James, son of Alphaeus
James, son of Alphaeus (Greek: Ἰάκωβος, Iakōbos; Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܚܠܦܝ;[2] Hebrew: יעקב בן חלפי Ya'akov ben Halfai; Coptic: ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲁⲗⲫⲉⲟⲥ; Arabic: يعقوب بن حلفى, romanized: Ya'qūb bin Halfā) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, appearing under this name in all three of the Synoptic Gospels' lists of the apostles. He is generally identified with James the Less (Greek Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρός Iakōbos ho mikros, Mark 15:40) and commonly known by that name in church tradition. He is also labelled "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation. He is distinct from James, son of Zebedee and in some interpretations also from James, brother of Jesus (James the Just).[3] He appears only four times in the New Testament, each time in a list of the twelve apostles.[4]
James the Lesser
c. 1st century AD
Galilee, Judaea, Roman Empire
All Christian denominations that venerate saints
1 May (Anglican Communion),
May 3 (Roman Catholic Church),
9 October (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Carpenter's saw; fuller's club
Identity[edit]
Possible identity with James the Less[edit]
James, son of Alphaeus is often identified with James the Less, who is only mentioned four times in the Bible, each time in connection with his mother. (Mark 15:40) refers to "Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses", while (Mark 16:1) and (Matthew 27:56) refer to "Mary the mother of James".
Since there was already another James (James, son of Zebedee) among the twelve apostles, equating James son of Alphaeus with "James the Less" made sense. (James son of Zebedee was sometimes called "James the Greater").
Jerome identifies James, son of Alpheus with James the Less writing in his work called The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary the following:
Death[edit]
A James was arrested along with some other Christians and was executed by King Herod Agrippa in his persecution of the church (Acts 12, Acts 12:1,2). However, the James in Acts 12:1,2 has a brother called John. James, son of Zebedee has a brother called John (Matthew 4, Matthew 4:21) and we are never explicitly told that James son of Alphaeus has a brother. Robert Eisenman [27] and Achille Camerlynck[28] both suggest that the death of James in Acts 12:1–2 is James, son of Zebedee and not James son of Alphaeus.
In Christian art, James the Less is depicted holding a fuller's club.[29] One tradition maintains that he was crucified at Ostrakine in Lower Egypt, where he was preaching the Gospel.[30]
In Eastern Orthodox Church his feast is 9 October and 30 June (Synaxis of the Apostles).[31]