Mary and Joseph, "two teenagers"?

[Chris]

I am still church-shopping. Today, I visited a church, high on my list, where the Youth Minister substituted for the senior Pastor. THREE times, this preacher referred to Mary and Joseph as teenagers. That doesn't coincide with what I have been taught for years --- that Joseph was considerably older. I have been searching a study bible for an hour trying to learn how old Joseph was when the angel spoke to him. Can anyone, here, shed some light on Joseph's age at the time of Jesus' birth?

[Tim Bonney]

[Haruo]

How do the Eastern Orthodox answer these questions (both Joseph's age Jesus' siblings)?

[Rvaughn]

I don't know anything in the Bible that helps much Joseph's age. Tim is likely right about the Catholic tradition. I've never looked at that. One thing I have heard mentioned is that only Mary is mentioned later and Joseph is no longer around. Some have speculated from this that Joseph was older and had already died before Jesus began his ministry.

[Rvaughn]

[Dave Roberts]

The tradition of Mary being a teenager and Joseph being older has no Biblical support or denial. If Joseph had older children when Jesus was born, guess the Catholic church needs to revise its nativity scenes to include them around the manger.

[Haruo]

[Chris]