James, son of Zebedee
From BibleWiki
| The Twelve |
| Andrew |
| Bartholomew |
| James, son of Alphaeus |
| James, son of Zebedee |
| John, son of Zebedee |
| Judas Iscariot |
| Lebbaeus Thaddaeus |
| Matthew |
| Philip |
| Simon Peter |
| Simon Zelotes |
| Thomas |
Son of Zebedee (Aramaic, "Ya'ḳob bar Zabdai"); with his brother John one of the first disciples of Jesus. Like their father, both were fishermen of Galilee (Mt 4:21; Mk 1:19; Lk 5:10); their mother, apparently Salome, is mentioned among the women watching at the grave of Jesus (Mt 27:56; Mk 15:40); she was possibly sister to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Jn 19:25). James and his brother John are mentioned immediately after Peter and Andrew in the list of the Twelve Apostles (Mt 10:2ff; Lk 6:14).
Mk 3:17 has preserved the story that when calling them to the apostleship Jesus surnamed them "Bene Ra'ash" or "Bene Rogez" (Job 37:2) (the text has "Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder"). This by-name was probably expressive of their impetuous nature (comp. Lk 9:55 and Mk 10:37).
James and his brother John together with Peter were the inseparable followers of Jesus (Mk 5:37, Mk 9:2, Mk 13:3, Mk 14:33), and with Peter was present at the transfiguration (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2), at the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mk 5:37ff), and in the garden (Mk 14:33).
After the death of Jesus they, with the other apostles, remained in the city of Jerusalem "steadfast in prayer" (Acts 1:14).
James was the first one of the apostles to suffer a martyr's death, having been beheaded by King Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1f), A.D. 44. (Comp. Mt 4:21; Mt 20:20ff). What action of James and the other disciples provoked the wrath of Herod Agrippa is not stated. Legend added new features to the martyrdom (Eusebius, "Hist. Eccl." ii. 9); and Spain, whose patron saint James became, surrounded his life with miraculous incidents.
