I had read and always assumed that James, brother of Jesus was younger than Jesus, but have recently read that Catholics believe that Mary was always a virgin. What about Jesus’ other brothers and sisters. Were they a product of a former marriage of Joseph. Are there any books that discuss the early life of Jesus, or times that he spent with the Essenes? Thank you, Marla Rasnick
The Catholics are mistaken about Jesus’ mother being a perpetual virgin; the Gospel records teach otherwise. Please visit the articles below for a fuller answer to that question.
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2003/oct/page18.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/1999/may/page14.shtml#sin
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/1999/jun/page5.shtml
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2004/jan/page4.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2004/may/page7.htm
https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/2005/dec/page15.htm
The Bible says nothing of any “former marriage of Joseph.” The only authoritative book on the “early life of Jesus” is the Bible (especially the Gospel records).
Frankly, not much about the early life of Jesus appears in the Bible excepting his birth and later his visit to the Temple at the age of 12. The next 18 years of Jesus’ life are summarized thus: “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:51-52). Further, there is neither biblical nor extra-biblical evidence that Jesus ever spent time with the Essenes, which Jewish sect is not directly mentioned in the Bible at all. However, Jesus may have censured the Essenes through contradicting one of their popular doctrines. An interesting contrast occurs between the Manual of Discipline (a non-biblical (Essene) Dead Sea Scroll) and the Gospel of Christ. “But in the Manual of Discipline, when a member was accepted into the Qumran community, he had to swear to love the sons of light and ‘hate the sons of darkness for all eternity'” (Humble 50-51). Jesus, however, taught: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).
Works Cited
Humble, Bill. Archaeology and the Bible. Nashville: Christian Communications, 1990.
