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Their relationship was in the early stages when Mary got pregnant -

Jewish relationships and, consequently, marriage are essentially divided into two stages: kiddushin (engagement) and nisu'in (marriage ceremony).

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Their relationship was in the early stages when Mary got pregnant -

Of course, there are more layers of complexity to these stages. But essentially, a couple is married in the eyes of God in the kiddushin stage. But cohabitation and intimate relationships are not part of this stage.

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Their relationship was in the early stages when Mary got pregnant -

While nowadays many couples combine kiddushin and nisu'in rituals into one ceremony, back then the first stage would take a lot longer. The couple would read religious texts to prepare for life as husband and wife. And all of a sudden Mary was pregnant!

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They almost broke up -

It goes without saying that virginity was not only desirable, but expected. Divine intervention aside, all of a sudden showing up pregnant wasn't quite what Joseph was expecting of Mary.

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They almost broke up -

Matthew 1:19 reads: "Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly."

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They almost broke up -

This course of action was actually pretty kind (more on that later). But he didn't in the end, as he was visited by angel Gabriel who told him that, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

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Mary could have been stoned to death -

As mentioned previously, Joseph's plans to leave Mary was to avoid exposing her to "public disgrace." And public disgrace it would have been for Mary, who would have probably ended up being stoned to death.

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Mary could have been stoned to death -

Deuteronomy 22:21 gives an example of what would happen to a woman who would have intimate relationships out of wedlock (in this case, still living with her parents): "She shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death."

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Joseph saved baby Jesus from being killed -

King Herod, hearing the news about the Messiah, ordered for all children in Bethlehem to be killed.

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Joseph saved baby Jesus from being killed -

Luckily, an angel gave Joseph the heads up, so he and his family managed to flee.

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Mary and Joseph only consummated their marriage after Jesus was born -

Matthew 1:25 is pretty explicit about this. It reads: "But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

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Mary and Joseph only consummated their marriage after Jesus was born -

Though some people do believe that Mary never lost her virginity. The Bible does mention the "brothers" of Jesus, but again, some people interpret this as a form of expression, rather than in the literal sense of the word.

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Joseph wasn't your average carpenter -

Many of us picture Joseph as a carpenter. This reinforces the idea of Jesus' humble background. But what if Joseph worked more than just wood?

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Joseph wasn't your average carpenter -

Joseph is called a tektōn in Ancient Greek, which is the word used to describe an artisan/craftsman—not necessarily just a carpenter. If fact, according to author Adam Bradford, Joseph was actually a middle-class architect.

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Nazareth was a peculiar place -

Both Mary and Joseph came from Nazareth, a town that didn't have a great rep. Even Nathanael (who went on to become a follower of Jesus) dissed it: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

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Nazareth was a peculiar place -

But the truth is that Nazareth was indeed a unique place. Archaeological discoveries revealed that the people of Nazareth didn't take the Roman invasion very well and were proud of their Jewish heritage and customs. Maybe this was why Mary and Joseph were chosen by God?

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Physical traits -

Jesus has been depicted numerous times as having light hair and eyes, but this probably wasn't the case. And, of course, his parents didn't look like that either. Mary and Joseph were most likely short, and had a darker complexion.

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Physical traits -

Israeli Jews definitely didn't look like Vikings. And depending on the their background (e.g. if they had Egyptian ancestors), their complexion could have been even darker.

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Joseph probably helped Mary deliver baby Jesus -

Delivering a baby back then was a much higher risk event. Mary in particular was out of her comfort zone, with no midwives and no family around to support her. Joseph was the only person that could have assisted her.

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Mary's difficult labor -

While the Bible does not mention the pain of labor, the Quran does. In fact, Islam's holy book dedicates a whole chapter to the story of Mary.

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Mary's labor in the Quran -

Surah Maryam 19:23 reads: "And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, 'Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.'"

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Why does Mary wear blue? -

Mary is often portrayed wearing blue. There are a few theories about this, and indeed Israelite women wore colored clothing. But the color blue in particular has no proven historical background.

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Why does Mary wear blue? -

It is believed that the use of blue implies purity and closeness to God. Blue (and white) has been used in Judaism for millennia. It's one of colors of Hanukkah, among many other things.

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Joseph might have had a wife before Mary -

In apocrypha writings (texts that didn't make it to the Bible) there is a mention of Joseph's first wife, Melcha.

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Joseph might have had a wife before Mary -

The text says that Joseph was in fact a widower who had six children. He then married a much-younger Mary after his wife died and became Jesus' dad on Earth.

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Mary most likely didn't deliver Jesus in a stable -

The nativity story places baby Jesus in a stable, surrounded by animals. But this was likely not the case.

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Mary most likely didn't deliver Jesus in a stable -

Most houses back then had two floors, with the ground floor also being used to keep animals. So there was not such thing as a separate stable, where Mary could have had Jesus.

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Mary most likely didn't deliver Jesus in a stable -

And then, of course, there is the theory that Jesus was born in a cave/grotto (where the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was built upon). These caves were commonly used as shelters by shepherds in those days.

Sources: (Grunge)

See also: Where did Jesus spend 18 years of his life?

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