Jacob Junior Stone Mason

As a child, Jesus formed a strong bond with his neighbor and future brother-in-law, Jacob, sharing adventures and creative play. Jacob, protective of Jesus, often defended him against bullies, respecting Jesus' aversion to conflict. Their childhood friendship deepened into familial ties when Jacob, who had followed his father into masonry, married Jesus' sister Miriam in a double wedding with Jesus' brother James. Jesus later reflected on Jacob's protective role in his childhood during discussions about non-violence during his Mediterranean Tour.

In Jesus’ fourth year, Jesus became best friends with the neighbor boy next door, Jacob, who was a year older and the son of a stone mason. They had fun playing and seeking out exciting adventures. By age ten, they had become loyal companions. Often seen together, families would enjoy conversing with them at the watering hole. They developed a great friendship with the potter, Nathan, who worked nearby. The boys loved watching Nathan form and fine-tune various objects. After relishing the boys’ enthusiasm, Nathan gave them clay to mold and invented competitive games to challenge their imaginations.

Jacob greatly respected Jesus and ensured that no one took advantage of Jesus' unwillingness to fight for his rights. On multiple occasions, when older and rougher youths confronted Jesus, thinking he wouldn't retaliate due to his known gentleness, Jacob quickly stepped in to defend him, ensuring they faced immediate consequences.

As they grew up, Jesus and Jacob remained good friends. Jacob followed in his father’s business as a stone mason. As next-door neighbors, there grew several ties between the two families. Jacob’s father, also named Jacob, was a business associate of Joseph. When Jesus’ brother Simon graduated, he apprenticed to become a stone cutter in Jacob’s shop. This was according to plan. During a family meeting run by Jesus, it was decided that the boys should diversify their trades.

In Jesus’ twenty-fourth year, his brother and sister came to him for his blessing to get married. Jesus gave consent for James to marry in two years provided he had, during the intervening time, properly trained their brother Joseph to assume the direction of the home. Since James received Jesus' blessing, Miriam, a year younger than James, emboldened, approached Jesus with her plans to marry Jacob, who had long sought Miriam’s hand in marriage. Jesus requested that Jacob formally ask permission to marry her, promising his blessing as soon as Miriam felt that Martha grew competent to take over her duties as the eldest daughter of his father Joseph’s family.

In November of Jesus’ twenty-sixth year, a double wedding took place. James married Esta, and Jacob married Miriam. It was truly a joyous occasion. Mary felt blessed but remained concerned about what Jesus was planning to do. Miriam moved next door into Jacob’s home. Following his father's death, Jacob inherited the business and had Jesus' brothers, James and Joseph, as his business partners.

After leaving home, Jesus traveled to various parts of the world on a Mediterranean Tour with a young truth-seeker named Ganid and his father, Gonod, an international businessman. Jesus reminisced about his childhood friend and defender, Jacob, during an evening discussion of non-violence, catalyzed by an incident that day where Jesus intervened and held off a bully beating up a smaller lad. A full discussion ensued, and distinctions were made as to the best approach. Ganid figured that Jesus would always have someone like Jacob to defend him, which is why Jesus chose non-resistance. Ganid did get Jesus to state that in some circumstances one must defend oneself with everything they’ve got.