Endnote 2 – New Testament Religious Figures Confirmed
The term “brother” can be translated to mean either a male sibling or a relative, especially a cousin. The latter can be used to support the teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a perpetual virgin. The Christian teaching of the virginal conception of Jesus means that even if they were actual children of the same mother, they could be no closer than half-siblings. They might also have been children of Joseph by a previous marriage.