Illustration created for this project.
James, brother of Jesus — the Just
A brother of Jesus who did not believe at first but, after the resurrection, led the Jerusalem church and wrote a New Testament letter.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1
Ancient writers — non-biblical testimony · 2
Family & lineage
BibleA brother of Jesus who did not believe at first, but became leader of the Jerusalem church and, by tradition, wrote the Epistle of James.
Mark 6:3; Acts 15:13; Galatians 1:19
Death & legacy
Scan by NYPL — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ancient writersJosephus records the death of 'James, the brother of Jesus who was called Christ', stoned c. AD 62 on the order of the high priest Ananus.
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 20.9.1 (§§197–203, esp. §200), Loeb Classical Library ed. L. H. Feldman; the reference to 'James the brother of Jesus who was called Christ' is generally accepted as authentic, unlike the Testimonium Flavianum (Ant. 18.3.3).
Desconocido — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ancient writersHegesippus gives a fuller account of James 'the Just', thrown from the Temple pinnacle and clubbed to death.
Hegesippus, Hypomnemata (Memoirs) Book 5, quoted in Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 2.23.4–18 (Loeb Classical Library ed. K. Lake, 1926).
Where in scripture
ActsGalatiansJamesAfter they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me.
Acts 15:13 — Speaks at the council
But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother.
Galatians 1:19 — 'The Lord's brother'
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
James 1:1 — His letter
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
Events
Places in their life
Photo: Israel_photo_gallery — CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
In art
