James, son of Zebedee (JAYMZ) — James was a Galilean fisherman, John’s brother, one of the Twelve, and a member of Jesus’s close circle with Peter and John. Acts records his execution by Herod Agrippa I.
Birth year: Unknown.
Death year: Unknown.
Active during: The ministry of Jesus through the reign of Herod Agrippa I; killed around AD 44.
Home region: The Sea of Galilee region and Jerusalem.
Main passages: Mark 1:19–20; 3:17; 10:35–45; Acts 12:1–2.
Story and role
James was a Galilean fisherman, John’s brother, one of the Twelve, and a member of Jesus’s close circle with Peter and John. Acts records his execution by Herod Agrippa I.
How the dates were determined
The biblical text places James, son of Zebedee in the ministry of Jesus through the reign of Herod Agrippa I; he was killed around AD 44. Scripture does not provide enough evidence for a responsible birth year. BC means “before Christ”; AD marks years in the traditional Christian calendar.
Limits of the evidence
Scripture does not give James’s age or a detailed account of his work after Jesus’s resurrection. Later traditions about travel to Spain are not established by the New Testament. The artwork is an imagined historical illustration, not a known likeness.
Explore the places connected with James, son of Zebedee on a modern reference map.
Read further
Mark 1:19–20; 3:17; 10:35–45; Acts 12:1–2, NIV; BiblicalTraining reference library.