Memory of the Apostle James. reference

Holy Apostle James, brother of the Lord- one of the 70 apostles of Christ, the eldest son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage with Solomon. Honored as the first bishop of Jerusalem. He was executed about 62 in Jerusalem by the Jews.

To Jesus Christ, Jacob is a half-brother. He was not one of the 12 apostles, because during the ministry of Jesus, James, like all his brothers, according to the testimony of the Gospels (Mark 3:21; John 7: 5), did not recognize him as the Messiah. Jacob was converted and became a Christian after the death and resurrection of Christ. He was numbered among the 70 apostles.

Jacob was a strict virgin, did not drink wine or other alcoholic beverages, abstained from meat, wore only linen clothes. He used to retire to pray in the temple, and there he kneeled down to pray for his people. He prostrated himself to the ground in prayer so often that the skin on his knees hardened.

In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul speaks of the appearance of Christ after the resurrection to James. In addition, James is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (12:17; 15: 13-21; 21:18) and in the Epistle to Galatians (1:18; 2: 9).

Jacob was the first bishop of Jerusalem. Thus, a special activity fell to the lot of the Apostle James: he did not travel to preach in different countries, like the other apostles, but taught and acted in Jerusalem, which is so important for the Christian world.

Liturgy of the Holy Apostle James

Guided by the Holy Spirit, James was the first to compose and write the rite of the Divine Liturgy, which was then shortened, for the sake of human weakness, first by Basil the Great, and then by John Chrysostom.

As you know, at the time of the Apostles there was still no strictly established order of the Divine Liturgy. The first Christians celebrated the Liturgy not according to the established pattern, but in the Holy Spirit. The Primate offered prayers and thanksgiving "as long as he could" and "as time permitted." The liturgy lasted for many hours. Gradually, the experience gained - the succession of prayers and sacred actions - was consolidated and formed into a stable rite of worship.

The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, is the treasure of the ancient Church that has come down to us through the millennia, born in its cradle, the Jerusalem Christian first community ( the liturgy of John Chrysostom, familiar to every Orthodox person, which is distinguished by special solemnity and is served today in all Orthodox churches, as well as the liturgy of Basil the Great and the Presanctified Gifts appeared much later). In the first centuries of Christianity, until the 9th century, it was served everywhere: in Palestine, Antioch, Cyprus, southern Italy and Mount Sinai.

Despite the fact that over the centuries it still underwent some changes (added the chanting of the "Creed", the chants "It is worthy to eat", "Holy God", "Only Begotten Son ..." and some others), its strict, ascetic character and depth her prayers take us back to the days of the first martyrs and apostolic successors. However, starting from the 9th century, it was almost everywhere replaced by the liturgies of St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom, more solemn and in tune with the splendor of the imperial divine services of Constantinople. That is why it remained unknown to the Slavs, who received services from their enlighteners in a purely "Constantinople" form.

The only two places on Earth where this liturgical pearl has been carefully preserved for almost the entire second millennium are the Jerusalem Church and the island of Zakynthos in Greece, where the Liturgy of St. James, Relatives of the Lord and 70 Apostles, and in Zakynthos - at any time of the year, at the request of the abbot).

Particularly for this liturgy is the communion of those praying separately with the Body and separately with the Blood of Christ. This order was typical for the Byzantine liturgies of Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom up to the 8th century.

The expressiveness of the prayers of the liturgy of the Apostle James resurrects the living faith of the first Christians. Time seems to be turning back, and the appeals at the liturgy to the holy fathers of the ancient Church, almost to the contemporaries of this divine service, revives the feeling of closeness to them, of unity with them in God.

Apostolic Cathedral in Jerusalem

As the head of the Jerusalem Church, he presided over the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem in 51 ( according to other sources - in 49). His voice here was actually decisive. It was Jacob, according to the testimony of Acts, who delivers the final speech at the Jerusalem Council of the Apostles and the proposal made by him became the resolution of the Apostolic Council (Acts 15 chapter).

Jerusalem Apostolic Council 51 years old

When Christianity began to spread throughout the world and many pagans began to accept the Christian faith, there was confusion among Christians. Jewish Christians began to assert that Gentile Christians must strictly observe the ritual law of Moses (first of all, circumcision, that is, that they must first be converted to the Jewish faith), because otherwise they cannot be saved. A heated debate arose among Christians on this matter.

Individually, that is, independently, none of the apostles could solve such an important issue. This made St. The Apostles, together with the elders (priests), according to the commandment of Christ (Matthew 18:17), to gather at the first Apostolic Council, in Jerusalem in 51 AD.

At this council, Christians abandoned the need for baptized pagans to observe circumcision, animal sacrifices in the Jerusalem temple, as well as many ritual rituals introduced by the scribes and Pharisees into the religious life of the Jews, for blindly following which the scribes and Pharisees were denounced by Christ Himself. And, despite the fact that Jewish Christians were still forced to observe the traditions and rituals established by the elders (Acts 15:10), the final break with Judaism became a fait accompli.

The death of Jacob, the brother of the Lord

Jacob was martyred: he was thrown by the Jews from the wing of the Jerusalem temple and stoned about 62 years.

During his tenure as bishop of Jerusalem for about 30 years, he spread and established the holy faith in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine. He enjoyed great respect not only among Christians, but also among the Jews. When the Apostle Paul on his last journey visited the Apostle James, the elders gathered to him at that time, and they conveyed to him about the success of Christian preaching among the Jews in the following words: “ See, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and they are all zealots of the law”(Acts 21:20). Many of the Jews turned to the Church one by one, trusting the word of the righteous.

Seeing such an influence of the apostle, the Jewish leaders began to fear lest the whole people would turn to Christ, and decided to take advantage of the time interval between the departure of the prosecutor Festus and the arrival of Albinus (62 A.D.) in his place in order to either persuade Jacob to deny Christ, or put him to death. The high priest at this time was the godless Sadducee Anan. With a large crowd of people, the apostle was led into the portico of the temple, and after a few flattering words they disparagingly asked: “ Tell us about the Crucified One?» — « Are you asking me about Jesus?- the righteous man said loudly. - He sits in Heaven at the right hand of the Most High power and will come again on the clouds of heaven". There were many Christians in the crowd who joyfully exclaimed: “ Hosanna to the Son of David!"And the chief priests and scribes cried out:" Oh, and the righteous himself is deluded! " - and threw him to the ground. Jacob could still get up on his knees and said: “ Lord, forgive me They do not know what they do«. « Stone him“, - the enemies shouted. One Rihava priest (they did not drink wine, lived in tents, did not sow wheat, nor cultivated grapes) began to persuade them: “ What are you doing? You see: the righteous is praying for you". But at that moment one fanatic, a cloth maker by trade, hit the apostle on the head with his knuckle and killed him. Many Christians were killed with him.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, listing the reasons for the fall of Jerusalem, says that the Lord punished the Jews, among other things, for the murder of the righteous Jacob.

Cathedral Epistle of the Apostle James, the Lord's Brother in the Flesh

The Apostle James, shortly before his death, wrote a conciliar epistle. Unlike the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, the Epistle of James is not addressed to specific communities and people, but to a wide range of Christians.

The central thought of the Message is “ faith without works is dead". For this reason, the message was disliked by Protestant theologians of the Reformation period, who formulated the principle of "sola fide" - justification by faith alone. However, the contradiction between the Epistle of James and the thesis of the Apostle Paul "man is justified not by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ" is only apparent. Paul speaks of the impossibility of salvation by works alone without faith in the Savior, while James shows that real faith must necessarily be expressed in works of mercy and Christian love.

Historical information about the apostle James, brother of Jesus

The canonical Gospels contain a number of references to the brothers of Jesus Christ and to the apostles named James. In the Middle Ages, James, the "brother of the Lord" was often identified with the Apostle James Alpheus, but now biblical scholars believe that these are two different persons.

In November 2002, the discovery of the Jewish ossuary ( a limestone box for secondary burial of bones, usually used for burial in stone tombs), the inscription on which says that "Jacob, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" was buried in it. Until now, the question of the authenticity of Jacob's ossuary has not been unequivocally resolved.

Ossuary of the apostle James, brother of the Lord

The Apostle James is recalled on the holy days of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ together with his father Joseph and the holy king and prophet David, because, according to legend, he accompanied the Holy Family on their flight to Egypt and stayed there together with the Infant Jesus, the Mother of God and Joseph, serving them, and he returned with them to Judea.

Man conquered space, landed on the moon, but still dreams of a miracle. An excellent opportunity to see a miracle with your own eyes, and at the same time to test yourself - to walk the path of St. Jacob. The ancient path of the pilgrims, laid along the Pyrenees to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, stretched for 800 kilometers. To overcome it, you need good physical training and faith in help from above.

MECCA FOR CATHOLIC

This route is better known as the Way of Santiago, or El Camino de Santiago. Now 150-200 thousand people a year pass through it. So, in 2013, the grave of St. James was visited by 215,880 pilgrims. For comparison: in 1970, when Europeans rediscovered this route after years of oblivion, only 68 people crossed it. Over the years, St. Jacob's Road has become incredibly popular. Of course, not everyone travels for religious reasons. Many consider the route as a good option for a vacation, thanks to which you can see many interesting and beautiful places or take a break from the hustle and bustle of big cities. But most pilgrims, as before, dream of being in touch with a miracle. Such an opportunity for Catholics is provided by only three ways of the so-called great pilgrimage: to the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, to the tomb of St. Peter in Rome and to the relics of St. James on the Spanish coast of the Atlantic. The Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela, where the road of St. James leads, is the third most important shrine of Catholicism. The reason for this worship is the relics of St. James, the main relic.

PLACE MARKED WITH A STAR

The greatest miracle happened in Galicia in 813, when a monk, following the direction of the rays of an unusually bright star, discovered incorruptible relics in the ground. There could be no doubt that the relics belonged to Yakov: a scroll was attached to the body of the deceased, on which it was indicated in black and white who was who. Jacob was a cousin of Jesus Christ and also one of his apostles. According to legend, they cut off his head for ardent sermons in 44 in Jerusalem, put the remains in a boat and let him into the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. A chapel was built at the place of the find, indicated by the star, and over time, other buildings appeared around it. This is how the town of Santiago de Compostela was formed in Galicia. The word "composte-la" comes from the Latin expression Campus stellae, which in translation means "a place marked with a star." Over the centuries, the chapel has grown to the size of the Cathedral of St. James, which already in the Middle Ages became famous throughout the Christian world as a repository of the remains of the righteous.

The first to go to the relics of St. James was the King of the Franks Charlemagne. The day before, he dreamed of a road strewn with stars, reminiscent of the Milky Way. It stretched through all the Pyrenees, and the guiding star indicated the place on the map, where the town of Santiago de Compostela later arose. A voice from above told Charlemagne to clear this road of the Moors. In those days, such signs were taken seriously, Charles gathered an army and led him through the Pyrenees under the banner of St. James. The campaign ended with the victory of the Franks - Charles freed Navarre, Rioja, Castile, Leon, Galicia from the rule of the Moors. The grateful Spaniards did not forget the feat of Charlemagne - since then the Milky Way has been called the Heavenly Way of Santiago. The Reconquista, the liberation struggle against the Moors, ended in 1492, when the last Moorish ruler was expelled from the peninsula. During this time, the relics of St. James turned into a powerful Christian talisman. Repeatedly the great martyr appeared to the liberators at the moment when, it seemed, luck turned away from them.

INVISIBLE WATCH

People still believe in the intercession of St. James. A story is passed from mouth to mouth about how once, during a pilgrimage, a certain young man was falsely slandered for theft and condemned to be hanged. A month later, returning to their homeland, the pilgrims found the hanged man ... alive! When the poor man was removed from the gallows, he said that Saint Jacob himself had saved him from certain death, who supported his body. From that time on, here and there on the road there is an image of the gallows, and next to him is the great martyr Yakov, who supports him. This is a visual reminder to all travelers that they are under the protection of the righteous.

Day after day, pilgrims walk along the endless road that winds along goat paths in the Pyrenees, winds between the sown fields in the Spanish hinterland. Idyllic villages remain behind. It seems that today nothing here threatens the ordinary traveler. However, this is a misleading representation. On the walls of old houses, in addition to coats of arms, you can see crosses, and on the windows - bunches of herbs. What for? Local residents firmly believe that evil spirits live on the road, from which it is imperative to defend themselves. Crosses and herbs are wards against werewolves and other evil spirits that are trying to mislead both local residents and pilgrims.

Descriptions of the miracles that happen on the Way of Santiago can be heard in the Cathedral of St. James every Sunday and on holidays, when the apostle is read an akathist. It is said that one woman gave birth to dead babies. And only after she made a vow to walk all the way of St. James on foot, she gave birth to a healthy boy. But that's not all: the woman became a mother three times!

They also say that after praying in front of the icon of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, many receive help in misfortune and illness. One woman was walking along the road, and a pebble that flew out from under the car hit me hard in the eye. Edema has formed. I had to go to the local hospital. Doctors intimidated the woman: they say, retinal detachment is possible, it is necessary to urgently stop the journey. But the woman had been going to overcome Jacob's road for many years, so she decided to bring what she had begun to the end. When she got to Santiago de Compostela, her eye stopped hurting. After the examination, it turned out that everything was really all right with him.

YES TO EVERYONE

Pilgrims must obtain a special passport before setting out on a journey. The document is issued in churches, monasteries, and shelters for travelers. The second option is that the passport can be obtained by mail. An important piece of paper gives the right to stay overnight in special free shelters for pilgrims. On the way, you need to put in the passport the stamps of the churches or shelters visited by the pilgrim. If at the end of the trip he wants to receive a personal certificate in Latin about the passage of the Way of Santiago, these seals will serve as confirmation.

On the way to Santiago de Compostela, everywhere - on the facades of churches and cathedrals, on crosses and facades of residential buildings, in the display cases of souvenir shops, on paving slabs and on the fence - you come across an image of a sea shell. In addition, so that pilgrims do not get lost on the road, the entire Santiago Way is marked with special signs with the image of a shell and a yellow arrow.

There are several assumptions why in the old days the scallop shell became a symbol of pilgrims. According to one of the versions, the pilgrims believed that there is an amazing fish in the sea, with a shell on each side, and these shells were collected by the pilgrims to be sewn on clothes. According to another version, the wanderers brought shells from Finisterre - the westernmost cape on the Atlantic coast - as proof that they managed to reach the ends of the earth. Even today, paying tribute to tradition, all pilgrims attach beautiful shells to their backpacks.

In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul speaks of the appearance of Christ after the resurrection to James. In addition, James is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:17; Acts 15: 13-21; Acts 21:18) and in the Epistle to the Galatians (Gal. 1:18; Gal. 2: 9).

Liturgy of the Holy Apostle James

As you know, at the time of the Apostles there was still no strictly established order of the Divine Liturgy. The first Christians celebrated the Liturgy not according to the established pattern, but in the Holy Spirit. The Primate offered prayers and thanksgiving "as long as he could" and "as time allowed." The liturgy lasted for many hours. Gradually, the experience gained - the succession of prayers and sacred actions - was consolidated and formed into a stable rite of worship.

The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, is the treasure of the ancient Church that has come down to us through the millennia, born in its cradle, the Jerusalem Christian first community (the liturgy of John Chrysostom, familiar to every Orthodox person, which is distinguished by its special solemnity and is served today in all Orthodox churches, as well as the liturgy of Basil the Great and the Presanctified Gifts appeared much later)... In the first centuries of Christianity, until the 9th century, it was served everywhere: in Palestine, Antioch, Cyprus, southern Italy and Mount Sinai.

Despite the fact that over the centuries it still underwent some changes (added the chanting of the "Creed", the chants "It is worthy to eat", "Holy God", "Only Begotten Son ..." and some others), its strict, ascetic character and depth her prayers take us back to the days of the first martyrs and apostolic successors. However, starting from the 9th century, it was almost everywhere superseded by the liturgies of St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom, more solemn and in tune with the splendor of the imperial divine services of Constantinople. That is why it remained unknown to the Slavs, who received services from their enlighteners in a purely "Constantinople" form.

As head of the Jerusalem Church, he presided over the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem in 51 (according to other sources - in 49)... His voice here was actually decisive. It was Jacob, according to the testimony of Acts, who delivers the final speech at the Jerusalem Council of the Apostles and the proposal made by him became the resolution of the Apostolic Council (Acts 15 chapter).

Jerusalem Apostolic Council 51 years old

Individually, that is, independently, none of the apostles could solve such an important issue. This made St. The Apostles, together with the elders (priests), according to the commandment of Christ (Matthew 18:17), to gather for the first Apostolic Council, in Jerusalem in 51 AD.

The death of Jacob, the brother of the Lord

Jacob was martyred: he was thrown by the Jews from the wing of the Jerusalem temple and stoned about 62 years.

During his tenure as bishop of Jerusalem for about 30 years, he spread and established the holy faith in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine. He enjoyed great respect not only among Christians, but also among the Jews. When the Apostle Paul visited the Apostle James on his last journey, the elders gathered at that time, and the success of Christian preaching among the Jews was conveyed to him in the following words: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and they are all zealous for the law."(Acts 21:20). Many of the Jews turned to the Church one by one, trusting the word of the righteous.

Seeing such an influence of the apostle, the Jewish leaders began to fear lest the whole people would turn to Christ, and decided to take advantage of the time interval between the departure of the prosecutor Festus and the arrival of Albinus (62 A.D.) in his place in order to either persuade Jacob to deny Christ, or put him to death. The high priest at this time was the godless Sadducee Anan. With a large crowd of people, the apostle was led into the portico of the temple, and after a few flattering words they disparagingly asked: "Tell us about the Crucified One?"- "Are you asking me about Jesus?- the righteous man said loudly. - He sits in Heaven at the right hand of the Most High power and will come again on the clouds of heaven "... There were many Christians in the crowd who joyfully exclaimed: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" And the chief priests and scribes cried out: "Oh, and the righteous himself is delusional!"- and threw him to the ground. Jacob could still get up on his knees and said: "Lord, forgive me They do not know what they are doing". "Let's stone him", - the enemies shouted. One Rihava priest (they did not drink wine, lived in tents, did not sow wheat, nor cultivated grapes) began to persuade them: "What are you doing? See: the righteous is praying for you." But at that moment one fanatic, a cloth maker by trade, hit the apostle on the head with his knuckle and killed him. Many Christians were killed with him.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, listing the reasons for the fall of Jerusalem, says that the Lord punished the Jews, among other things, for the murder of the righteous Jacob.

Cathedral Epistle of the Apostle James, the Lord's Brother in the Flesh

The central thought of the Message is "Faith without works is dead"... For this reason, the message was disliked by Protestant theologians of the Reformation period, who formulated the principle of "sola fide" - justification by faith alone. However, the contradiction between the Epistle of James and the thesis of the Apostle Paul "man is justified not by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ" is only apparent. Paul speaks of the impossibility of salvation by works alone without faith in the Savior, while James shows that real faith must necessarily be expressed in works of mercy and Christian love.

Historical information about the apostle James, brother of Jesus

In November 2002, the discovery of a Jewish ossuary was announced (a box made of limestone for secondary burial of bones, usually used for burial in stone tombs), the inscription on which says that "Jacob, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" was buried in it. Until now, the question of the authenticity of Jacob's ossuary has not been unequivocally resolved.

Ossuary of the apostle James, brother of the Lord

According to legend, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him after His resurrection and made him bishop of the Jerusalem Church. Thus, a special activity fell to the lot of the Apostle James: he did not travel to preach in different countries, like the other apostles, but taught and acted in Jerusalem, which is so important for the Christian world. As head of the Jerusalem Church, he presided over the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem in 51. His voice here was actually decisive, and the proposal made by him became the resolution of the Apostolic Council. This circumstance is important, in view of the claims of Catholics to elevate the Apostle Peter to the rank of head of the Church in order to then confirm this headship to the Pope.

The significance of the Apostle James was further strengthened by his ascetic life. He was a strict virgin, did not drink wine or other alcoholic beverages, abstained from meat, wore only linen clothes. He had the habit of retiring for prayer in the temple and there he kneeled down to pray for his people. He prostrated himself to the ground in prayer so often that the skin on his knees hardened.

The ministry of the Apostle James was difficult: among many of the most ardent enemies of Christianity. But he acted with such prudence and justice that he was respected not only by Christians, but also by the Jews, and called the support of the people and the righteous.

During his tenure as bishop of Jerusalem for about 30 years, he spread and established the holy faith in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine.

The high priest at this time was the godless Sadducee Anan. With a large crowd of people, the apostle was led into the portico of the temple, and after a few flattering words they disparagingly asked: "Tell us about the crucified one?" “Are you asking me about Jesus? - said the righteous man loudly. - He sits in Heaven at the right hand of the Most High power and will come again on the clouds of heaven. There were many Christians in the crowd who joyfully exclaimed: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" The first priests and scribes cried out: "Oh, the righteous himself is in error!" and threw him to the ground. Jacob could still get up on his knees and said: “Lord, forgive them! They don't know what they are doing. " "We'll stone him," shouted his enemies. One priest from the Rihava tribe (they did not drink wine, lived in tents, did not plant wheat or grapes) began to persuade them: “What are you doing? You see, the righteous is praying for you. " But at that moment one fanatic, a cloth maker by trade, hit the apostle on the head with his knuckle and killed him. Many Christians were killed with him.

November 5 (October 23, old style) The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Apostle James, the Lord's brother in the flesh. He is also known as Jacob the Lesser, or Lesser.

The Holy Apostle James is the eldest son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage with Solomon and is called the Lord's brother in the flesh, as the son of the Betrothed Mother of God, who was considered the father of Christ.

From childhood, Jacob was a Nazirite, that is, a man who made a vow not to drink wine or strong drinks, not to eat food made from the fruit of the vine, and not to cut his hair, devoting himself to God and observing strict abstinence.

According to legend, when Jesus was a boy, Joseph the Betrothed decided to divide his land among the sons, whom he had from his first wife, and at the same time wanted to give some part to Christ; but the sons of Joseph opposed this, and only Jacob accepted Christ Jesus into the joint possession of his share, and for this he was called the brother of the Lord.

At the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, the sons of Joseph did not believe in His divine essence. Later, when Judas believed in Christ the Savior, he humbly called himself only the brother of Jacob. Another reason why it is Jacob who is called the brother of God was that he accompanied the incarnate Christ, the Most Pure Theotokos and Saint Joseph when they fled to Egypt.

When Christ began to teach the people about the Kingdom of God, Saint James believed in Christ and began to lead an even more strict and pious life, for which the Lord especially loved him. Tradition says that during the Passion of Christ, the Apostle James hid in one cave, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, vowing not to eat food until the Lord rose from the dead, and that the Lord, after His Resurrection, honored him with His special appearance in this the cave itself. Seeing his righteous life, Jacob was named righteous, and he was numbered among the seventy apostles.

The Holy Apostle James composed the Divine Liturgy, which formed the basis of the liturgies compiled by Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The Church also preserved the Epistle of the Apostle, which under his name is included in the books of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament.

At the age of 34, Saint James was elected bishop and head of the Jerusalem Church. Saint James presided at the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem and his word was decisive. During the thirty years of his bishopric, the Apostle converted many Jews to Christianity. The scribes and Pharisees, dissatisfied with this, plotted to kill Saint James.

When the question arose about Jesus before the Easter holiday, the Jews asked Jacob to tell all the people from the roof of the Jerusalem temple to the whole people about the crucified Jesus that He was not the Messiah, hoping that Jacob would bring the people to reason and keep them from a new heresy - that is how the Jews called Christianity. But the holy apostle began to loudly testify that Christ is the True Messiah.

The angry Jews threw the Apostle James from the roof, but Saint James did not die, continuing to pray for his tormentors. Then, half-dead, they began to stone him until one of the tanners killed the Saint with a blow to the head with a Valka. The martyrdom of Saint James took place about 63 years from the birth of Christ.

Saint James was buried at the place of his death - later a monument stood over his grave near the church.

In the first centuries of Christianity, the cave, where the saint fasted during the Passion of the Lord, was turned into a temple. When the Russian pilgrim Anthony visited Constantinople in 1200, he found the relics of the saint here in the chapel of the Chalcoprate church, and the head in the church of the holy apostles. Currently, his relics, according to some sources, are in Rome in the Church of 12 Apostles.