Dirac_Delta

Hello all, I am a long time lurker on this forum. I have a small question for you. Recently, while talking with my girfriend, she said me that one of the women that visited the empty tomb was Mary the mother of Jesus. I read the gospel of Mark to see wether that was true because I did't remember her being there. At least on my translation what says is "Mary, mother of James". I know that traditionally James is seen as Jesus' brother but as I went back in that gospel I noticed she is everytime refered to as mother of James only.

My question then is, do you think that at the time the gospel of Mark was writen there was any tradition at all about Jesus' family?

Ben C Smith

There is no single verse that says that Mary the mother of Jesus was at the tomb. The Mary in Mark that is called the mother of James and Joses (15.40) or the mother of Joses (15.47) or the mother of James (16.1) is often thought (especially by more traditional thinkers) to be Mary the mother of Jesus because Joses and James are the names of two brothers of Jesus. (I myself am not a fan of the traditional view here, BTW.) The other option is that this Mary is a different lady altogether whose sons have names that match two of the brothers of Jesus, neither James nor Joses (a short form of Joseph) being particularly rare names in Palestine at this time.

The answer to this one would have to be yes. Mark 6.3 gives Jesus (four named) brothers and (it does not say how many unnamed) sisters.

Ben.

ETA: John 19.25 sometimes comes into play here, despite referring only to the crucifixion, not the burial. The trouble is that the notice is open to different interpretations: Did Mary really have a sister named Mary also?

Ben C Smith

Though more than a century old and in some ways outdated, Lightfoot is always worth reading. His essay on this topic, The Brethren of the Lord, is available online. Strictly traditional viewpoints, just so you know.

Ben.

Dirac_Delta

Thank you for the input. Maybe the writer wanted to emphasize the difference between Jesus and his earthly brothers. By refering only to his brothers when talking about Mary, I mean.