Jesus was a mason???

[kmortis]

A friend of mine mentioned to me that he'd heard that Jesus (and, I guess by extension Joseph) were masons, but that "some pope sometime" wanted the Ol' JC to be more humble sounding. Anyone else hear this before?

ETA: Notice I wrote it as "mason" small "m", not "Mason" the Fraternal Order. His prime argument was that JC was a stone cutter not a wood worker.

[Freethinker]

Never heard it, and I'm sure my family would have mentioned it since I come from several generations of decidedly humble stonecutters. But I do know people who would consider "some pope sometime" as proof that it is true.

[Lisa Simpson]

I've heard that before. On a program on the History Channel, I think? Or maybe Biography. Something along the lines of "carpenter" being a mistranslation from the original language.

[BeProf]

The word used in the NT is tekton. Vine defines that as "denotes any craftsman, but especially a worker in wood"

[Jitterbuggery]

There are several Christian sites out there that admit the word to describe Jesus' profession could cover more than just "carpenter." Stonecutter certainly being quite likely as most dwellings were made of stone at that time in the Middle East.

I've heard some arguments that a "Carpenter" was a weathy position and a "Stonecutter" a poor one. (due to carpenters needing to read and be skilled at math) Arguements go that he couldn't[I]be a carpenter because he clearly [I]was poor (as seen in that whole 'born in a manger' thing) to that of he WAS well off and gave up his wealth to do his spiritual work. (which sounds suspiciously like Buddah who was 'mistakenly' made a saint at one point by the Catholic church)

And let us not rule out how often the Catholic church has changed the facts of Jesus' life (Christmas to trump the Yule holiday to start). So the idea that a Pope wanted to give Jesus a different profession- although I don't know how you'd prove it- certainly isn't above possiblity.

Basically, anything that has to do with the life of Jesus, I wouldn't take the Bible as all the proof you need.

I also don't see this question as having an indisputable answer.

[epepke]

A friend of mine mentioned to me that he'd heard that Jesus (and, I guess by extension Joseph) were masons, but that "some pope sometime" wanted the Ol' JC to be more humble sounding. Anyone else hear this before?

Um, why would anyone consider a carpenter more humble than a mason?

From my experience, the folks who can do wood floor inlays get a much higher price than the folks who can pile up cinderblocks.

[kmortis]

Um, why would anyone consider a carpenter more humble than a mason?

From my experience, the folks who can do wood floor inlays get a much higher price than the folks who can pile up cinderblocks.
See Jitterbuggery's post above.

I was thrown. I'd never heard this, ever.

BeProf, I think your's is the most reasonable answer here. If the word just means "craftsman" (like the greco-roman root for "idiot (http://media.libsyn.com/media/podictionary/idiot_podictionary_116.mp3)") then it could, concevably mean either stonecutter or carpenter.

[BeProf]

I did some looking into the word: It's most literal meaning is "craftsman" or "builder" and it most often refers to "carptenters" but it is sometimes used of other professions in Classical Greek. It is sometimes used to speak of stoneworkers and sculptors. It is even used to describe a master of any art (like Gymnastics or Poetry). It is the root word from which we get the word "architect" (orginally, "master builder")

It's precise in the NT is unclear since it's only used twice, once to refer to Jesus's profession ("is this not the carptenter?") and once to refer to Joseph's profession ("is this not the carpenter's son?"). The first case, where Jesus was called a carpenter, may itself only be a reference to Joseph's profession, since it was common for sons to be known by their father's profession (which would in the vast majority of cases, be their profession too). We see the same thing in our language with surnames like "Miller" or "Smith".

The most common 'professional' title accorded to Jesus in the NT is kurios ("master" or "lord") which is the Greek analogue to the Hebrew/Aramaic rabbi (the most likely candidate for what the Apostles would have actually called Him).

[Just thinking]

You've all got it wrong -- he was an electrician.

[kmortis]

Well, I think we can say with a high degree of certanity that he wasn't a plumber. The gosples never mention the crack of his ass.

I've got to stop posting this close to bedtime.

[LW]

ETA: Notice I wrote it as "mason" small "m", not "Mason" the Fraternal Order.

You didn't need to do that (http://www.masoncode.com/Jesus%20Christ%20Master%20Mason.htm).

[Gregory]

Jesus was established as a carpenter by the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, so it would have had to be a fairly early pope.