Editing James the Great (section)

==In the New Testament==
[[File:James the Great the Apostle. Detail of the mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale. Ravena, Italy.jpg|thumb|James the Apostle, detail of the mosaic in the [[Basilica of San Vitale]], [[Ravenna]], 6th century]]
James was born into a family of Jewish fishermen on the [[Sea of Galilee]]. His parents were [[Zebedee]] and [[Salome (disciple)|Salome]]. Salome was a sister of Mary (mother of Jesus) which made James the Great a cousin of Jesus. James is styled "the Greater" to distinguish him from the Apostle [[James the Less|James "the Less,"]] with "greater" meaning older or taller, rather than more important. James the Great was the brother of [[John the Apostle]].{{sfn|Camerlynck|1910}}

James is described as one of the first disciples to join Jesus. The [[Synoptic Gospels]] state that James and John were preparing to fish with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him.<ref>{{bibleverse|Matt.|4:21–22}}, {{bibleverse|Mk.|1:19–20}}</ref>

James, along with his brother John, and [[Saint Peter|Peter]], formed an informal [[triumvirate]] among the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Twelve Apostles]]. Jesus allowed them to be the only apostles present at three particular occasions during his public ministry, the [[raising of Jairus' daughter]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|5:37}}</ref> [[transfiguration of Jesus]]<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|17:1}}</ref> and [[Agony in the Garden|agony in the Garden of Gethsemane]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|26:37}}</ref> James and John<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|10:35–45}}</ref> (or, in another tradition, [[Salome (disciple)|their mother]]<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|20:20–28}}</ref>) asked Jesus to grant them seats on his right and left in his glory. Jesus rebuked them, asking if they were ready to drink from the cup he was going to drink from and saying the honor was not even for him to grant. The other apostles were annoyed with them. James and his brother wanted to call down fire on a [[Samaritans|Samaritan]] town, but were rebuked by Jesus.<ref>{{bibleverse|Lk|9:51-6}}</ref>

[[File:Shield with symbol of St. James the Great, Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania).jpg|thumb|left|Shield with symbol of St. James the Great, [[Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania)]]]]
The [[Acts of the Apostles]] records that "Herod the king" (usually identified with [[Herod Agrippa]]) had James executed by the sword.<ref name="bibleverse|Acts|12:2"/> Nixon suggests that this may have been caused by James' fiery temper,{{sfn|Nixon|1963|p=1354}} in which he and his brother earned the nickname ''[[Language of Jesus#Boanerges (Βοανηργές)|Boanerges]]'' or "Sons of Thunder".<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|3:17}}</ref> [[F. F. Bruce]] contrasts this story to that of the [[Liberation of Peter|Liberation of Saint Peter]], and writes that the proposition that "James should die while Peter should escape" is a "mystery of [[divine providence]]".{{sfn|Bruce|1964|p=237}}