Did Jesus have earthly brothers and sisters?

[B-A-C]

Do you believe Jesus had earthly brothers and sisters? Obviously Jesus would be the oldest since Mary was a virgin when she got pregnant with Jesus.

Matt 12:46 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
Matt 12:47 Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You."

It appears that Mary had sons named James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, and some sisters.
Matt 13:55 "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
Matt 13:56 "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

Mark 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him.

Paul also called James the Lord's brother.
Gal 1:18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
Gal 1:19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.

After Jesus' resurrection, James (his brother) was the first apostle to see Jesus.
1 Cor 15:7 Next he appeared to James. Then he appeared to all the apostles.

Could the author of Jude, who calls himself the brother of James, be the same Jude (Judas) mentioned in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3?
Jude 1:1 From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father, and who are kept safe for Jesus Christ.

We also know that Jesus had an aunt.
John 19:25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

In Matt 27:56 we see Mary the mother of James and Joses mentioned again, could this be the same Mary mentioned above?
In Mark 15:40 she is mentioned again.

 

[B-A-C]

A few more interesting verses.

Mark 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

If this is same Mary that is the mother of James and Joses in the previous post, it only makes sense that Mary would be at Jesus' tomb.

 

[B-A-C]

I notice in some verses, that the "other James" (not the son of Zebedee) is sometimes called James the less.

Mark 15:40 There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.

Luke 24:10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.

Now this is admittedly going out on a limb here, and is speculation but....

If James (Jesus' brother) was an apostle, and Mary had a son, could this be James the less?
And if so, could James the less, be the son of Alphaeus?

Take a look at these verses.
Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13

If James the less, is Jesus' brother the apostle, could it be possible that Mary re-married someone named Alphaeus?

If Joseph died, this wouldn't be against Jewish law.

 

[Puddleglum]

Joseph was an old man with his own family before taking Mary. so they are so to speak in Law only. they are not of his blood at all.

 

[B-A-C]

Joseph was an old man with his own family before taking Mary. so they are so to speak in Law only. they are not of his blood at all.

I think you are probably right, but they would still be Mary's children either way.

 

[Boanerges]

Joseph did not have sex with Mary until after Jesus birth (Mat 1:25 ), and Jesus did indeed have brother s and sisters.

 

[B-A-C]

Joseph did not have sex with Mary until after Jesus birth (Mat 1:25 ), and Jesus did indeed have brother s and sisters.

Good point!
It also appears some of his brothers might have been married later in life.

1 Cor 9:5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
Of course we already know Peter was married from the verse above and Matt 8:14; Mark 1:30 and Luke 4:38

 

[B-A-C]

The extant manuscripts of the writings of the 1st century Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus include references to Jesus and the origins of Christianity. Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, written around 93–94 AD, includes two references to Jesus in Books 18 and 20 and a reference to John the Baptist in Book 18.

Modern scholarship has almost universally acknowledged the authenticity of the reference in Book 20, Chapter 9, 1 of the Antiquities to "the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James" and considers it as having the highest level of authenticity among the references of Josephus to Christianity. Almost all modern scholars consider the reference in Book 18, Chapter 5, 2 of the Antiquities to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist to also be authentic.

I had not read all of Josephus writings and thought this was interesting coming from a secular historian of Rome.