[Celtman]

the great contradiction of carpenter/Rabi.

      And just why do you see it as a contradiction for Jesus to have been both a carpenter and a great and wise teacher?

[Quix]

Particularly given that God seems to love such paradoxes.

[mugs99]

And just why do you see it as a contradiction for Jesus to have been both a carpenter and a great and wise teacher?

It's not a matter of how I see it. It's a contradiction that all scholars of history recognize. Becoming a Priest (Rabi) was not a career choice. You had to be born into it. The Cohanim were the priestly class. The Cohanim were Hebrews who traced their lineage all the way back to Moses. A Cohanim boy became a Rabi, he had no choice. It was passed on from father to son. The Cohanim were the high class. Carpenters were craftsmen, middle class.

I'm not saying the Bible story is right or wrong. I'm only pointing out the contradiction. Scholars have been debating the issue for centuries and will probably continue to do so for centuries to come.
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