James the Son of Zebedee, a.k.a.: James the older brother of John the Apostle, or James the Greater, or James the Elder
Note that “the Greater” means older or taller , rather than more important.
Saint James the Son of Zebedee and Salome (Salome was the sister Mary the mother of God) was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus the Christ. He and his younger brother the apostle John were given the nickname of the “Sons of Thunder”, by Jesus, because they asked Christ to rain fire on the Samaritan city which mocked them(Mark 3:17), i.e., James and John were impetuous and had fiery tempers and passion for the Messiah of God.
James worked with his brother John, with their father Zebedee(Matthew 4:21), and with Andrew (the first called) and his brother Simon Peter (Luke 5:10), in the fishing business in the Sea of Galilee(Mark 1:16-20). James immediately answered the call to follow Christ when he received it(Matthew 4:18-22) and he was invested (ordained) by Christ as one of the twelve apostles of Christ, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men(Mark 1:17)”.
James and John are also the ones who asked Christ to let them sit on His right and left sides in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus rebuked them, and the other apostles were annoyed with them.
James, John & Peter were Christ’s “inner circle” at the transfiguration of Christ, and they watched Christ raise the daughter of Jairus from the dead, and they were also the ones who slept instead of praying with Christ during His agony in Garden of Gethsemane on Maundy Thursday eve in AD 33.
James is also referred to as James the Greater or James the Great or James the Elder or James the brother of John or Saint Jacob.
In Spain and Portugal, Saint James is revered as Santiago and he is the patron saint of Spain. Ancient oral tradition states sometime in the late AD 30s after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ, James traveled to Roman Hispania, including Galicia (in the north western corner of Spain) and he evangelized the peoples on the Iberian peninsula. He later returned to Jerusalem where he was martyred (see below). After his martyrdom in Jerusalem James’ body was miraculously transported by angels to northern Spain where his body was interned (buried) at Santiago de Compostela, however the location of his burial was later lost.
An even later legend states that James miraculously appeared to fight for the Christian army during the battle of Clavijo (a mythical battle in the Spanish war to expel the Moors from Spain), and he was henceforth called Santiago Matamoros (Saint James the Moor-slayer).
About AD 44 James was martyred. Acts 12:1-2 states “Now about that time Herod the King [Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod “the Great”; 11B.C. – A.D. 44] stretched out his hand to harass some of the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword”. James the Elder is thus believed to have been the first of the Apostles martyred for his faith.
James the son of Zebedee is NOT the same person as James, son of Alphaeus, who was also an apostle and who is also known as James the Lesser, or James the Younger.
James the son of Zebedee, most likely NOT the author of the New Testament book, the Epistle of James.
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