I recently wrote a few articles on the history of marriage i.e., when girls were married off.

This article examines how old Joseph the Carpenter was when he married Mary mother of Jesus. Joseph the carpenter married Mary when she was 12 years old and Joseph was 8 to ! years old. They li"ed with each other from that day on. #ow Christians say$ %&she stayed "irgin for the rest of her life,' meaning they were ne"er intimate. (ut I don)t *elie"e that, *ecause the whole point of marriage is reproduce and show lo"e to each other. +ll early Christian sources say Mary was 12 years old when she married Joseph the carpenter. ,ne of the main reasons why I wrote this article is *ecause of the hypocrisy of Christian missionaries and their dou*le standards. They slander the -rophet Muhammed)s .p*uh/ marriage with +isha e"en though *y their standards she was considered to *e an adult. (ut they ne"er 0uestion Joseph)s marriage with Mary. The ma1ority of the earliest sources that are a"aila*le today from the Church fathers all agreed that Joseph was *etween 8 to ! years old at%least, when he was married to 12 year old Mary. +nother issue they will ne"er try to 0uestion is$ 2hy did the 3oly 4pirit impregnate such a young girl5 Couldn)t the 3oly 4pirit find an older woman5

It is only right to write this article and gi"e Christian missionaries a taste of their own medicine.

1. 2hat is the definition of +pocrypha5

If you as6 any Christian what the word 7+pocrypha) means they would say something along the lines &it means it is not authentic or spurious.' Meaning in other words it is fa6e8 it is not original. This is a recent meaning. ,riginally 7+pocrypha) meant &secret or hidden', this was the ancient meaning.

James 9ander6an says$

&+pocrypha is a plural word .singular$ apocryphan/ that originally denoted hidden or secret writings, to *e read only *y initiates into a gi"en Christian group.' :1;

<lat6o -lese$

&The term apocryphan signifies &that which is hidden' or &concealed'% some intimate secret shared only *y the chosen few.' :2;

Catherine M. Murphy$

apocryphan% secret or hidden *oo6, such as the +pocryphan of James .a.6.a. secret (oo6 of James/. :=;

4yl"ia >ranc6e$

&2e owe the term apocryphal, since apocryphan in its original connotation means 7a secret *oo6).' :?;

@iana 2e** says$

&Athe word apocrypha as it is a word that is greatly misunderstood. It comes from Bree6 and is formed from the com*ination of apo .away/ and 6rytein .hide or conceal/. Thus, it signifies that which is 7hidden away) or 7concealed). +pocryphan is the singular form and apocrypha the plural. These words are used to descri*e the nature of a certain *ody of ancient religious writings. The word apocrypha, li6e many other words has undergone a ma1or change in meaning throughout the centuries. 2ith regard to these ancient *oo6s, the word apocrypha ,CIBI#+DDE MF+#T + TFGT T,, 4+CCF@ +#@ 4FCCFT T, (F I# F9FCE,#F4 3+#@4. It needed to *e hidden away and reser"ed for the spirituality mature. It was a term of dignity and respect. To those who re"ered the apocryphal *oo6s, they were 7hidden) *ecause they contained teachings that were too sacred to *e re"ealed except to the initiated.' :H;

2hat is interesting is -rotestant Christians are 0uic6 to re1ect +pocrypha *oo6s. (ut when we as6 Christians$ &2hy do you accept the *oo6 of 3e*rews5' they ha"e no answer. +ll scholars agree unanimously that they do not 6now who wrote the *oo6, yet Christians still accept the *oo6 as

scripture. +s I ha"e esta*lished that +pocrypha originally meant 7hidden) or 7secret), now we mo"e to the next section. Mary was 12 years old when *etrothed to Joseph

Catholic Fncyclopaedia says$

&2hen forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Fscha *y some, 4alome *y others8 they li"ed forty%nine years together and had six children, two daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was James .the Dess, &the Dord)s *rother'/. + year after his wife)s death, as the priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tri*e of Juda a respecta*le man to espouse Mary, then twel"e to fourteen years of age. Joseph, who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates8 a miracle manifested the choice Bod had made of Joseph, and two years later the +nnunciation too6 place.' :I;

,ne thing needs to *e remem*ered, although they say that she was 12 years old when she was *etrothed to ! year old Joseph, most Christians of T,@+E re1ect that story *ecause Joseph would *e la*elled a paedophile. +s we will in"estigate shortly, you will see that most early Church fathers *elie"ed Mary was "ery young girl when she married Joseph, Joseph who was at least 8 to ! years old at the time.

73istory of Joseph the Carpenter) also confirms that Mary was 12 years old when *etrothed to Joseph. Chapter = and ? says$

=. #ow when righteous Joseph *ecame a widower, my mother Mary, *lessed, holy, and pure, was already twel"e years old. >or her parents offered her in the temple when she was three years of age, and she remained in the temple of the Dord nine years. Then when the priests saw that the "irgin, holy and Bod%fearing, was growing up, they spo6e to each other, saying$ Det us search out a man, righteous and pious, to whom Mary may *e entrusted until the time of her marriage8 lest, if she remain in the temple, it happen to her as is wont to happen to women, and lest on that account we sin, and Bod *e angry with us.

?. Therefore they immediately sent out, and assem*led twel"e old men of the tri*e of Judah. +nd they wrote down the names of the twel"e tri*es of Israel. +nd the lot fell upon the pious old man, righteous Joseph. Then the priests answered, and said to my *lessed mother$ Bo with Joseph, and *e with him till the time of your marriage. Cighteous Joseph therefore recei"ed my mother, and led her away to his own house. +nd Mary found James the Dess in his father)s house, *ro6en%hearted and sad on account of the loss of his mother, and she *rought him up. 3ence Mary was called the mother of James. Du6e 2?$1 Thereafter Joseph left her at home, and went away to the shop where he wrought at his trade of a carpenter. +nd after the holy "irgin had spent two years in his house her age was exactly fourteen years, including the time at which he recei"ed her. :J;

Infancy Bospel of James also says she was 12 years old when *etrothed to Joseph 4ee the lin6 here$ http$KKwww.earlychristianwritings.comKtextKinfancy1ames%ro*erts.html

2. Marriage in +ncient Jewish times

,ne must remem*er in +ncient Israelite times once a girl was *etrothed, sexual intimacy was allowed, there was no law against that, nor does the (i*le say against it. 4o for Mary to *e *etrothed it did not mean that Joseph and Mary could not get intimate together. 3ere is an article I ha"e written already on +ncient Jewish Marriages$

(i*le$ Child Marriage in +ncient Israelite times

=. Fxperts agree that Joseph was a "ery, "ery old man

@e Co*igne Mortimer (ennett says$

&The following 7>acts a*out "irgin Mary) are ta6en from one of the +pocryphal gospels% the 73istory of Joseph the Carpenter,) a *oo6 that was popular and *elie"ed to *e genuine in the so%called F"angelical of the Church. It is reproduced here from the 7Ce"elations of +ntichrist$) Joseph was a widower with four sons and two daughters, all married *ut James and Judas. Joseph was a -riest as well as a Carpenter, *ut li"ed mostly *y the latter trade. Mary had *een *rought up in the temple till she was twel"e years old, when the priests sought to intrust her to the care of some pious old man who wanted a wife. 4o they assem*led twel"e old men, who raffled for Mary. The ex%priest and carpenter won and was *etrothed to her at once, the marriage to *e postponed until she reached a suita*le age. (ut he too6 her to his house and 6ept her two years, when she *ecame a mother *y the 3oly Bhost.

2hen Joseph disco"ered the condition Mary was in he *ecame sorely trou*led, and could not eat or drin6 for a whole day. 3e thought of hushing up the scandal *y putting her away secretly. .It is not said whether he suspected his son James, who was most tenderly attached to his prospecti"e step% mother. 2hen she first came she found him *ro6en%hearted at the recent loss of his own mother, *ut the ad"ent of a lo"ely maiden, who, though some years his 1unior, assumed the relations of a mother to him, soon assuaged his grief8 and she, caring for him as a lo"ing step%mother 6nows how, *ecame 6nown as 7the mother of James,) e"en *efore she *ecame a wife to his father. The a*sence of Joseph, who had to *e away at wor6 at his trade, to say nothing of his age, which was then ninety%two, no dou*t tended to strengthen the ties *etween the son and the female guardian./ Joseph was not long left to remain in trou*le a*out the condition of Mary. In the Midst of his distress he fell asleep at noonday, and had a dream, in which Ba*riel appeared to him and explained the mystery of the Immaculate Conception. That was enough8 happiness was restored. The angelic friend had tied up the storm. The far%off magi made haste to welcome the new%*orn 6ing of the Jews. (ut the wic6ed 3erod was wroth with them for not telling where the infant was, so he might go and worship him also. Jesus grew up and wor6ed with his reputed father Joseph at the Carpenter trade, and li"ed in sweet accord with his two half% *rothers, until the death of their father Joseph, who li"ed to the ripe age of 111 years. These statements should undou*tedly *e ta6en with many grains of allowance.' :8;

@e Co*igne Mortimer (ennett says that the *oo6 73istory of Joseph the Carpenter,) was *elie"ed and genuine *y Farly F"angelical Church. #ot 1ust that *ut he also mentions that when Joseph married Mary she was 12 years old and he was ! years old. ,n top of that at the end of his statement on 73istory of Joseph the Carpenter,) he says$ L &These statements should undou*tedly *e ta6en with many grains of allowance.' 3e himself agrees that the statements where it mentions that Joseph *ring ! year old and Mary 12 is true and should *e accepted. This is not the only place where it mentions Mary *eing 12 years old when married off.

(ernard D. >ontana also mentions that Mary was 12 years old and Joseph ! years old when married$

&Than6s to the apocrypha writings, which inspired many artists o"er the ages, the popular *elief *ecame widespread that Joseph had first married when he was forty years old and fathered six children *y his wife *efore she died when he was eighty%nine years old. The youngest of his child was said to *e James the Dess, 7Christ)s *rother.) This tradition holds that Joseph was ninety years old when he went to Jerusalem to 1oin other candidates see6ing the hand of the twel"e% to fourteen year old Mary in Marriage.' :!;

?. Farly Church >athers (elie"ed Joseph was 8 to ! years old when he married 12 year old Mary

Ees right the "ery ad"anced age of Joseph marrying Mary was true and accepted *y most early Church >athers.

Ce"erend Jeremiah Jones writes a*out 2 to = pages long that Infancy -rote"angelion of James was accepted *y Farly Church >athers as truthful account of Mary and Joseph)s marriage. If one reads the Infancy Bospel of James .-rote"angelion of James/, in Chapter 8 it says that Mary was married to Joseph when she was 12 years old.

&A..3is eldest son was James, surnamed ,*liasLthat he *egat him when he was a*out forty years old$ after him he had another son named Jose, then 4imeon and Judas, and then his two daughters Mary and 4alome$ after his wife)s death he continued many years a widower, and a*out fourscore years old married Mary. (esides Fpiphanius, se"eral other of the Bree6 fathers ha"e gi"en into this same opinion, "iM. 3ilary, Chrysostome, Cyrill, Futhyymius, Theophylact, Cecumenius, and generally, as *ishop -eaterson says$ 7all Datin fathers till +m*rose, and the Bree6s afterward8 from which it is "ery e"ident that the account of Joseph)s age and family, which is in the Bospel of the (irth Mary, and the -rote"angelion of James, met with "ery general credit among ancient Christians.' :1 ;

Charles (urlingame 2aite was a Nnited 4tates lawyer, 1urist also cites Fpiphanies that Joseph was 8 years old when he married Mary$

&Joseph was "ery old when he married Mary, and had *een many years a widower8 that he was the *rother of Clophas, the son of James, surnamed -anther8 that he had his first wife of the tri*e of Judah, and *y her six children, to wit, four sons and two daughters. 3is eldest son was James, surnamed ,*lias, .this pro*a*ly ta6en from Fuse*ius, Fcc, 3ist. 2. 2=/, that he *egat him when he was a*out forty years old8 after him he had another son named Jose, then 4imeon and Judas, and then his two daughters Mary and 4alome$ after his wife)s death, he continued many years a widower, and a*out fourscore years old, married Mary.'% Fpiph. 3aeres. J8, see. 8. :11;

+s you ha"e read most Church Farly fathers *elie"ed Mary was married off when she was 12 years old and Joseph the carpenter was a "ery old man. 3ere is the list of fathers who *elie"ed that Joseph was fourscore years old when he married 12 year old Mary$

1. Fpiphanius .(orn =1 +d O @ied ? =+d/ 2. 3ilary .3ilarius/ of -oitiers .(orn = O @ied =I8+d/

=. John Chrysostom .(orn *etween =?? and =?! O @ied ? J+d/ ?. Cyril of +lexandria .(orn =JI+d O @ied ???+d/ H. 4aint Futhymius the Breat .(orn =JJ O @ied 2 January ?J=/

I. Theophylact of ,hrid .also 6nown as Theophylact of (ulgaria/ .(orn 1 HH O 11 J/ J. Cecumenius 8. Fuse*ius .(orn 2I= O @ied ==! +d/