St. James the Just

He is James the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve disciples. He was one of the 3 pillars of circumcision’s church as St. Paul mentioned (Galatians 2:7-9). He was known as the Lord’s brother as his mother was a sister to St. Mary the Virgin, the wife of Klopa which means Alphaeus in Aramaic. He was known also St. James the Young (Mark 15:40), the Just for his holiness and Bishop of Jerusalem. He headed the Council of Jerusalem in 50 AD (Acts 15). He wrote his Holy Epistle where he focused on good deeds as necessary along with the faith. He had a Liturgy in the Syrian Church. He was ascetic and used to kneel during prayer until his knees became like those of camel. For his preaching, Jews threw him down of the mountain of the temple, and then stoned him, and then someone hit him on his head putting an end to his holy life and so had the crown of martyrdom about 62 AD. Josephus mentioned that destruction of Jerusalem and its temple was the God’s punishment for the Jews because they killed St. James.