Saint James, also called James, son of Zebedee, or James the Greater, (born, Galilee, Palestine—died 44 ce, Jerusalem; feast day July 25), one of the Twelve Apostles, distinguished as being in Jesus’ innermost circle and the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:2). James’ younger brother was John.
James’ zeal for Jesus resulted in his being the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred. James was beheaded by the order of King Herod Agrippa I, grandson of King Herod the Great. It is believed that St. James’s remains were taken from Jerusalem and transported, by boat, to northern Spain.
Eventually, the apostle was buried at the place where Santiago de Compostela now exists. According to legend, the burial place was discovered by a shepherd who saw a bright light in the sky one night. An archbishop then discovered that St. James was buried there; eventually, a cathedral was erected at the site. As word spread about the saint’s good deeds – and the location of his burial site – pilgrims started flowing in. Eventually James became the patron saint of Spain.
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