James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord (Latin: Iacomus from Hebrew: יעקב‎ Ya’akov and Greek: Ἰάκωβος Iákōbos, can also be Anglicized as “Jacob”), was a brother of Jesus, according to the New Testament. He was an early leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age. He died as a martyr in AD 62 or 69.

Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, as well as some Anglicans and Lutherans, teach that James, along with others named in the New Testament as “brothers” of Jesus, were not the biological children of Mary, but were possibly cousins of Jesus,[4] or half-brothers from a previous marriage of Joseph (as related in the Gospel of James).

Roman tradition holds that this James is to be identified with James, son of Alphaeus, and James the Less. It is agreed by most that he should not be confused with James, son of Zebedee.