Joseph, husband of Mary

A carpenter who lived in Nazareth. When Mary was pregnant, an angel told Joseph that the Holy Spirit was the father of the child to be born and that Joseph should go ahead and marry her instead of ending their engagement. He was with Mary when Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. After God spoke in a dream, Joseph moved his family to Egypt until King Herod died. Then they all returned to Nazareth, where Joseph taught Jesus the carpenter trade. Joseph is last mentioned in the Bible in the story of the family trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve. Most scholars believe Joseph died before Jesus began His ministry.