Why was Jesus a carpenter?

I've seen many pictures of paintings where Jesus holds a compass...

Like that:

www.bmi.net...

Carpenter reminds mason. Jesus used some "stone" metaphors. Jesus teached using allegories and gave "pre-digested" wisdom only for the "choosen ones".

What your thoughts on this?

Wasn't Joseph a carpenter?

As was his brother James?

Maybe he just liked wood?

It's not like there was a ton of jobs out there then. I guess he could have tried out for the security consultant job for the Romans maybe. Sometimes wrapping your hands around a piece of wood and sanding it down can be pretty enjoyable and not a bad job though.

Are you trying to say he was hiding the fact he was actually a freemason?

reply to post by whoshotJR


Yeah I was wondering about the picture, were there even freemasons back then?

And my understanding of Jesus being a carpenter was that Joseph was one, and so he took up the family trade.. A tradition which continues up to today in some families..

Interesting question though..!

Just pointing out, in that era - and others - a son usually followed in his father's footsteps as far as occupations go.

I realize Joseph is not truly Jesus' father, but he was immersed in a family and learning a skill was paramount.

reply to post by infobrazil


because walking on water had not developed into a full scale business. remember, where in the bible does jesus actually say he was a carpenter?
the bible was started 70 to 90 years after jesus died, not exactly an enlightened, intellectual period of human history.

Was watching a historical program, where they mentioned that the term carpenter is a bit to specific.
At the time,carpenters would have done any work available, not being limited to wood, so including masonry as well.

It's His nature to repair and build things. That's what carpenters do. By him all things were created. Even now, he is preparing a place in heaven for all those who believe.

Therefore repent, and receive the gift of eternal life. The Kingdom of Heaven is close. Ride the wave, or get sweeped under it.

The word originally used in the gospels was tekton. Tekton seems to be translated to construction worker.

"In the Gospels, Jesus is called a tekton, a Greek word that meant not merely a carpenter skilled in making cabinets or furniture but a designer, construction engineer, or architect. A tekton could build a house, construct a bridge, or design a temple." (Starbird, 2003, p. 53)

www.jesuspolice.com...

great minds and all

[edit on 19/9/09 by pieman]

reply to post by John Matrix


Yeah I read someplace that the whole carpenter thing was a mistranslation. It actually meant "Fixer/handyman". Carpentry was just a small part of that. He would have been good with stone working/masonry also.

Edit to add:
reply to post by bracke


you beat me to it.
Same thing....



[edit on 19-9-2009 by SLAYER69]

Well the intrigue of this question really arises around the notion of whether Jesus was born Christ the Son of God or if he became such via some kine of spiritual awakening (baptism, white dove and all that).

If the later then I am sure he was simply following the family tradition in the beginning. If the former, then it most certainly does beg the question.

Yes measurements and the measuring rod play an important role in the Bible

Rev. 11:11
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.

The measurements of the tabernacle of god.

Measurements of the ark.

Zechariah sees a man with the measuring line in his hand. "Then said I, Whither goest thou? and he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof."

In Revelation 21, we have the heavenly side, "The Holy City, New Jerusalem," and we read in verse 15, "And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof and the walls thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth; and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal." There is no height in relation to the earthly Jerusalem; there is length and there is breadth, and God was interested in all. He is still interested in it, so interested that what we read of in such prophecies as Zechariah will certainly be brought to pass in the world to come; of that there is not the slightest doubt. But in the present time God has introduced that which is heavenly and spiritual, and in a very large measure, eternal. We know that there are features which will come to light in the world to come which will not go into eternity, but there are features being wrought out today which are spiritual, heavenly, and eternal. And as John sees the angel with the reed, he, the angel that was talking with him, measures the city. There was not only length and breadth, there was height in relation to it; and it stood, that perfect cube, equal in all God's dealings in relation to it, for of this city it is said "having the glory of God" (Rev. 21: 11).

www.stempublishing.com...

He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.

users.netnitco.net...

So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway.

reed flutes

bibleencyclopedia.com...

Love this subject.

Egypt was measured with a measuring reed, and found wanting.

books.google.com... l=en&ei=OS21SvazFZLoMafX6NcO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=&f=false

The word the Egyptian Maat originally meant reed or measuring rod.

Cubit Measuring Rod of Sennedjem

www.eternalegypt.org... _id=62065&ee_messages=0001.flashrequired.text

Maat= measuring rod and

the scribe priest wrote with reed pens and reed papyrus which was thought of sacred,

Moses in a Reed Basket becomes high priest of Egypt. Scribe,

www.amazon.com...

Jesus goes to Egypt.

YHWH the great scribe

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

'Make straight the way for the Lord.'

I need to go do something useful,



[edit on 023030p://bSaturday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Gday,

Carpenter is a bad translation.

In fact,
in the NT manuscripts, Jesus is described in Greek as a "tekton".

A "tekton" is a master craftsman who may work in various materials such as wood, stone, ivory, even cloth.

(Of course, Jesus was myth anyway - he never existed in history.)


K.

Probably because it was the family business... and being a teen Messiah probably didn't pay too well.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/be4cc4b41e52.jpg[/atsimg]

What I always found interesting was God Jesus as a carpenter in light of the 2nd (of the 10) Commandment.

'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

So basically if Jesus made someone a wooden horse rocking chair then he was breaking his own commandment.

reply to post by silver tongue devil


Uh... that would've been a toy maker.

2nd line.

Jesus is a carpenter because he helped build houses. However, you all are thinking of physical houses out of wood. This is not the kind of carpenter he is.

He builds "churches" within people. That church is built out of understanding and wisdom, and he gives that understanding to people to help them build it.

The carpenter bit and the last supper as well are all plays on Proverbs 9.

Proverbs 9

1Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

2She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

3She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

4Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

5Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

7He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

When you look at the story of peter for example. He founds his "church" on a rock. That rock is "wisdom", which can be found in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7

24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Houses of wisdom, not physical houses. Built with wisdom and understanding, rather than wood. These are things that are within a person, and because of that, no man can touch them or destroy them without the person's consent.

It might have something to do with Pi (3.14159). The symbol looks similar to the Hebrew symbol called "Chai" meaning "life". Maybe it has something to do with the tree of life. I'm going by the picture posted of course (compass).

en.wikipedia.org...