how many brothers did jesus have

Jesus is described in the New Testament as having four brothers, and also some sisters, though their exact number is not given.

Quick Scoop: How many brothers did Jesus have?

From the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus is said to have four brothers, who are named as:

• James
• Joses (also written as Joseph)
• Simon
• Judas (often called Jude)

Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55 list these four as Jesus’ brothers, and also mention His sisters, but do not say how many sisters there were. Many historians and biblical scholars therefore say Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters (so at least six siblings in total).

But not all Christians interpret this the same way

Different Christian traditions read these passages differently:

1. Many Protestants and some modern scholars
   • Take “brothers” in its straightforward sense: biological younger brothers of Jesus, children of Mary and Joseph after Jesus’ birth.
   • On this reading, Jesus had four literal brothers and at least two literal sisters.

2. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox view
   • These traditions hold to Mary’s perpetual virginity , so they generally say these “brothers” are:
     • Either cousins or other close relatives (the Greek word adelphoi can be used more broadly), or
     • Step‑siblings or half‑siblings from Joseph’s earlier family, not children of Mary.

3. Historical‑critical scholars
   • Many academic historians treat the Gospel references as strong evidence that Jesus really did have four brothers and several sisters, even if details of their exact relationship (full, half, step) are debated.

Simple bottom line

• The Bible names four brothers of Jesus: James, Joses/Joseph, Simon, and Judas/Jude.

• It also says He had sisters , but does not say how many.

• Whether these were full siblings, half‑siblings, step‑siblings, or cousins depends on which Christian interpretation you follow, but the plain text points to four brothers and at least two sisters.