Saint James the Apostle was one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. He was the son of Zebedee, a Galilean fisherman, and the elder brother of the Evangelist John. Together with the holy Apostles Peter and John, Saint James belonged to the inner circle of Christ’s disciples.
The Lord revealed His Divine nature during the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor; they were with Christ when He healed the daughter of Jairus and during His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Saint James the Apostle preached in Spain, and upon his return to Jerusalem, having led many to Christ, he was put to death by the sword in the year 44, by order of King Herod Agrippa (37–44). Saint James, son of Zebedee, is the only Apostle whose martyrdom is mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 12:2).
The beheaded head of Saint James the Apostle was laid to rest at the site where the Cathedral of Saint James of Jerusalem (Srbots Hakobyants) now stands. His body was transferred and buried in Spain. In the 9th century, shepherds discovered his tomb containing the relics of his beheaded body, over which the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral was later erected.
The Cathedral of Saint James (Srbots Hakobyants) also houses the body of Saint James, the Brother of the Lord, one of the Seventy Apostles of Christ. The Cathedral belongs to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is a pan-Christian holy site.
Saint John the Apostle was one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. Initially a disciple of John the Baptist, upon hearing his testimony about Christ, he followed Him. He was granted Christ’s special love and was called the “beloved disciple.”
On the night of Jesus’ arrest, he faithfully followed his Master, sharing in His sufferings and accompanying Him to Golgotha.
While on the Cross, Jesus, showing care for His Mother and entrusting her to His beloved disciple John, said, “Behold thy mother!” and to His Mother He said, “Behold thy son!”
Saint John the Apostle preached in the cities of Asia Minor, particularly in Ephesus, as well as on the island of Patmos, where he was exiled. He died in Ephesus around the year 100, at nearly ninety years of age, being the only one of the twelve Apostles to complete his earthly life without a martyr’s death.
Saint John the Apostle is the author of the Fourth Gospel, for the theological depth of which he is called the Theologian, as well as the three General Epistles and the Book of Revelation of John the Apostle.
Saints James and John are called the Sons of Thunder, since the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave them this name (Mark 3:17), indicating their fiery zeal, spiritual strength, and powerful witness to the Gospel, like thunder awakening human hearts.