What was the age of joseph and mary when they were betrothed?

Question

first the bible doesnt answer this question! unlike genesis which gives all the ages of prominent men.

but there clues

has anyone ever read where their ages are actually given?!! not just theories pls.

ok a couple clues i have found:

jesus had older brothers maybe oldersisters

joseph is alleged to have already been married or widowed

One book i read detailed that Joseph was a very old man! (if this book is true! doesnt make for a romantic nativity scene )

Answer 1

I have heard that Mary was about 13/14 somewhere in through there.  Joseph was suppose to be older.  I would have to do research on that, I am not totally sure.

Answer 2

There is no way to answer that, since they never existed.

Answer 3

If I remember correctly Mary was 14 and Joseph was a middle aged carpenter.

Answer 4

Where does it say he had older brothers?  I think you are looking for "clues" in the wrong books.

Answer 5

It varied a good deal. Women were usually 11-14 (at the time they become BETROTHED, usually a year before the wedding). Men could be about the same up to 30 or more...

Generally, the man had to be established in his career. In the case of Mary and Joseph, he was most likely in the 15-25 range. Men in careers which required longer training would often wait to marry, but wealthy families might help the couple as they were establishing their family if the husband was still studying. This was sometimes the case with rabbis, who could not begin work until they reached 30.

The common difference in age is reflected in the larger than "normal" (to western thought anyway) number of widows in that culture.

The "older half-siblings" idea is NOT Biblical and, along with "perpetual virginity of Mary" actually CONFLICTS WITH SCRIPTURE which tells us that Joseph did not have sexual contact with Mary UNTIL after the birth of Jesus. (Matthew 1:25) That Joseph was probably SOME older is a presumption based on what was COMMON in the Jewish culture of first century Palestine. There are numerous books which look at the culture and what Joseph and Mary may have been like, but no one can be CERTAIN of their ages.

... I see a quote from a late second century FORGERY ATTRIBUTED TO JAMES, but in no way written by him. These documents should NOT be relied upon. Why should we believe an author who forges the name of another trying to lend respectability to his work?

Answer 6

According to the protoevangelium of St James (the lesser), Mary was 12 when she was betrothed to Joseph, and Joseph was old enough to be embarrassed about it.

"But Joseph refused, saying: I have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl. I am afraid lest I become a laughing-stock to the sons of Israel"

(she was 16 when she gave birth to Jesus, so Joseph and Mary were "engaged" for a very very long time, and I doubt that he ever wanted to touch her in the husband/wife sort of way.)

Answer 7

mary was 13, joseph was older..like possibly 20

Answer 8

Today, many scholars believe that Mary was a teenager and Joseph was quite a bit older than she was when they got engaged and got married. I'm sorry I don't have more specific info than that.