Five different persons are known by this name in the NT: 1) James, the son of Zebedee, 2) James son of Alphaeus, 3) James the younger, 4) James father of apostle Judas (not Ischariot), and 5) James, the brother of Jesus. This article will discuss 2) - 4); click on the links above for the other two James.
2. Little is known about James son of Alphaeus, apart from the fact that he was one of the apostles (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15, & Acts 1:13).
3. James the younger is mentioned only once in the context of identifying a woman called Mary who was a witness to the crucifixation of Jesus:
"There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome" (Mk 15:40).
We, therefore, can say nothing of certain about him, though he is often identified with James son of Alphaeus; it is believed by some scholars that "the younger" was a way of distinguishing him from James son of Zebedee. But nothing is certain here.
4. An otherwise unknown James is mentioned only in the Lukan literature (Lk 6:16; Acts 1: 13) as being the father of Judas (not Judas Iscariot), one of the Twelve. For good reasons, many scholars think that this Judas is to be identified with Thaddeaus mentioned in the other gospels.
The name James, Iakobos is the Greek form of the Hebrew name ya'aqob, Jacob. "Jacobine" is thus the adjective associated with James.
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