Passion of James, Son of Zebedee

Passio Iacobi Zebedaei

Standard abbreviation: Pass. Jas. Zeb.

Other titles: Passion of James, Brother of John

Clavis numbers: ECCA 706; CANT 272

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Related literature: The Golden Legend 99; Acts and Death of James, Son of Zebedee; Martyrdom 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. “Passion of James, Son of Zebedee.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/passion-of-james-son-of-zebedee/.

Created May 2021. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

Pass. Jas. Zeb. begins with a brief mention of his call by Jesus and his eminence among the apostles. In the commission of the apostles, James is appointed to Judea and Samaria. He journeys through these lands, visiting synagogues and demonstrating how Jesus fulfilled the prophets. James is opposed in the synagogues by a disciple of the magician Hermogenes named Philetus, who claims that Jesus was not the Son of God. But James effectively refutes him. Philetus is so impressed by James’s knowledge of Scripture and healing abilities, that he reports to Hermogenes what he has seen and tells the magician that they should go to James and ask for his forgiveness. Hermogenes uses magic to immobilize Philetus and sends a servant to James, challenging him to free Philetus from his spell. In response, James sends his own servant back with his cloak, which when touched to Philetus, restores his mobility. Philetus then leaves Hermogenes to follow James.

Undaunted, Hermogenes sends demons to retrieve Philetus and James along with him. But the demons are bound by an angel in fiery chains and beg James to free them. He does so and sends them back to Hermogenes with the command to do him no harm but to come back with the magician. They return with Hermogenes bound with ropes. James wants to teach Philetus mercy and tells him to let Hermogenes go. Hermogenes is worried that the demons will take vengeance on him and asks James for protection. James gives him a staff and tells him he can go anywhere he wishes with it.

Hermogenes brings his magical books and supplies to James with the intention of burning them, but James tells him to sink them in the sea. He asks James to receive his penitence but the apostle tells him he must go to the homes of those he has deceived and tell everyone that what he taught them was false, then he must destroy his idol, and spend his money on good works. Hermogenes does so and becomes a worthy follower, so much that he is able to perform miracles.

The Jewish leaders, having witnessed the conversion of Hermogenes, offer money to two centurions, Lysias and Theocritus, to capture James. Once before the leaders, James is asked how he can believe in the divinity of Jesus given that he was crucified among robbers. He responds with numerous proof texts establishing Jesus’ identity as the Son of God from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Psalms. The crowd is convinced and ask what they should do to prevent their damnation. James says they must believe in Christ and receive baptism to blot out their sins.

Seeing many of the Jews being baptized, the high priest Abiathar, gives treasures to those who support his efforts against James. One of these supporters, a Pharisee named Josiah, throws a rope around James’s neck and carries him to Herod, identified in the Latin text as the son of Archelaus, but rightly in the Irish text as Herod Agrippa (I). Herod orders him to be beheaded. On the way to his execution, James cures a paralytic, leading Josiah to ask the apostle for forgiveness. Abiathar orders Josiah to be beaten and gets Herod to order the beheading of Josiah. As they are led away to their execution, James asks for water and uses it to baptize Josiah. Then both men are martyred.

These final details are reported also by Eusebius (Hist. eccl. 2.9.2–3):

Referring to this James, Clement in Outlines Book VII tells an interesting story, on the strength of an authentic tradition. It appears that the man who brought him into court was so moved when he saw him testify that he confessed that he, too, was a Christian: “So they were both taken away together, and on the way he asked James to forgive him. James thought for a moment; then he said, ‘I wish you peace.’ And kissed him. So both were behaeaded at the same time.” (trans. G. A. Williamson. London: Penguin Books, 1965)

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Abiathar (high priest), Abiram, Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Anna (mother of Samuel), Daniel (prophet, Dathan, David (king), Ezekiel (prophet), Hermogenes, Herod Agrippa, Holy Spirit, Isaac (patriarch), Isaiah (prophet), Ishmael, James (son of Zebedee), Jeremiah (prophet), Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), Josiah (Pharisee), Lysias (centurion), Philetus, Samuel (prophet), Theocritus (centurion).

Geographical Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria.

2. RESOURCES

Fletcher, R. A. Saint James’s Catapult: The Life and Times of Diego Gelmire of Santiago de Compostela. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984 (ch. 3, “The Early History of the Cult of St. James”).

“James the Great.” Wikipedia.

Leukart, Hank. “The Camino de Santiago: To the End of the World.” YouTube. Posted 29 September, 2015.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Armenian (BHO 419)

Venice, Biblioteca dei Padri Mechitaristi San Lazzaro degli Armeni, 222 (olim 239), item 94 (1829)

Yerevan, Matenadaran, 941, fols. 91^v–95^v (1689)

Tchérakian, Chérubin. Ankanon girkh arakhelakankh: Thankgaran haykakan hin ew nor deprutheankh. Venice: Òazar, 1904 (edition based on Venice 222, pp. 174–89).

3.1.2 Middle Irish (incorporated into the Leabhar Breac)

Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 23 P 16 (the Leabhar Breac), pp. 177a–178b (1408–1411)

Atkinson, Robert. The Passions and the Homilies from Leabhar Breac. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1887 (text, pp. 102–106; English translation, pp. 346–51).

3.1.3 Latin (BHL 4089–4097)

Angers, Bibliothèque municipale, 281, fols. fols. 134^r–138^v (11th cent.)

Dublin, Trinity College, 737 (olim G.04.16), fols. 52^v–58^r (9th and 12th/13th cent.)

Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de médicine, 55, fols. 17^v–20^r (ca. 800)

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 4554, fols. 20^r–22^v (8th/9th cent.)

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 13074, fols. 56^r–65^v; illustrations fol. 55^r, 55^v (1175)

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 22020, fols. 30^v–33^v (12th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 12604, fols. 34^v–38^r (12th cent.)

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

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

Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek Weissenburg, 48, fols. 60^r–64^v (9th cent.)

Würzburg, Universitätsbibliothek, M.p.th.f. 78, fols. 3^r–6^r (8th 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. 516–31).

Giles, J. A. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti: The Uncanonical Gospels and Other Writings. London: D. Nutt, 1852 (reproduction of Fabricius, pp. 327–36).

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. 45r–49v).

Philippart, Guy. Les légendiers latins et autres manuscrits hagiographiques. Typologie des sources du Moyen Age occidental 24–25. Turnhout: Brepols, 1977 (additional manuscripts listed, 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. 685–707).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Atkinson, Robert. The Passions and the Homilies from Leabhar Breac. Dublin 1887 (English translation from the Leabhar breac, pp. 346–51).

3.2.2 French

Alibert, Dominique, Gisèle Besson, Michèle Brossard-Dandré, and Simon Claude Mimouni. “Passion de Jacques frère de Jean.” Pages 773–88 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).

Leloir, Louis. Écrits apocryphes sur les apôtres. CCSA 3–4. 2 vols. Turnhout: Brepols, 1986–1992 (translation of Armenian text, vol. 1:267–88).

Migne, Jacques-Paul. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes. 2 vols. 1856. Repr., Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (vol. 2, cols. 275–82).

3.2.2 German

Borberg, Karl Friedrich. Bibliothek der neutestamentlichen Apokryphen, gesammelt, übersetzt, und erläutert. Stuttgart: Literatur-Comptoir, 1841 (vol. 1, pp. 522–36).

3.2.3 Italian

Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (vol. 2, pp. 544–48).

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. 1498–1506).

3.2.3 Spanish

3.3 General Works

See also works on the Apostolic Histories collection.

Duchesne, Louis. “Saint Jacques en Galice.” Annales du Midi 12 (1900): 145–79.

Klauck, Hans-Josef. The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction. Translated by Brian McNeil. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2008 (pp. 244–45). English trans. of Apokryphe Apostelakten. Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2005.

Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 2.2:202–28).

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).

McNamara, Martin. The Apocrypha of the Irish Church. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1975 (p. 94).

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. 477–78).