Jesus The Builder - Pt1

The scripture says that Joseph, the father of Jesus, was a 'teckton', or 'builder'. Most scripture declares him a carpenter, although wood-working would have been probably the oddity during that day. Stone masonry would have been much more prevalent, as housing stones, mill stones, temple and synagogue stones had to be chiseled. Wood very often was imported in from Lebanon for large-scale building. That's not to say that carpentry didn't exist. We don't know what kind of builder Joseph was, just that he was.

In Jewish culture, it was required that a man teach his son his trade by around age 12, and find him a wife around age 20. Joseph would not have diverted from his culture, so it's right to assume that about the time we see Jesus teaching and asking questions in the temple (Luke 2:46), He is also starting to learn to be a builder from His father.