Bible Figure
Joses
men named Joses
Joses is a form of the name Joseph used for several New Testament figures. In the context of Jesus' family, Mark names Joses among Jesus' brothers; another Joses is the son of a Mary present at the crucifixion. These references should not be merged without evidence.
Biography
Mark 6:3 names James, Joses, Judas, and Simon as brothers of Jesus. Matthew's parallel uses the form Joseph in many translations. Mark 15 also refers to Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses among the women observing the crucifixion, and later identifies Mary the mother of Joses in connection with Jesus' burial. Because Joses/Joseph was a common name and the texts do not explicitly identify these references as the same person, AVWJ should preserve the distinctions established by context rather than assume a single biography.
Biblical Significance
The Joses references illustrate the care required when identifying people with common biblical names. In the family-of-Jesus context, Joses belongs to the group of Jesus' brothers whose relationship to Him forms part of the Gospel witness to His ordinary Nazareth family setting.