James the Less
An apostle often identified as a "brother of the Lord," he played a leading role in the early Church of Jerusalem and is the traditional author of a New Testament epistle.
- Antiquity
- Israel
- Feast day May 3
- c. 1 – 62
- Apostle
- Martyr
- Bishop
Listen to the life 0:45
Saint James the Less is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He is traditionally identified with James, the 'brother of the Lord' (Galatians 1:19) and is considered the first Bishop of Jerusalem. His role was central in the early Church, as evidenced in the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 15), where he presided over the Council of Jerusalem. He is also the presumed author of the Epistle of James. According to Flavius Josephus, he was stoned in Jerusalem in the year 62 by decision of the high priest Ananus; Christian tradition, following Hegesippus, adds that he was first cast down from the top of the Temple and then finished off with a blow from a fuller's club. His piety and asceticism were legendary, and he was known as 'the Just.'
