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James the Less
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{{Short description|Christian saint and one of the Twelve Apostles}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}} {{Infobox saint |honorific_prefix = [[Saint]] |name = James the Less |death_date = |death_place = |feast_day = |venerated_in = All [[Christian denomination]]s which recognize [[saint]]s |image = Rubens apostel jakobus mindere grt.jpg |caption = St. James the Less by [[Peter Paul Rubens]] (1613) }} '''James the Less''' ({{langx|grc|Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρός}} {{lang|grc-Latn|Iakōbos ho mikros}}) is a figure of [[early Christianity]]. He is also called "the Minor", "the Little", "the Lesser", or "the Younger", according to translation, James is styled "the Less" to distinguish him from the Apostle [[James the Great]] (also called "James the Elder") with "Less" meaning younger or shorter rather than less important. James the Great was the brother of [[John the Apostle]]. James the Less has traditionally been commemorated along with [[Philip the Apostle|St. Philip]] in the [[Western Christianity|Western Christian]] calendars. In the [[Roman Catholic Church]] their feast day was observed on 1 May until 1955, when it was moved to 11 May to accommodate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on 1 May. A [[General Roman Calendar of 1969|later revision of the calendar]] moved the feast to 3 May. In many other churches (for example, the [[Church of England]]) the feast has never moved from 1 May. He is identified by [[Jerome]] as the same person also called "[[James, brother of Jesus|James the Just]]" and "[[James, brother of Jesus]]" in the Bible, thought of by Jerome and others as really a cousin of Jesus, and by [[Papias of Hierapolis]] he is also identified with "[[James, son of Alphaeus]]", one of the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Twelve Apostles]]. == New Testament == In the [[New Testament]], the name "James" identifies multiple men. James the Less is named only in connection with his mother "[[Mary (mother of James the Less)|Mary]]", who is also the mother of Joseph, who is called [[Joses]] by Mark (Joseph and Joses are variants of the same name). There are four mentions: * "Mary, the mother of James and Joseph" ([[Matthew 27:56]]); * "Mary, the mother of James the younger and of Joses" ([[Mark 15:40]]) ("James the younger" here has also been translated "James the less"); * "Mary, the mother of James" ([[Mark 16:1]] and [[Luke 24:10]]). This "Mary" may have been [[Mary of Clopas]], mentioned only in {{bibleref|John|19:25|}}. It is unlikely to be [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary the mother of Jesus]] since she is not identified as Jesus' mother but only called the mother of James the Less and Joseph/Joses. In Matthew 27:56, she is clearly distinguished from the mother of [[James, son of Zebedee]]. == 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> == Identification as James, the son of Alphaeus == [[File:Mafra29.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Statue of Saint James the Minor, Apostle, at the church of the [[Palace of Mafra]], Portugal]] The title, "the Less", is used to differentiate James from other people named James. Since it means that he is either the younger or shorter of two, he seems to be compared to one other James. In the lists of the [[twelve apostles]] in the [[synoptic Gospels]], there are two apostles called James, who are differentiated there by their fathers: [[James, son of Zebedee]], and [[James, son of Alphaeus]]. Long-standing tradition identifies James, the son of Alphaeus, as James the Less. James, son of Zebedee, is then called "James the Great" (although that designation does not appear in the New Testament). Some propose that Alphaeus was the same man as Cleophas or at least the husband of Mary Clopas. In this regard, [[Jerome]] identified James the Less with James, son of Alpheus writing in his work called ''[[The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary]]'' the following: {{quote |Do you intend the comparatively unknown James the Less, who is called in Scripture the son of Mary, not however of Mary the mother of our Lord, to be an apostle, or not? If he is an apostle, he must be the son of Alphæus and a believer in Jesus, ‘For neither did his brethren believe in him.’ The only conclusion is that the Mary who is described as the mother of James the Less was the wife of Alphæus and sister of Mary the Lord's mother, the one who is called by [[John the Evangelist]] '[[Mary of Clopas]]'.<ref>{{cite book |last = Jerome|title= The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary | chapter = Fragment 15|publisher= New advent |url= http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3007.htm |access-date= 3 September 2015}}</ref>}} [[Papias of Hierapolis]], who lived circa 70–163 AD, in the surviving fragments of his work ''Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord'' relates that Mary, wife of Alphaeus is mother of James the Less: {{quote|Mary, mother of James the Less and Joseph, wife of Alphaeus was the sister of Mary the mother of the Lord, whom John names of Cleophas.<ref name=papias>{{cite book|author=Papias|author-link=Papias of Hierapolis|title=Exposition of the Sayings of the Lord. Fragment X|publisher=earlychristianwritings.com|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/papias.html|access-date=10 September 2015}}</ref>}} Therefore, James, son of Alphaeus would be the same as James the Less. In Catholic tradition, James's mother is none other than Mary of Clopas who was among the women at the foot of the Cross of Jesus, weeping. For that reason, and given the fact that the Semitic word for brother is also used for other close relatives, James son of Alpheus is often held as a cousin to Jesus. He is also thought by some to be the brother of [[Matthew the Apostle]], since the father of both was named Alphaeus (compare Mark 2:14 and 3:18). Modern Biblical scholars are divided on whether this identification is correct. Catholic priest and biblical scholar [[John Paul Meier]] finds it unlikely.<ref>John Paul Meier, ''A Marginal Jew volume 3'', p. 201. "There are no grounds for identifying James of Alphaeus - as church tradition has done - with James the Less."</ref> Amongst evangelicals, the ''New Bible Dictionary'' supports the traditional identification,<ref>New Bible Dictionary, 2nd Edition (IVP 1982), "James" entry (by P.H.Davids)</ref> while [[D. A. Carson|Don Carson]]<ref>"The Expositor's Bible Commentary CDROM, commentary on Matthew (by Don Carson), commentary on Matthew 10:2-4</ref> and [[Darrell L. Bock]]<ref>''Luke'', by Darrell Bock (Baker 1994), commentary on Luke 6:15</ref> both regard the identification as possible, but not certain. == References == === Citations === {{reflist}} === Sources === {{refbegin}} * [[Eusebius]], ''[[Historia Ecclesiae]]'' * Ronald Brownrigg, ''Who's Who in The New Testament'', Oxford University Press, 1993. {{refend}} == External links == {{Commons category|Saint James the Less}} * [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08280a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Saint James the Less], identifying the Apostle James with [[James, brother of Jesus]] (James the Just) * [http://www.christianiconography.info/jamesLess.html St. James the Less, Apostle] at the [http://www.christianiconography.info Christian Iconography] web site * [http://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/jamesLess.htm Here Followeth of James the Less] from Caxton's translation of the Golden Legend * [http://latter-rain.com/ltrain/jamesle.htm James the Less: The Latter Rain Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314220747/http://latter-rain.com/ltrain/jamesle.htm |date=14 March 2008 }} {{Apostles}} {{New Testament people}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:James The Less}} [[Category:Followers of Jesus]] [[Category:Saints from the Holy Land]] [[Category:Family of Jesus]] [[Category:James, brother of Jesus]] [[Category:Judean people]] [[Category:James, son of Alphaeus]] [[de:Jakobus, Sohn des Alphäus]] [[he:יעקב בן חלפי]] [[ja:ヤコブ (アルファイの子)]] [[ru:Иаков Алфеев]] [[fi:Jaakob nuorempi]] [[sv:Jakob (apostel, Alfeus son)]] [[tl:Santiagong Makaunti]]
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