Why was St James the Greater martyred?

James’ zeal for Jesus resulted in his being the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred. He was killed with the sword on order of King Herod Agrippa I of Judea, about 44 A.D., in a general persecution of the early church.

What does St James represent?

James, son of Zebedee, disciple of Jesus Christ and later canonised as St James the Greater, is the patron saint of both Spain and Galicia. Saint James is known in Spanish as Santiago and he’s also the patron saint of Guatemala, Nicaragua and of fishermen.

What is James the Greater symbol and what does it represent?

James’ emblem was the scallop shell (or “cockle shell”), and pilgrims to his shrine often wore that symbol on their hats or clothes. The French term for a scallop is coquille St. Jacques, which means “cockle (or mollusk) of [St.] Jacob”.

What is the legend of St. James?

According to tradition, one of Jesus’s favourite apostles, St. James the Greater, was ordered to be beheaded, by King Herod Agrippa. James’s disciples collected the saint’s body and took it away in a rudderless boat, which God guided from Palestine to the coast of Galicia, where he was buried.

Who was the first disciple martyred?

James
James was the first of the 12 to be put to death. King Herod had him killed by the sword in Jerusalem (Acts 12). There are some non-biblical traditions about James that I will address later.

What does St. James the Greater hold?

James the Greater, the pilgrim’s staff and gourd for holding water are symbolic of the saint’s long journey as a pilgrim sent by Jesus to evangelize Spain. An iconic symbol associated with pilgrimage, a scallop shell or ‘viera’ is also pinned to his cloak.

What is the symbolism of the Twelve Apostles?

Unity believes the 12 apostles are the team that Jesus brought together to tell the world about our inherent divine nature, called the Christ within. The 12 apostles represent the 12 fundamental aspects or faculties that embody our divine nature.

Why St James is an important figure in the Church and in Christianity?

He was the chief spokesman for the Jerusalem church at the Council of Jerusalem regarding Paul’s mission to the Gentiles (Acts 15:13) and final visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21:18). Later tradition records that James was called “the Just” and was noted for his fulfillment of Jewish law.