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Question 80.

Did Jesus have siblings because I read in the bible something about siblings and their names are also mentioned? 

 

Answer to Question 80.

 

According to Orthodox and Roman Catholic tradition Joseph, the husband of Mary and Anna her mother were brother and sister, which means that Joseph was Mary’s uncle. Joseph was an old man and a widower. His previous marriage to a woman named Salome produced six children, four boys and two girls. By law these were Jesus’ step brothers and sisters and Mary’s step children. The names of the step brothers are mentioned in the Gospels as James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. (Matth. 13: 54-55) One of Joseph’s daughters whose name was also Salome was married to Zebedee and was the mother of the brothers James and John the Theologian, thus again by law Jesus was their uncle.  Of the step brothers James is known as James the Lord’s brother. Jude or Judus who was also an Apostle (not Iscariot the traitor), in his general Epistle of Jude, calls himself Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. He could have called himself Jude the Lord’s brother just as James did, but he chose not to out of humility and shame, believing that he was unworthy of such a honourable title, because he did not believe in Christ the Lord at the very beginning.