"Even a “village/town/city” of 480 presumably would encompass only about 100 households. Could such a small number seriously support an architect? I’m no biblical scholar: I’m merely saying that the speculation that Joseph was an architect lacks some face validity." Since you have taken time to study the question, perhaps a piece of new information could influence your thinking?
Of course Nazareth was a small village, not large enough to support any significant "upper class" population or activities. But Nazareth was also just a few miles, walking distance, down the road from Sepphoris, Harad Antipas' capital city -- a place of wealth, power and no doubt, intrigue.
And if I remember correctly, wasn't one of Jesus' first followers a woman from Harad's court?
So here's my conclusion: if Joseph and/or Jesus were larger scale builders or "architects," then they worked not in Nazareth, but next door, in Sepphoris.
“So here’s my conclusion: if Joseph and/or Jesus were larger scale builders or “architects,” then they worked not in Nazareth, but next door, in Sepphoris.”
I’d buy that. The original poster claimed Nazareth was “not a podunk village.” Your response “Of course Nazareth was a small village” is more in keeping with my understanding about the size of the town. I didn’t know Sepphoris was only 3 miles away. So perhaps Joseph was an architect who commuted there. But as others have noted, placing Jesus in an upper middle-class family somewhat undercuts the biblical depiction of him.
And as long as we’re focused on evidence, I’m curious what you think about the evidence regarding whether a “historical Jesus” even existed, much less was fathered by Joseph: http://www.jesuspuzzle.humanists.net/jhcjp.htm