Waterfall - I was surprised to hear you question whether Jesus was a carpenter. I checked your resource. I am not familiar with the author or the publication, but I disagree with his conclusions.
My understanding is that Jesus grew up in the household of Joseph and Mary in the village of Nazareth in the area of Galilee. His training and education would have been in the home and in the village synagogue. Joseph, his earthly father, was a carpenter (or handi-man or stone mason - a builder). No doubt, like other boys of his time, Jesus would have worked by his father's side from the time he was a toddler, moving from the 'pass me that hammer' to 'hold this steady' to learning the skills necessary to work side by side crafting, building, repairing. This would include math skills at measuring, calculating, etc. Yes, Jesus was a builder (carpenter).
He would also have learned the culture and religion of his people - first by the observances in the home, and later in the synagogue where he would have been taught, mainly by rote learning and memorizing, by the local rabbi. To be a rabbi at that time meant an individual respected for his wisdom and understanding and ability to pass on his knowledge - in other words, a teacher. One did not become a rabbi by formal training, but by the respect in which he was held. (I compare this to the many school teachers I knew just a couple of generations ago who taught in rural schools on a "local" or "second class" license - with little or no formal training.)
I believe that Jesus started his life as a carpenter and probably worked at it until he was about 30 -- while meeting with the village rabbi and any other visiting leaders, and making periodic visits to the temple in Jerusalem, discussing the law and the writings and the religious beliefs and practices of the time.
At about 30 he met John the Baptist, and possibly spent some time with him. Then, after a period of discernment in the desert he began what might be referred to as his 'second career' -- that of a itinerant teacher. One of the first places he visited was his home village of Nazareth where he visited the synagogue and, much like a a young man returning to his home church today and being invited to be a lay reader of scripture, Jesus was invited to read and then talk about the passage. This is where the questioning came in. The people remembered him as a carpenter. Even those who may have remembered him as a bright and gifted boy, were surprised at how well he did. They were amazed at his wisdom and his authority. And they rejected him.
But he continued on his way, preaching, teaching, healing. People followed him. Sooner or later they began to call him Rabbi. He hadd become a respected teacher -- and a threat to those in authority.
That is what I learned in Sunday School, and in reading and studying since then. I'm no authority. But I have no trouble believing the references the scriptures have of Jesus being referred to a carpenter, carpenter's son, workman, or rabbi. His followers seem to have included fishermen, tax collectors, tent makers, seamstresses, and others who also worked with their hands.
