Author of the Book of James

[MJ anderson]

Michael Wyatt wrote:

>
> James the brother of Jesus is the author of the Book (or Epistle) of James
> in the New Testament; he was the leader of the CHristian community in
> Jerusalem and is prominent in the Book of Acts (where the martyrdom of James
> the Greater--of Compostela--is mentioned).  This James is thought by those
> who hold to Mary's perpetual virginity to be Joseph's child by a previous
> marriage, which would make him Jesus' older step-brother.  Those who don't
> need Mary to be a perpetual virgin feel freer to assume he is Jesus' younger
> half-brother (same mother, different father--of course, if God is Jesus'
> father).

.......a bit of clarification might be of interest on this James.  Those who
hold Jesus' mother to be a perpetual virgin (as did the early church fathers)
recognize that the term "brother"  in Aramaic is the same term for cousin. There
was no separate term in Aramaic for "cousin."  However, the Greek does have a
spearate word for cousin and brother--and when the gospels were written in
Greek, the Greek term brother was employed, even tho this term was not strictly
analogous to the meaning of "brother" in Aramaic.

The Jewish custom was for the brother of a deceased elder brother to marry the
widow (And if there were no sons named for the dead brother, when this new
marriage produced a son, he was to be named for the dead brother). This makes it
possible for your uncle to be a step father as well, and your half brother your
cousin at the same time. It also means that those who were only cousins were
called brother since there was no word to distinguish the two relationships.

We can see this "brother" trerm used when it really means near kinsman--Lot, for
example is called Abraham's brother(Gen. 14:14), even though Lot was his
nephew.Or, Kish and Eleazar, the sons of Mahli. Kish had sons of his own, but
Eleazar had no sons, so his  daughters, married their "brethren," (cousins) the
sons of Kish (1 Chron. 23:21-22).

This James is believed by many to be the cousin of Christ, a cousin from the
siblings of Joseph.  Some scriptural corroboration can be deduced by the fact
that in Mark 6:3 Jesus is referred to as " The son of MAry"  not  a son of Mary.
Even when "brothers" are referred to as brothers of Jesus, nowhere are they
reffered to a sons of Mary. Or, think of the finding of Jesus in the Temple--no
metntion made of other siblings --a natural place for the family to be
described.  Or, when from the cross, Jesus gave his mother to John, something he
was not likley to do if in fact he had a brother to to take care of her. MAny
scholars think that James was the son of Mary, wife of  of Clopas  [Alphaeus in
Aramaic](John19:25).

There is also the second-century historian Hegesippus, who explains that
Cleophas was the brother of Joseph, foster-father of Jesus. THis makes James
Joseph's nephew, thus a  cousin of Jesus.

The non-canonical book, Protoevangelium of James (A.D. 125) that you mention
throws some light on the perpetual virginity idea, too. It  records that Joseph
was among a group of widowers to be chosen  as the husband/protector of Mary,
who was a virgin consecrated to God. When he was chosen, Joseph objected: "I
have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl" (4: 8-9).

Hope this helps unravel the who's who of all those James!
MJ Anderson

>
> The Protoevangelion or Apocryphal Gospel of James is by an unidentified
> James.  Nothing in that text makes clear who the author might be.  I had
> speculated that it is likely to be "James the brother of Jesus," since it
> treats of Jesus' family, but have since heard that a "critical text"
> suggests that it could be "our" James of Compostela.
> Though I am neither Linda, Kathy, Maryjane, Elyn, Rosina, nor the
> mysteriously named "Help," I trust my Ph.D. and seminary training for this;
> I hope you can, too.
>
> Michael
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