A few answers to your questions:
1. According to tradition, Mary's parents were very elderly when she was born (sort of another Abraham/Sarah) story. As I recall, her parents died while she was in the temple, so she couldn't return to live under their roof. In those days, women just didn't live alone -- unless they were a not very nice sort of woman.
2. Joseph was a distant relative and was very pious. He was elderly, and thus didn't need the usual (ahem) benefits of marriage in the way a young man might. Among other things, Mary cared for Joseph in his old age. I wouldn't exactly say that he was not going to get anything of benefit from the marriage. Given that he was a very devout man, it would hardly have been unpleasant for him to spend his final years with a woman who would care for him and pray all the time.
3. It is not really accurate to say that the Orthodox Church gets our traditions from the Protoevangelium. The Protoevangelion is merely the oldest known written account of a common pre-existing oral tradition.
4. Given Jewish laws of ritual cleanliness, once a temple virgin had reached a certain age (and BTW, Jewish tradition talks about temple work being done by young virgins, also) where she was going to be "unclean" on a monthly basis, she could no longer live in the Temple. She could return as an older woman once she had been through "the change", but she couldn't stay through into her teenage years and beyond.
Well, he couldn't have been all the way over the hill, because IIRC, in the Protoevangelium it says that Joseph was accused by others of fathering the child, once Mary was discovered to have been pregnant.
Among other things, Mary cared for Joseph in his old age. I wouldn't exactly say that he was not going to get anything of benefit from the marriage. Given that he was a very devout man, it would hardly have been unpleasant for him to spend his final years with a woman who would care for him and pray all the time.
Given this premise, I'd say it sounds logical. But what gets me is: why get married? I can't believe it would send shock waves through the community if "young virgin niece" wants to go live with and take care of "doddering old uncle". That kind of thing must have happened all the time. Joseph even complained that he would be seen as a laughing stock at taking Mary as his wife. Then, the priest immediately used extortion to get Joseph to agree. I'm still chuckling about that one. :)
It is not really accurate to say that the Orthodox Church gets our traditions from the Protoevangelium. The Protoevangelion is merely the oldest known written account of a common pre-existing oral tradition.
Well yes, I didn't mean to imply exclusively. :) I was replying to Alex, and noticed that everything he pointed out was found in this document, so I assumed that he was referring to it.
Given Jewish laws of ritual cleanliness, once a temple virgin had reached a certain age (and BTW, Jewish tradition talks about temple work being done by young virgins, also) where she was going to be "unclean" on a monthly basis, she could no longer live in the Temple.
I remember the Protoevangelium noting this too. It just struck me as odd, (and I don't question the fact of the tradition), that since virginity was held up as such a prized state, that once young girls became "eligible", they were promptly kicked out of the safest place on earth to maintain that state! :) Go figure.