To distinguish Saint James from the other apostle of the same name, the son of Zebedee, was called the Less. He is also known by the title of James the Just. He was the son of Alpheus and Mary, the sister of the Blessed Virgin and seems to have been born some years before our Lord. James and his brother Jude were called to the apostleship in the second year of Christ's preaching. We are told that Jesus, at his ascension, recommended his church of Jerusalem to Saint James. The apostles, before their dispersion, constituted him bishop of that city.

Saint James was always a virgin, and was a Nazarite, or one consecrated to God. He was never shaved, never cut his hair, never drank any wine or other strong liquor. He never used any bath, or oil to anoint his limbs, and never ate of any living creature except when of precept, as the paschal lamb. He never wore sandals, never used any other clothes than one single linen garment. He prostrated so much in prayer that the skin of his knees and forehead was hardened like to camels' hoofs. Saint Epiphanius said that in a great drought on stretching out his arms to heaven and praying Saint James made it instantly rain.

Ananus, the high-priest, son of the famous Annas mentioned in the gospels, having assembled the Sanhedrim, or great council of the Jews, summoned Saint James and others before it. Josephus, the Jewish historian, says, that Saint James was accused of violating the laws and was delivered to the people to be stoned to death. Hegesippus adds, that they carried him up to the battlements of the temple and compelled him to make a public renunciation of his faith in Christ. Saint James took that opportunity to declare his belief in Jesus Christ, after the most solemn and public manner. He cried out aloud that Jesus, the Son of man, was seated at the right hand of the Sovereign Majesty, and would come in the clouds of heaven to judge the world. The Scribes and Pharisees, enraged at this testimony in behalf of Jesus, threw him headlong down to the ground, saying, "He must be stoned." Saint James, though very much bruised by his fall, had strength enough to get upon his knees, and in this posture, lifting up his eyes to heaven, he begged of God to pardon his murderers, seeing that they knew not what they did. He was showered with stones and at last a blow on the head with a club, such as is used in dressing of cloths, he died. This happened on the festival of the Pasch, the 10th of April, in the year of Christ, the seventh of Nero. He was buried near the temple, in the place in which he was martyred, where a small column was erected. The Jews attributed to his death the destruction of Jerusalem.

His relics are said to have been brought to Constantinople about the year 572. Feast day is May 3.