It sounds like an error from cultural bias to me; why would a mother with young children leave them when her husband could search for the young man with other male relatives ? He was no longer a baby and it was a patriarchal society. And there is that word syngeneusin ... translated as relatives in this case, while sometimes as cousins; cousins = relatives ...
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
Luke, Catholic chapter two, Protestant verses forty one to forty five,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James,
boldness mine
It sounds like an error from cultural bias to me; why would a mother with young children leave them when her husband could search for the young man with other male relatives ? He was no longer a baby and it was a patriarchal society. And there is that word syngeneusin ... translated as relatives in this case, while sometimes as cousins; cousins = relatives ...
Yes...and in this context it tells us these were relatives. They were traveling with extended families. Every commentary I read found no alarm with this.
You're looking for something in the text that isn't there to help prove the catholic talking point of Mary being ever virgin. It's called eisegesis....the process of interpreting a text or portion of text in such a way that the process introduces one's own presuppositions, agendas, or biases into and onto the text. This is commonly referred to as reading into the text. The act is often used to "prove" a pre-held point of concern to the reader and to provide him or her with confirmation bias in accordance with his or her pre-held agenda.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisegesis
Have you not learned yet that context is key to understanding a passage?