St. James the Greater

James (the Greater) At a Glance

•Son of Zebedee.

•Brother of John. (Sons of Thunder) (Boanerges)

•Witness to the raising of the daughter of Jairus.

•Witness at the Garden of Gethsemane.

•Witness to the Transfiguration.

Small T Tradition: The Death of James (the Greater)

Scripture (Acts 12:1-3) holds that on James’ return trip to Judea, he was put to death (beheaded) by King Herod Agrippa; he is the grandson of King Herod the Great. Tradition holds that James, who visited Spain to evangelize that part of the Roman Empire, was tried before the members of the Sanhedrin, who condemned him for teaching that Christ was God, and Salvation was in Him alone. King Herod approved the sentence and sentenced James to be beheaded. The man who had denounced the Apostle and was present at his trial, was so moved, he declared himself a Christian. The Sanhedrin turned upon their stooge and sentenced him to die along with James. As the two men walked side by side to the place of their execution, they were silent. Finally, the accuser asked James to forgive him. James continued silent for a minute, then turned, kissed him, and said, “Peace be with you, brother.”