Martyrdom of James, Son of Zebedee

Martyrium Iacobi Zebedaei

Standard abbreviation: Mart. Jas. Zeb.

Other titles: none

Clavis numbers: ECCA 346; CANT 273.2

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Related literature: Acts and Death of James, Son of Zebedee; Passion of James, Son of Zebedee; Preaching of James, Son of Zebedee

Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Martyrdom of James, Son of Zebedee.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/martyrdom-of-james-son-of-zebedee/.

Created September 2020. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

In the Coptic church, the martyrdom of James is celebrated on 17 Parmoute (April 12), though the Arabic text gives the date 27 Parmoute. Over his career James went out to the scattered Twelve Tribes, each of whom had chosen a god to worship and had been led astray by false teaching. They were under the dominion of Herod (Agrippa) and gave him money, thereby increasing his kingdom. James preached to them in their own languages; a gift given to the apostles by the Lord along with the ability to speak to birds, beasts, and insects. Thanks to James’ efforts, the people of the Tribes became believers and renounced their wicked deeds. He built them churches in all their borders and baptized them, and in return, they gave all that they possessed to the church.

When Herod hears of this, he commands James to be brought to him. James confesses his faith in Jesus, who is sovereign over the kingdoms of Herod and Nero. At this Herod becomes angry and, recalling Acts 12:2, strikes him with a sword (Coptic: in the kidneys; Arabic: on his shoulders; Ethiopic: it is “a certain man” and he cuts off his head). The Coptic text ends here, but the Arabic says that James was buried in Niqta, which is called Ravina; the Ethiopic gives the location as Kot/Batke of Marmarica.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Herod Agrippa, Holy Spirit, James (son of Zebedee), Jesus Christ, Nero.

Geographical Locations: Batke, Kot, Marmarica, Niqta, Ravina.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic (BHO 421)

3.1.1.1 Arabic Script

Beirut, Bibliothèque Orientale de l’Université Saint Joseph, 1426 (1855)  ~ contents unconfirmed

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Graf 472 (18th  cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 1 (13th/14th  cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 2 (14th  cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 3 (1626)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 6 (not dated) ~ contents unconfirmed

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 7 (14th  cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 16 (15th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 59, fols. 209r–210v (19th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 60, fols. 134v–137r (19th cent.)

Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, Magl. III 29, fols. 72r–74v (ante 1664)

Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, Or. 1067 (Tischendorf 32) (15th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 539, fols. 94v–96v (12th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 81, fols. 36v–39r (16th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 4770, fols. 119r–122r (19th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borg. ar. 223 (1729)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 500, fols. 66v–69r (15th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 171 (17th cent.)

Wadi El-Natrun, Monastery of the Syrians (Dayr al-Suryān), no shelf number, fols. 48v–50v (14th cent.)

Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 Arabic manuscripts of the Arabic acts collection, pp. 97–101).

Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Studi e testi 118, 133, 146–147, 172. Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944–1953 (survey of Arabic manuscripts, vol. 1, pp. 260–63).

Lewis, Agnes Smith, ed. Acta Mythologica Apostolorum, Transcribed from an Arabic Ms. in the Convent of Deyr-es-Suriani, Egypt, and from Mss. in the Convent of St Catherine, on Mount Sinai. Horae Semiticae 3. London: C.J. Clay and Sons, 1904. (Arabic text based on unidentified Deir al-Surian MS, pp. 30–31).

3.1.1.2 Garšūnī Script

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 40, fols. 93v–96r (ca. 1750)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 232 (fols. 241r–242v) (17th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 124, fols. 58v–61r (16th cent.)

3.1.2 Coptic (BHO 420; CPC 0590; PAThs entry; see links for editions)

MONB.DM, pp. 108–110 (10th–12th cent.)

MONB.MR, pp. 47–50 (10th cent.)

MONB.GQ, pp. ?–? (ca. 10th cent.)

New York, Morgan Library and Museum, M635 (=MICH.CG), fols. 1r–2r) (ca. 10th cent.)

3.1.3 Copto-Arabic Synaxarion

The Copto-Arabic Synaxarion includes some details of the story for April 12 (17 Parmoute).

Basset, René. “Le Synaxaire arabe jacobite (rédaction copte) IV: Les mois de Barmahat, Barmoudah et Bachons.” Patrologia orientalis 16 (1922): 186–424 (edition and translation, pp. 312–13).

3.1.3 Ethiopic

3.1.3.1 Martyrdom of James (BHO 422)

London, British Library, Or. 678, fols. 114v115v (15th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 683, fols. 227r228r (17th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 685, fols. 123v–124v (18th cent.)

Manchester, John Rylands University Library, Eth. 6, fols. 179v–181v (19th cent.)

Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 Arabic manuscripts of the Ethiopic acts collection, pp. 93–97).

Budge, E. A. Wallis. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. 2 vols. London: Frowde, 1899–1901 (Ethiopic text based on British Library, Or. 678 and 683, vol. 1, pp. 254–57).

Pisani, Vitagrazia. “The apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: unknown witnesses from East Tәgray.” Pages 75–93 in Essays in Ethiopian Manuscript Studies. Proceedings of the International Conference Manuscripts and Texts, Languages and Contexts: the Transmission of Knowledge in the Horn of Africa. Hamburg, 17–19 July 2014. Edited by Alessandro Bausi, Alessandro Gori, and Denis Nosnitsin. Supplements to Aethiopica 4. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2015 (descriptions of ten Ethiopic manuscripts cataloged for the Ethio-SPaRe project).

3.1.3.2 Ethiopic Synaxarion

The Ethiopian Synaxarion (first recension) includes a summary of the text for 17 Miyazya (April 12 Julian).

Budge, Ernest A. W. The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Church: A Translation of the Ethiopic Synaxarium: Made from the Manuscripts Oriental 660 and 661 in the British Museum. 4 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1928 (English translation of the entry for 17 Miyazya, vol. 2, pp. 810–12).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Budge, E. A. Wallis. The Contendings of the Apostles. 2 vols. London: Frowde, 1899–1901 (translation of the Ethiopic version, vol. 2, pp. 304–308).

Lewis, Agnes Smith. The Mythological Acts of the Apostles, Translated from an Arabic Ms. in the Convent of Deyr-es-Suriani, Egypt, and from Mss. in the Convent of St Catherine on Mount Sinai and in the Vatican Library. Horae Semiticae 4. London: C.J. Clay and Sons, 1904 (English translation, pp. 35–36).

Malan, Solomon C. The Conflicts of the Holy Apostles: An Apocryphal Book of the Early Eastern Churches. London: Nutt, 1871 (translation of the Ethiopic version based on Rylands Eth. 6, pp. 178–81).

3.2.2 French

Pérès, Jacques-Noël, and Pierluigi Piovanelli. “Prédication de Jacques fils de Zébédée et Martyre de Jacques fils de Zébédée.” Pages 935–57 in volume 2 of Écrits apocryphes chrétiens. Edited by Pierre Geoltrain and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. Bibliothèque de la Pléiade 516. Paris: Gallimard, 2005 (translation from Budges Ethiopic edition, pp. 953–57).

3.2.3 Italian

Guidi, Ignazio. “Gli Atti apocrifi degli Apostoli nei testi copti, arabi ed etiopici.” Giornale della Società asiatica italiana 2 (1888): 1–66 (translation of Coptic text from the Vatican fragments of MONB.DM, pp. 19–20).

3.3 General Works

Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 2.2:213–14).

McDowell, Sean. The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus. Abindgon: Ashgate, 2008. Repr. London and New York: Routledge, 2015 (pp. 187–92).

Otero, Aurelio de Santos.  “Later Acts of Apostles.” Pages 426–82  in New Testament Apocrypha. Vol. 2:  Writings Relating to the Apostles; Apocalypses and Related Subjects. Edited by Wilhelm Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McLachlan Wilson.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1992 (see p. 476–77).

Starowieyski, Marek. “La Légende de saint Jacques le Majeur.” Apocrypha 7 (1996): 193–203, esp. 197–98.