Who was the earthly father of Jesus?

Who was the earthly father of Jesus? Joseph was Jesus’ legal and earthly father according to the New Testament.

Joseph was a Jewish man from Nazareth who was betrothed to Mary. In Matthew’s account, an angel reassured him that Mary’s pregnancy was from the Holy Spirit, and Joseph accepted his role despite the social consequences. He married Mary, protected her and the child, and raised Jesus as his own.

Matthew describes Joseph taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape King Herod’s attempt to kill the infants of Bethlehem. After Herod’s death, Joseph returned with them and settled in Nazareth. Luke also places Joseph and Mary in the story of Jesus’ presentation at the Temple and the later visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve.

The wording “earthly father” distinguishes Joseph from God the Father in Christian theology. Joseph is therefore commonly called Jesus’ foster father, adoptive father, or legal father rather than his biological father. The Gospels say little about Joseph after Jesus’ childhood, and they do not record when or how he died.