Apostle
James, son of Alphaeus
JAYMZ · d. c. AD 62 (thin tradition)
One of the Twelve apostles about whom the New Testament records almost nothing beyond his name and his father's.
Life and work
James, son of Alphaeus, is named in each of the four lists of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), always simply as "James son of Alphaeus" to distinguish him from James, son of Zebedee. Beyond his place in these lists, the Gospels record no words, actions, or individual scenes involving him at all.
Some scholars have proposed identifying him with "James the younger," whose mother Mary is named at the crucifixion and the empty tomb (Mark 15:40; 16:1), but the New Testament never makes this connection explicit, so it remains an educated guess rather than a certainty.
- Occupation
- Apostle
- Places
- Unknown beyond his inclusion among the Twelve who traveled with Jesus in Galilee and Judea.
- Dates
- d. c. AD 62 (thin tradition) Legendary — a later convention, not an anchored date
Dating
Sometimes called 'James the Less' (cf. Mark 15:40) to distinguish him from James, son of Zebedee, and from James, the Lord's brother — a distinction worth keeping straight, since ancient sources occasionally conflate them. Very little reliable information survives about his later life or death; be aware that the commonly repeated c. AD 62 death date almost certainly originates from conflating him with James the Just, whose stoning in AD 62 Josephus records. Other late traditions (e.g., martyrdom at Ostrakine in Egypt) supply no usable year, so treat this date as a placeholder.
Extra-biblical evidence
No extra-biblical source, contemporary or later, provides reliable independent information about James, son of Alphaeus. Later tradition sometimes merges him with other New Testament figures named James, but these identifications are speculative rather than documented.
Scripture references
- Matthew 10:3 — Listed among the Twelve as James, son of Alphaeus
- Mark 15:40 — Possible (uncertain) connection to 'James the younger'
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