Joseph (Carpenter)

Joseph  was a carpenter who lived in the town of Nazareth in the Roman province of Galilee. He lived during the reign of Augustus Caesar. He was of the Hebrew tribe of Judah, with a lineage going back to King David. He married Mary, a girl from the same tribe, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

He was to become the legal father of Jesus Christ, who was miraculously born to his wife before the two of them had consummated their marriage. As a law-abiding Jew, he raised the child as his own, protecting him from harm and introducing him to God and His Law.

Etymology
The name Joseph (Gr: Ἰωσήφ, eeohseyf) is of Hebrew derivation (יוֹסֵף֮) meaning "He increases" or "The increases". It was first used of Jacob's first son by Rachel, in hopes that she would have another child. The original Joseph would be instrumental in the salvation of his people. The name shows up in the tribes of Issachar and Levi and as the collective for the two largest tribes of the northern kingdom (sons of Joseph).

As can be seen in the genealogy of Jesus, the name was also popular in the tribe of Judah in the southern kingdom. The name is found five or six times in the genealogy provided by Luke.