Category:James (subject)

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James the Just was the brother of Jesus of Nazareth and the leader of the Church of Jerusalem.

Overview

James, the "brother of Jesus", is the only follower of Jesus recorded by name by Josephus. After the death of his brother he was the leader of the Church of Jerusalem, the actual head of the early Christian movement. In the 60s he was executed by the High Priest Ananiah. The outrage for his execution was so widespread, even outside the Christian community, that caused the removal of Ananias from the High Priesthood.

In 2002 great sensation came from the discovery of an ossuary with the inscription “James son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The finding was presented to the public by the Discovery Channel on October 21, 2002, and in November of the same year the artifact was exhibited in connection with the Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. On June 18, 2003, however, a report by the Israeli Antiquities Authority concluded that the inscription on the “James ossuary” was a modern forgery.