James, the son of Zebedee, was the older brother of John. We can get a notion of what these brothers were like by the nickname Jesus gave them, “THE SONS OF THUNDER” which might indicate that they were loud and impulsive. James and John, along with Peter, were members of Jesus’ inner circle and were witnesses to his most intimate moments.
James was beheaded by Herod in Jerusalem. He was the first of Jesus’ disciples to die for his faith in 44 A. D.