Illustration created for this project.
James, son of Alphaeus — the Less
One of the more obscure of the Twelve, distinguished from James son of Zebedee as 'James the Less.' He is named in every list of the apostles but appears in no individual Gospel scene.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Family & lineage
Death & legacy
ScholarlyNo reliable early account of his later life or death survives; the missions and martyrdom assigned to him in medieval lists are legendary.
Later apostolic legends
Name & titles
ScholarlyScripture names several men called James, and this one is hard to place among them. Since antiquity he has often been equated with 'James the Less' (Mark 15:40), and sometimes — more doubtfully — with James the brother of the Lord; both identifications remain debated.
Long-standing scholarly discussion
Where in scripture
MatthewActsFamily
Connections
- Disciple of Jesus of Nazareth
In art
