Editing James the Less (section)

== Identification as James the brother of Jesus ==
[[File:Saint James the Less (Menologion of Basil II).jpg|thumb|240px|right|Saint James the Less, as depicted in the [[Menologion of Basil II]] ({{Circa|1000 AD}})]]

According to [[Jerome]], James the Less is identified with [[James, brother of Jesus|James the brother of Jesus]] and with [[James, son of Alphaeus|James, the son of Alphaeus]].

Jerome first tells that James the Less must be identified with James, the son of Alphaeus.

{{quote|No one doubts that there were two apostles called by the name James, James the son of Zebedee, and James the son of Alphaeus. The only conclusion is that the Mary who is described as the mother of James the Less was the wife of Alphaeus and sister of Mary the Lord's mother, the one who is called by John the Evangelist Mary of Clopas, whether after her father, or kindred, or for some other reason.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3007.htm The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary Fragment 15]</ref> }}

After that, James the Less being the same as James, the son of Alphaeus, Jerome describes in his work called ''De Viris Illustribus'' that James "the brother of the Lord" is the same as James, son of Alphaeus:
  
{{quote|James, who is called the brother of the Lord, surnamed the Just, the son of Joseph by another wife, as some think, but, as appears to me, the son of Mary, sister of the mother of our Lord "Mary of Cleophas" of whom John makes mention in his book.<ref name="Jerome Ilustrus">{{cite book |author = Jerome |author-link = Jerome |title=De Viris Illustribus (On Illustrious Men) Chapter 2 |url = http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2708.htm |access-date = 4 September 2015 }}</ref> [John 19:25]}} Thus, Jerome concludes that James the Less, James, son of Alphaeus and James the brother of Jesus are one and the same person.

According to the ''[[Golden Legend]]'', which is a collection of [[hagiographies]], compiled by [[Jacobus de Voragine]] in the thirteenth century:
	
{{quote|James the Apostle is said the Less, how well that he was elder of age than was St. James the More. He was called also the brother of our Lord, because he resembled much well our Lord in body, in visage, and of manner. He was called [[James the Just]] for his right great holiness. He was also called James the son of Alphaeus. He sang in Jerusalem the first mass that ever was sung therein, and he was first bishop of Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stracke |first1=Richard |title=Golden Legend: Life of Saint James the Less |url=http://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/jamesLess.htm |access-date=29 October 2018 |language=en }}</ref>}}

The same work adds "[[Simon the Canaanite|Simon Cananean]] and [[Judas Thaddeus]] were brethren of James the Less and sons of [[Mary Cleophas]], which was married to Alpheus."<ref>{{cite book |last = de Voragine |first = Jacobus |title=The Golden Legend or Lives Of The Saints |date=1275 |url = https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume6.asp |access-date=28 October 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last = Stracke |first = Richard |title=Golden Legend: Life of SS. Simon and Jude |url = http://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/simonAndJude.htm |access-date=28 October 2018 |language=en }}</ref>