[goldendelicious]

No flaming, don't worry. I'm saying they were poor based solely upon this verse, speaking of when Mary went to the Temple on baby Jesus' behalf-- Luke 2:24 "..and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Which is an order given by God in this verse--Leviticus 12:8--'But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

Since Mary and Joseph went the "2-dove route," I assume from the above verse in Leviticus, that they couldn't afford a lamb.

[Robe]

No argument there.. I submit that since they had just had the financial hit on travel to Bethlehem, the payment of taxes, they just were being frugal knowing that the trip home was coming up.
I’m not saying they were “Rich”, just not “Poor”.
I believe that the “Poor” narrative was added later to garner the following of the ‘common” man