Passion of James, Brother of the Lord

Passio Iacobi minoris, fratres domini

Standard abbreviation: Pass. Jas.

Other titles: none

Clavis numbers: ECCA 961, CANT 275

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Related literature: Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia ecclesiastica 2.23.1–18; Golden Legend 67; Pseudo-Clementines

Compiled by Tony Burke, York University

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Passion of James, Brother of the Lord.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/passion-of-james-brother-of-the-lord/.

Created February 2023. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

Pass. Jas. has been published in two forms: the edition by Lazius in which Lazius has joined to the passions of Simon the Canaanite and Jude, and the edition by Nausea in which James is the sole focus. Lazius also has added some prefatory material about James: the three protagonists of the combined text are identified as brothers of Jesus, though Simon and Jude are sons of Alphaeus and Mary, daughter of Cleophas, while James is the son of the same Mary but with Joseph. James is so devoted to Jesus, that he does not want to eat until he sees Jesus rise again (a reference to Jerome, Illustrious Men 2, quoting the Gospel of the Hebrews); not wanting him to suffer from his fast, James is offered (by Jesus?) a honeycomb to eat (in Gos. Heb. Jesus offers James bread). After the ascension, James stays with Peter and John in Jerusalem and preaches in the temple. After fourteen years, Paul arrives in Jerusalem with Titus and Barnabas (as in Acts 15).

The text proper presents two stories about James known from other sources. The first is drawn from the Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions 1.55–70 (with a parallel in Epiphanius, Panarion 30.16.6–9). The apostles reunite in Jerusalem for the Passover, and James asks them about their preaching activities. The high priest Caiaphas demands the Christians to demonstrate that Jesus was the eternal Christ. On the appointed day for their defense, various groups assemble in the temple—Sadducees, Samaritans, the scribes and Pharisees, and the Christians—each preaching about their particular beliefs. For seven days, the Christians refute the other groups and invite people to be baptized. A certain “hostile man” comes forward declaring Jesus to be a magician and he urges the crowds to kill the apostles. In the ensuing chaos, the man throws James from the top of the stairs; as a result, James damages his foot. It is revealed that the “hostile man” is Saul.

The second story draws entirely from Rufinus’s translation of Eusebius’ quotation of Hegesippus (covering Hist. eccl. 2.23.1–18).

Named historical figures and characters: Alphaeus (father of James), Barnabas, Caiaphas, Clement of Alexandria, Festus (governor), Hegessipus, Holy Spirit, James (the Righteous), Jesus Christ, Joseph (of Nazareth), Judas/Jude (brother of Jesus), Mary (Virgin), Mary (mother of James), Mary (wife of Clopas), Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Rechab, Samuel (prophet), Simon (brother of Jesus), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Titus.

Geographical locations: Cana, Galilee, Jerusalem, temple (Jerusalem).

2. RESOURCES

2.1 Art and Iconography

Illustration of the martyrdom of James the Menologion of Basil II, Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1613, p. 131 (10th cent.)

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Latin (BHL 4089–4097)

Angers, Bibliothèque municipale, 281, fols. 115^v–118^r (11th cent.)

Dublin, Trinity College, 737 (olim G.04.16), fols. 20^r–23^r (9th and 12th/13th cent.)

Genève-Cologny, Bibliothèque Bodmer, MS Bodmer 127, fols. 53^r–53^v (12th cent.)

Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de médicine, 55, fols. 11^v–12^r (ca. 800)

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 13074, illustrations only fol. 81^v, 82^r(1175)

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 22020, fols. 52^r–53^r (12th cent.)

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, lat. 455 (9th cent.) ~ CATALOG

Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, lat. 534 (9th cent.) ~ CATALOG

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12604, fols. 16^v–18^v (12th cent.)

Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek Weissenburg, 48, fols. 32^v–35^r (9th cent.)

Fabricius, Johann Albert. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti. 2 vols. 2nd ed. Hamburg: Schiller, 1719 (a reprint of Lazius’ edition via Lefèvre in vol. 2, pp. 591–608).

Giles, J. A. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti: The Uncanonical Gospels and Other Writings. London: D. Nutt, 1852 (reproduction of Fabricius, pp. 370–75).

Lazius, Wolfgang. Abdiae Babyloniae episcopi et apostolorum discipuli de historia certaminis apostolici libri decem. Bale, 1552 (Repr. Paris: Guillard & Belot, 1566; reprint by Jean Lefèvre in 1560) (based on ONB 455 and 534 but with some editorial glosses at the beginning of the texts, pp. 71r–74v).

Nausea, Friedrich. Anonymi Pilalethi Eusebiani in vitas, miracula passionesque apostolorum rhapsodiae. Cologne: Peter Quentel, 1531 (Latin text from an unidentified source, fols. 57–58).

Philippart, Guy. Les légendiers latins et autres manuscrits hagiographiques. Typologie des sources du Moyen Age occidental 24–25. Turnhout: Brepols, 1977 (list of manuscripts, pp. 13–20).

Piñero, Antonio, and Gonzalo del Cerro. Hechos apócrifos de los Apóstoles. 3 vols. Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 2011 (Latin edition based on Fabricius with facing Spanish translation, vol. 3, pp. 712–31).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 French

Alibert, Dominique, Gisèle Besson, Michèle Brossard-Dandré, and Simon Claude Mimouni. “Passion of Jacques, frère du Seigneur.” Pages 749–60 in volume 2 of Écrits apocryphes chrétiens. Edited by Pierre Geoltrain and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. Bibliothèque de la Pléiade 516. Paris: Gallimard, 2005 (French translation based on Wolfenbüttel 48, Angers 281, Dublin 737 and Paris lat. 12604).

Migne, Jacques-Paul. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes. 2 vols. 1856. Repr., Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (translation of edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, cols. 275–232).

3.3.2 German

Borberg, Karl Friedrich. Bibliothek der neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, gesammelt, übersetzt, und erläutert. Stuttgart: Literatur-Comptoir, 1841 (translation of edition by Fabricius, vol. 1, pp. 590–603).

3.3.3 Italian

Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (translation of edition by Fabricius, vol. 2, 554–57).

Moraldi, Luigi. Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 2 vols. Classici delle religioni, Sezione quarta, La religione cattolica 24. Turin: Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1971 (vol. 2, pp. 1534–38).

3.2.4 Spanish

3.3 General Works

See also works on the Apostolic Histories collection.

Bernheim, Pierre-Antoine. Jacques, frère de Jésus. Paris: Noêsis, 1996. English translation: James, Brother of Jesus. London: SCM Press, 1997.

Brossard-Dandré, Michèle. “La passion de Jacques le Mineur selon le pseudo-Abdias et ses sources. Actes apoocryphes d’un apôtre apocyphe.” Pages 229–42 in Apocryphité: Histoire d’un concept transversal aux religions du livre, en hommage à Pierre Geoltrain. Edited by Simon Mimouni. Turnhout: Brepols, 2002.

Jones, Stanley. “The Martyrdom of James in Hegesippus, Clement of Alexandria, and Christian Apocrypha, Including Nag Hammadi: A Study of Textual Relations.” Pages 322–35 in Society of Biblical Literature: 1990 Seminar Papers. Edited by David J. Lull. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1990.

Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 1, pp. 145–46; vol. 2.2, pp. 238–45, 253–57).

McDowell, Sean. The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus. Abingdon: Ashgate, 2008. Repr. London and New York: Routledge, 2015 (pp. 115–34).