James the Great

James the Great (died around 44 CE) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the second apostle to die, after Judas Iscariot, and the first to be killed for his faith. He is the patron saint of Spain, and tradition holds that his remains are kept in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.

He is also known by several other names: James, son of Zebedee; James, brother of John; Saint James the Greater; Saint James the Major; Saint James the Elder; Saint Jacob; James the Apostle; Santiago; and, with his brother John, one of the "Sons of Thunder" (Boanerges). He was born into a Jewish fishing family on the Sea of Galilee, the son of Zebedee and Salome. Salome was a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, making James a cousin of Jesus. He is called "the Greater" to distinguish him from the other apostle James "the Lesser," with "greater" meaning older or taller, not more important.

James was one of the first disciples to follow Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels say he and his brother John were preparing to fish with their father when Jesus called them. Along with Peter and John, James formed an inner circle among the Twelve. Jesus allowed only these three to witness the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. James and John (or, in another version, their mother) asked Jesus to grant them seats at his right and left in his glory. Jesus rebuked them, asking if they could drink the cup he would drink, and said the honor was not his to give. The other apostles were annoyed. James and John also wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan town, but Jesus rebuked them.

The Acts of the Apostles records that "Herod the king" (usually identified as Herod Agrippa) had James executed "by the sword." Henry Alford suggests he was probably beheaded. Nixon suggests his death may have been triggered by his fiery temper. F. F. Bruce contrasts this with the liberation of Peter, calling the difference a "mystery of divine providence."

In Catholic tradition, Saint James is Spain's patron saint. According to legend, his remains are in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The name "Santiago" comes from the Latin *Sancti Iacobi* ("of Saint James"), which also evolved into the Spanish name Diego and Portuguese Tiago/Thiago. The pilgrimage to his grave, the "Way of St. James," has been popular since the Early Middle Ages, though its modern revival stems from Walter Starkie's 1957 book *The Road to Santiago*. In 2018, 327,378 pilgrims registered as having completed the final 100 km (or 200 km by bicycle) to qualify for a Compostela. When July 25 falls on a Sunday, it is a Jacobean Holy Year, and a special east door opens at Santiago Cathedral. Jubilee years follow a 6-5-6-11 pattern (with occasional gaps of 7 or 12 years). In the 2004 Holy Year, 179,944 pilgrims were received; in 2010, 272,412. The most recent Holy Year was 2021; the next will be 2027.

His feast day is July 25 on the liturgical calendars of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, True Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and some other Protestant churches. This date is traditionally believed to be the day of his martyrdom in 44 CE, though some historians argue it was chosen to coincide with the feast of Saint Christopher. He is also commemorated on April 30 (or May 13 on the Gregorian calendar for churches using the Julian Calendar) and on June 30 (Synaxis of the Apostles). July 25 is also the National Day of Galicia, as James is its patron saint.

The site of his martyrdom is within the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of St. James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. The Chapel of Saint James the Great, to the left of the sanctuary, is the traditional place where King Agrippa ordered his beheading (Acts 12:1–2). His head is believed to be buried under the altar, marked by a piece of red marble and surrounded by six votive lamps.

The 12th-century *Historia Compostelana* summarizes the legend: first, that James preached the gospel in Hispania as well as the Holy Land; second, that after his martyrdom, his followers carried his body by sea to Hispania, landing at Padrón on the coast of Galicia, then carried it overland for burial at Santiago de Compostela. After first going to Sardinia, James embarked at Cartagena and began preaching in Hispania.