Saint James the Less, Apostle

Life story

The name James, son of Alphaeus, stands in all four lists of the Twelve: Matthew 10, Mark 3, Luke 6 and Acts 1. Beyond the name itself, the Gospels record no words or deeds of his own. Mark 15 mentions a James the younger, son of a woman called Mary, among the women watching from a distance at the crucifixion, and some scholars think this is the same man, though that is not certain. The epithet usually rendered as the Less, meaning younger or smaller, most likely served to tell him apart from James, son of Zebedee.

Because several men named James appear in the New Testament, identifying him has always been disputed. Galatians 1 and Acts 15 speak of a James, the Lord's brother, who led the community in Jerusalem. Western Catholic tradition long identified him with James, son of Alphaeus, while Eastern tradition and many scholars today treat them as two different people, or hold that the evidence is too thin to decide. The Letter of James in the New Testament is also attributed to a James, and that attribution is debated as well.

The deaths of the two Jameses were often confused in later tradition. The historian Josephus reports that James, the brother of Jesus, was stoned in Jerusalem around the year 62, and Eusebius, quoting Hegesippus, adds a legendary detail about the Temple pinnacle, but these accounts concern the brother of Jesus. For James the son of Alphaeus later traditions give different endings, including stoning, or crucifixion in Egypt, or martyrdom in Persia, and none is firmly established. Eusebius, quoting Hegesippus, adds a more legendary detail: he was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple and then beaten to death. According to tradition, relics of this James were brought to Rome and placed in the church of the Holy Apostles, where he is honoured together with Saint Philip. The shared feast with Saint Philip was kept on 1 May in the old calendar, after the dedication of the church of the Holy Apostles in Rome, and was moved to 3 May in the 1950s.

Works and witness

• Named in all four New Testament lists of the Twelve
• Scholars debate whether he is James, the Lord's brother
• Tradition says he died a martyr; the exact place is uncertain
• Celebrated jointly with Saint Philip on 3 May

Saints from the same country

Saint Peter, Saint Andrew the Apostle, Saint James the Greater, Saint John the Apostle

References

• New Testament – Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; Acts of the Apostles
• Josephus, Jewish Antiquities
• Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.