Joseph the Betrothed (Joseph the Carpenter; Hebrew: יוֹסֵף, Yosef; Ancient Greek: Ιωσήφ ο Μνήστωρ)—according to the New Testament (Matt. 1:18 et seq.), was the betrothed husband of the Most Holy Theotokos. According to the Gospel narrative, Joseph was a direct descendant of the lineage of King David, yet he lived in poverty and, residing in the remote town of Nazareth, worked as a carpenter. Following the death of his first wife, Joseph, already advanced in years, became betrothed to the Virgin Mary, the future mother of Jesus. According to the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 1:18–24), after their betrothal, 'before they came together,' Joseph discovered that she was with child and sought to 'put her away secretly.' Afterward, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream and reassured him, saying: 'Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' Following this, as the Evangelist narrates, 'Joseph took his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. 'The Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In fact, this is the genealogy of Joseph, 'the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ' (Matt. 1:16). The Gospel of Luke also contains a genealogy of Christ: 'Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli...' (Luke 3:23). These two genealogies do not match; in the generations between David and Joseph, there are almost no common names except for Zerubbabel. This contradiction was notably pointed out by Emperor Julian. Church Fathers, such as Jerome of Stridon, explain this contradiction through the law of levirate marriage. According to this version, Jacob, Joseph's father in Matthew's genealogy, and Heli, Joseph's father in Luke's genealogy, were born of the same mother (traditionally named Estha) but of different fathers. Heli died childless, and Jacob raised up offspring for his brother by marrying his widow.