Editing Clopas (section)

==Parallel passages==
The identity of the other women in the parallel passages in [[Matthew 27:56]] and {{bibleverse|Mark|15:40|KJV}} is given as [[Mary Magdalene]], "Mary the mother of James and Joses," and "[[Salome (disciple)|Salome the mother of Zebedee's children]]" (Matthew), "Salome" (Mark). Luke does not mention the women watching near the cross. The parallels continue again with accounts of the burial. Matthew 28:1 has "Mary Magdalene and the other Mary" with no mention of John's mother Salome, Mark 16:1 has again Mary Magdalene, "Mary the mother of James" and Salome. Luke says "they," John mentions only Mary Magdalene.

As a result of these parallels commentators have identified "Mary of Clopas" with [[Mary, mother of James|Mary mother of James, son of Alphaeus]]. [[Alphaeus]] (Greek {{lang|grc|Ἀλφαῖος}}) was also the name of the father of [[Matthew the Apostle]] (Mark 2:14). The Aramaic name Hilfai (חילפאי), or Hebrew name Halfi ({{Script/Hebrew|חלפי}}) have been proposed by a variety of sources<ref>David Francis Bacon (1813-1865) ''Lives of the apostles of Jesus Christ'' 1836- Page 390 "Now, both of these differences can, by a reference to the original Hebrew word, be shown to be only the results of the different modes of expressing the same Hebrew letters ; and the words thus expressed may, by the established rules of.."</ref> including [[Joseph Henry Thayer]] who argued in his Lexicon that dropping the Hebrew ''[[heth]]'' ({{Script/Hebrew|ח}} ''ḥ'', which has no corresponding letter in Greek) and rendering the Hebrew ''heth'' as [[kappa]] (Κ) in Greek were both possible.<ref>Thayer ''Greek Lexicon'' entry Alphaeus</ref> Perhaps under the influence of this tradition, [[Franz Delitzsch]]'s modern [[Bible translations into Hebrew|Hebrew New Testament]] does in fact use the Hebrew name ''Yaakov ben Khalfi'' ({{Script/Hebrew|יעקב בן חלפי}}) for James son of Alphaeus.<ref>[[Franz Delitzsch]] Hebrew New Testament</ref><ref>[[John Cunningham Geikie]] ''The life and words of Christ'' Volume 1  1884 "Alphaeus, or Alpheus __, and Clopas are different ways of pronouncing in Greek the Hebrew name ___ (Chal'phai)."</ref> The Aramaic name Halfai is evidenced on Aramaic panels of the period,<ref>Seth Schwartz ''Imperialism and Jewish society, 200 B.C.E. to 640 C.E.'' - Page 262 - 2001 "(Panel 3, in Aramaic) May Yosi and Azrin and Haziqin sons of Halfai be remembered for good. / Whoever causes faction between men and their fellows, or recounts / slander about his fellow to the nations ['amemayah], or steals / the .."</ref> and the name Hilphai in rabbinic literature.<ref>Ben-Zion Rosenfeld ''Torah centers and rabbinic activity in Palestine, 70-400 CE'' 2010 Page 136 "A tannaitic sage by the name of Abba Hilphai b. Keruya is referred to in rabbinic literature as a pious person. Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh apparently came to visit him and asked Abba Hilphai to pray for him."</ref>