This ancient document honors the earthly father of Jesus and encourages respect and veneration of Joseph. The story may have been written around the fourth century AD, based on statements found in chapter 18. In that chapter, Jesus tells Mary, "You, too, must expect the same end of life as other mortals." By the fifth century AD, many people believed in the "Assumption of the Virgin."
The History of Joseph the Carpenter is connected to another early Christian text, the Protevangelium of James. It was contaminated by Gnosticism and Egyptian religious beliefs. Complete copies have survived in Coptic and Arabic, as well as fragments in Sahidic.
The History of Joseph the Carpenter claims to tell the story of Joseph's life and his peaceful death at 111 years old. In the story, Jesus tells this story to his disciples on the Mount of Olives. Joseph is a carpenter (Matthew 13:55) and an elderly widower when he marries 12-year-old Mary. He had six children from a previous marriage. After he dies, Jesus gives a eulogy at his funeral. The burial follows customs similar to the Egyptian ceremonies for the god Osiris.