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St James (3) the Less
(–AD 62)

Other names: the Younger, the less

Biographical

This James is mentioned only once in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and he is called the son of the Mary (Mary of Clopas) who witnessed the Crucifixion. John 19:25 refers to him in the same context, but calls his mother 'Mary, the wife of Clopas', and from this, it is assumed that his parents were Mary and Clopas. There is some confusion about his identity, and he is sometimes identified with James the Just, brother of Jesus, the James who wrote his Epistle. There is also confusion over the manner of his martyrdom, with one version claiming that he was sentenced by the Sanhedrin to be stoned to death and then sawn to pieces. According to tradition, he was thrown down from the temple by the scribes and Pharisees; he was then stoned, and his brains dashed out by a fuller's club. This martyrdom is sometimes said to be James the Just's. In any case, James the Less is often depicted with a saw or club in religious art.

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