How Old Were the Disciples?

The Reason For My Faith ^ | 12/27/20 | Chuck Ness

[OneVike]

What I offer today is a dissertation I stumbled upon while doing research for a book I plan on writing. The subject of my book is the time when Jesus visited the Temple with His parents when He was 12. I was investigating the various rules and regulations concerning Jewish boys. While in my search I stumbled upon a few commentaries discussing what the age Christ's Disciples would have been. As usual, I found my self going on a tangent away from my main topic. However, this was one rabbit hole I enjoyed so much that I felt it worthy of sharing with others.

What I found was a nine page dissertation written by a father and his son on the ages of the Disciples of Jesus. The author's names are Frank and Otis Cary. It was written sometime before 1970. I am guessing, since it does not have a date, and the father (Frank) passed away in the mid 1970's. Now Frank and his father were Missionaries in Japan during the late 1800's and on through the 1900s.

Frank's son, Otis, was born in Japan in 1921 while his father and grandparents ran the missionary school. As interesting as I found the dissertation to be, I also found what I am about to share with you absolutely fascinating. Since I like history, this is where I ventured down that rabbit hole.

Being born and raised in Japan, Otis Cary spoke Japanese as well as any Japanese native. He was so good, that unless you were looking at Otis in person, you would think he was actually a Japanese native, not an American. This ability allowed him to become a Japanese POW interrogator during WWII.

With missionary zeal, he proselytized for the Allied cause. Persuading many of the prisoners to cooperate in efforts to end the war and help rebuild Japan as a Democracy. After the war, he would eventually serve 33 years as director of Amherst House. This was a special campus dorm where he was the resident mentor for a community of 20 or so of the brightest Japanese students ever to attend Colleges in an American University. He retired in 1999, and passed away from pneumonia in 2008.

One of the many aspects of this whole story took place during the war. While Otis was interrogating Japanese prisoners for the U.S.Navy, his father, Frank, was languishing in a Japanese POW camp. Frank never knew what his son was doing, and he wasn't sure if the Lord would even bring him out of his situation alive.

As I surfed the internet looking for more information about these two, I found something Frank wrote years later. He titled it, "Now It Can't Be Told". It was an interesting but not earth shattering piece he wrote about his time as a POW. Things he was warned at the time of war, that he could not write about when, or if, he was ever given the opportunity write letters to his family.

In the early Months after the war, Otis Cary became acquainted with Emperor Hirohito's youngest brother, Prince Takamatsu, and his wife, Princess Kikuko. He suggested to the prince that the Emperor, who by tradition was considered a god, should begin to show a more human side by traveling among the people and releasing informal photographs of the imperial family engaged in aspects of daily life. Shortly later, the Emperor began to do that.

During another conversation with the Prince, Cary referred to the Emperor as the Prince's "big brother," a deliberate attempt to compel the Prince to view the Emperor as a mortal. According to an account Otis gave in his 1975 book "War-Wasted Asia: Letters 1945-46," the royal sibling found the concept startling. A short time later, however, he published an article in Japan with a surprising headline: "My Big Brother, the Emperor." Hirohito renounced his divinity a short time later.

God often times uses the unlikeliest characters to bring the truth to men, who think themselves above mere mortals. Prime example would be Joseph in Egypt, and when Daniel was in captivity with both Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire. God used Otis Cary in a similar fashion, if not at least in a round about way, to humble Emperor Hirohito.

We never learn of all the great men in history. Some just pass on after their good deeds are done, never demanding attention nor a parade. Yet it's these men, who's shoulders we all stand upon as we move through life trying to make a mark on it, or just trying to dodge a mark being made on us. In Otis and Frank Cary's case, I am convinced they both received an embrace form our Lord as they heard the words, "Well done, good and faithful servants; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you both  rulers over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." Matthew 25:23

Otis Cary 1921 - 2006
What follows is nine images I took of the dissertation on the age of the Disciples of Jesus. In all my research on the father and son who wrote this, I could not find anything else either of them ever wrote on the Scriptures again. Not saying they didn't, I'm just saying I could not find anything else. However, God uses all men as he can, and God used these two men in a very powerful way. This dissertation is presented in the archives of Chicago's University in a form that I am unable to copy from, because there is no way to keep from losing information in the process. So I decided to take screen prints, which I edited, and then posted them for you read. I pray you find this all as fascinating as I did ....

[OneVike]

I know it's long, but sometimes you just cannot get across what you need too get across without a long post. If you like history you will like this. If you like delving into seldom discussed topics on the Scriptures, you will like this. If not. I understand. Many do not like reading a book when they click on a post.

Regardless of the camp you are in, God bless you all.

[OneVike]

This is a long post, but well worth the read if you have the time. It's actually a post with two different topics. If you like history, you will find the first part which is shorter interesting. If you like reading conjectures on the Scriptures you will find the longer portion truly fascinating.

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[Parmy]

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[foundedonpurpose]

Thank you for the post!

God Bless!!

[MNDude]

A summary on their ages?

[metmom]

In those days, boys were recognized as men earlier than they do today and I don’t doubt that a *teen* in Jesus’ day was more mature and responsible than most men in their 20’s these days.

Maturity is not simply a matter of marking off years on a calendar.

[OneVike]

No, rather a dissertation on how old they would be considering the times and all. You will be shocked. It’s actually an easy read. For being as long as it is.

Also, when you consider the Disciples, then you must reconsider the ages of the women, who were themselves probably teenage girls. Young enough not to be married yet, when you consider 16 was a prime age to get married, and by 18 you may have been wondered of as to what is wrong with her thatnoo man wants to Mary her.

[MHGinTN]

Interesting read! I wonder, would a tax collector have such a role at/in their early twenties? Also, Mattehw was a well educated man. I’ve always thought of John as being maybe fifteen, maybe even as young as thirteen while the Lord walked among them. His young age would have been an asset since the ‘adults’ arrayed against Jesus would have considered him too young to be a threat to their plotting.

[OneVike]

I tend to agree with the take of the cary’s. They figure, as I do, that while most were in the mid teens, and maybe even as young as 13, Peter and Matthew were probably at a minimum 20.

It wasn’t unheard of for a 20 year old well educated Jew to have a position of important as a tax collector. Since most Jews would have stayed away from it because they would then be ostracized by the whole community,

But throughout history young men often times give up their respect for good money.

As far as the Jews were concerned, a Jewish tax collector was no better than a modern day drug dealer.

[GreyFriar]

I’m sure our late fellow Freeper “Zot” would have found this article worth reading and considering.

[Manly Warrior]

Will read in a full screen later, but from discussion with several Hebrew rabbis and acquaintances, it is safe to say none were older than Jesus and most likely just had become of age, so 13-20s.

Paul was a likely contemporary of the apostles and he was martyrs in 68-69, probably in his 50s. John, likely lived till as late as the late 90s, perhaps into his 80s....

Cool.

[OneVike]

Then you will enjoy the read. Let me know what you think when ever you get around to reading it.

[Wiser now]

Mary was likely 14 at the time of Jesus’s birth.

[OneVike]

True, and Mary and her sisterMartha were probably no older than 15 or 16 themselves

[Wiser now]

Very true. All of the blockbuster movies about the Bible in my youth portrayed the disciples as old men of advanced years, at least 60 years old.

[OneVike]

Yes just like all the old paintings

[Craftmore]

I have always felt and believed that Peter and Mathew were very close to the same age as Jesus,I could go along with the others being in early 20s and John being 15-17

[jmacusa]

Considering the fact that in accordance with Hebrew law and culture the Disciples would have been married by the time they were at least 23 years old and if they had not found a wife one would certainly have been chosen for them.

[kelly4c]

Bkmk

[SouthernClaire]

A VERY good read. I’ll forever be on the lookout for more clues on the disciples’ ages now.

Thanks, OneVike, and may God bless you and yours.