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Was Yahshua Homeless?

He was, in fact, a skilled tradesman who owned at least one home.

Often in television broadcasts and newspaper stories, especially around Christmas, people who claim to be Bible scholars or preachers make claims about Yahshua that are plainly false. Many of the reporters who quote these "scholars" have never taken the time to study Scripture and thus allow these misrepresentations to go unchallenged.

For instance, Yahshua was not a "homeless, itinerant preacher" as some claim. Though it is unlikely that he accumulated a great deal of wealth — taxes were high in those days of Roman oppression of the land of Palestine — Yahshua owned at least one home in the city of Capernaum.

"A few days later, when Yahshua again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.'' (Mark 2:1, NIV)

The Greek word translated as "home" is oikos, which means, "a family dwelling", or "one’s own home" as in this verse:

"'But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home [oikos]. " And the man got up and went home [oikos]. " (Mattithyah [Matthew] 9:6-7, NIV)

Other examples of oikos in context, are found in Mark 2:11 (home); Yahchanan Mark 5:38 (home), Yahchanan Mark 7:30 (home), Yahchanan Mark 8:3 (home); Lukyah 1:23 (home) et al.

Though Yahshua and his followers taught that the "love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (I Timothy 6:10 - NIV) and that one cannot serve both Yahweh and "mammon" [money gained by the exercise of power over others] (Mattithyah [Matthew] 6:24; Lukyah 6:13 et al), the clothing Yahshua was wearing when he was killed was quite valuable, so much so that the soldiers who took it from him "cast lots" (gambled) to see who would get it rather than to tear the expensive, one piece garment.

"When the soldiers executed Yahshua, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 'Let's not tear it,' they said to one another. 'Let's decide by lot who will get it.' This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, 'They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.' So this is what the soldiers did." (Yahchanan [John] 19:23-24, NIV)

Yahshua was said to be a carpenter but the Greek word tekton, which is translated as "carpenter" had a meaning quite different from the way carpenter is defined today. Easton’s Bible Dictionary offers this definition:

"An artificer in stone, iron, and copper, as well as in wood (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chr. 14:1; Mark 6:3). The tools used by carpenters are mentioned in 1 Sam. 13:19-20; Judg. 4:21; Isa. 10:15; 44:13."

Yahshua was a skilled stonemason, one who also worked with iron and copper and other metals rather than one who only dealt with wood in construction.

Many also claim that Yahshua was Mariam and Yahseph's only child. The Scripture clearly refutes this claim:

"Yahshua left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mariam's son and the brother of Yaaqob [James], Yahseph, Yahdah and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Yahshua said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." (Yahchanan Mark 6:1-4, NIV; also Mattithyah [Matthew] 13:55-56)

Yahshua had four brothers, all named above, and at least two sisters (the Greek word adelphe, translated as "sisters" is plural). We also learn that Yahshua had a trade — he was a carpenter. The apostle Shaul also mentions one of Yahshua’s physical brothers:

"I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Master's brother. '' (Galatians 1:19, NIV)

There are many other misrepresentations of what the Scripture really teaches but the next time you hear some "Bible scholar" tell you that Yahshua was a "homeless, itinerant preacher", you will know that this person is distorting the words of Scripture and probably trying to make some political point rather than speaking the truth about Yahshua as told by the Scripture.