And thus he left them, never again to be a regular member of that household.

129:1.2 He spent one week at Tiberias, the new city which was soon to succeed Sepphoris as the capital of Galilee; and finding little to interest him, he passed on successively through Magdala and Bethsaida to Capernaum, where he stopped to pay a visit to his father's friend Zebedee. Zebedee's sons were fishermen; he himself was a boatbuilder. Jesus of Nazareth was an expert in both designing and building; he was a master at working with wood; and Zebedee had long known of the skill of the Nazareth craftsman. For a long time Zebedee had contemplated making improved boats; he now laid his plans before Jesus and invited the visiting carpenter to join him in the enterprise, and Jesus readily consented.

129:1.3 Jesus worked with Zebedee only a little more than one year, but during that time he created a new style of boat and established entirely new methods of boatmaking. By superior technique and greatly improved methods of steaming the boards, Jesus and Zebedee began to build boats of a very superior type, craft which were far more safe for sailing the lake than were the older types. For several years Zebedee had more work, turning out these new-style boats, than his small establishment could handle; in less than five years practically all the craft on the lake had been built in the shop of Zebedee at Capernaum. Jesus became well known to the Galilean fisherfolk as the designer of the new boats

continued...

Jesus also was an expert in leatherwork, making saddles etc.

Bro Dave

It is good to note that Urantia shows a lot more imagination in its story telling than the bible.

It is, however, still story telling.

[QED]

It demonstrates the desperate need for people to invent in the absence of something they feel is missing. What do we suppose is wrong with plain-old "I don't know"?

[Cathar1950]

I have read may times over the years from legitimate sources that the word they use that is translated carpenter was not carpenter. It meant Tradesmen or even Stonecutter or a potter or metalworker and even a tinker. It was anything but a carpenter. Now there are some interesting things that may or may not relate. The people that wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls called themselves these same names. They did have groups of people that lived outside of regular society that performed these functions and healed people. Also when the Second Temple was built it had to be built by priest. They were trained as stonecutters.
Another reason Jesus may have had women with him is the Romans might not look at them like a band of insurrectionist. Which is why they killed him.

[QED]

I have read may times over the years from legitimate sources that the word they use that is translated carpenter was not carpenter. It meant Tradesmen or even Stonecutter or a potter or metalworker and even a tinker. It was anything but a carpenter.

It seems like his trade was lost in the translations then. What a pity nothing concrete can be ascertained about Jesus's early life today.

But was it such a mystery to those around him when he was alive? I can't believe that a real person of supposed divine provenance with a real family would have such huge chunks of his life go missing.

Now there are some interesting things that may or may not relate. The people that wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls called themselves these same names. They did have groups of people that lived outside of regular society that performed these functions and healed people. Also when the Second Temple was built it had to be built by priest. They were trained as stonecutters.
Another reason Jesus may have had women with him is the Romans might not look at them like a band of insurrectionist. Which is why they killed him.

His female posse and disciples all amount to a considerable number of material witnesses. If their stories are more than just myth why is there no material evidence in the form of sandals, clothes, dining equipment or any other of the inevitable paraphernalia of real people living real lives? I simply can't see anyone throwing-out God's sandals. Not ever.

[trencacloscas]

The NT is not history, but a literary piece. I guess for the authors the idea of a carpenter crucified in a wooden cross was something like poetic justice.

[QED]

The NT is not history, but a literary piece. I guess for the authors the idea of a carpenter crucified in a wooden cross was something like poetic justice.

Fine. The authors were not without a sense of irony that's for sure. I'm personally quite satisfied with the idea that there was, at first, a single Christian possibly even named Jesus. The way it seems to have worked out though is that in his lifetime he only created a minor stir; just being visible on the periphery of the Roman empire's radar. Had he been performing the miracles and other deeds set out in the stories of the NT he would have attracted far more attention. Then in his lifetime, he would have gained considerable 'celebrity status' -- more than enough (as the creator of the universe here among men on Earth) for people to make an unmistakable and lasting contribution to the persistence of his memory.

As another example, any of the numerous individuals that are supposed to have been healed by a one-on-one with the creator of the universe should themselves have been immortalized and venerated from generation to generation. At least one surely?

Instead the biblical accounts of all these incidents make all this interaction between the most powerful entity in the cosmos and us mere mortals almost seem unremarkable. Coincidentally this would seem to be exactly the same way the events were received by the population at that time. Isn't it obvious that the whole thing was hyped-up after the event?

[trencacloscas]

Isn't it obvious that the whole thing was hyped-up after the event?

Yes. I even doubt that there was some unique event behind. It looks like a mixture of many things.

[Cathar1950]

S.G.F. Brandon argues that the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem were pretty much wiped out when the Romans sacked The city. Some Pauline Christians moved in after and left in 135 when they wouldn't fight.
paul created some pretty loyal Romans. There wasn't much left after the wars. I bet some Jesus sandals would really bring a pretty penny.

[Bro Dave]

It really bugs you guys that Jesus, such a minor, neigh, imaginary figure, has impacted this entire planet, and did it in some 30 years of life!

Yeah, just beginners luck, probabaly won't really come back...

Will he?

Bro Dave

Not to worry, the he did all this by demonstrating what he so effectively taught... To Love one another. (even those who mocked, spat, flogged and nailed him to a cross, and you've missed doing most of those)