WHO WAS JAMES?

James (Greek: Iakobos; Hebrew: Jacob) the son of Zeb'e-dee (gift of Jah). Zeb'e-dee was also the father of John. He was among the first (Mark1) whom Jesus called as disciples together with his brother John.
Zeb'e-dee's wife Salome was the sister of Jesus' mother Mary, this made Zeb'e-dee,  Jesus' uncle, and James and John, Jesus' first cousins.
Zeb'e-dee was a fisherman and his sons James and John were partners with Peter and Andrew in the fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. Salome, wife of Zeb'e-dee, were able to render material services to Jesus. While there is no indication that Zeb'e-dee himself followed Jesus, his family freely did so.
When Jesus called James and John together with their associate fishermen Peter and Andrew to be his disciples and "fishers of men," their business were large enough to employ hired men.
James is always mentioned along with his brother John, and in the majoruty of instances he is mentioned first. They together with Peter belonged to the inner circle of Jesus' disciples. In the 4 lists of the 12, James is always among the the first 3 names. (Matt.10; Mark.3; Luke 6; Acts 1).
Often Peter, James and John are described as being together in close company with Christ. For example, these 3 were the only ones present with Christ in the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt.17), also they were the only ones invited into the house to witness the resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Luke 8), and were the ones closest to Jesus in Geth-Semane while he was praying the last night. (Mark 14).
Peter, James, and John, together with Andrew, were the ones that asked Jesus when the foretold destruction of Jerusalem's temple would be and what would be the sign of his presence and the conclusion of the system of things (Mark 13).
To James and his brother, Jesus gave the surname Boa-Nerges, a Semitic term meaning "Sons of Thunders," (Mark 3), because of the strong brash personalities (energetic, fiery and enthusiastic nature) of these men. On one occasion, for example, when certain Samaritans were inhospitable toward Jesus, James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to annihilate them. Although reproved by Jesus for their murderous anger in their hearts toward the Samaritan Village that refused Him entry, it also suggests that  an attitude of extreme indignation in the heart of a Christian, even though for a righteous cause, do not justify murder.
They also showed their desire for precedence among the 12 disciples in the Kingdom of God, entertaining ambitions in their heart of having the most prominent positions in the Kingdom, at the right and left of Jesus, and got their mother to request such favors of Him, instead of them  doing it directly. After explaining that such decisions were made by the Father, Jesus took the occasion to point out "Whoever wants to be the first among you must be your slave (Matt. 20). Jesus also predicted that they must "drink the cup that I drink," the cup of death.
James did drink the cup of death when he died executed by the sword (44CE) by the hand of Herod Agrippa I. He was the 1st of the 12 who died by the sword. (Acts 12). While post-Biblical Christian legend claims that all the 12 except John were executed for the faith, James is the only one of the 12 whose execution is substantiated in the Biblical record. (Acts 12).
Christian tradition has called James "the Great / Major"to distinguish him from James the son of Alpha-Eus (leader or chief), "the Less / Minor," and the 9th listed of the 12 Apostles. (Matt. 10; Mark 3; Luke 6; Acts 1). In the four lists of the Apostles (Matt.10; Mark 5; Luke 6; Acts1) the 2nd James is listed, always explicitly "the son of Alpha-Eus" to distinguish him from the other James. Traditional beliefs also tells a legend of how James, without specifying the son of who, preached in Spain and was eventually buried there. His supposed tomb in the Church of Santiago (St. James) de Compostela in NorthWest Spain has been a major pilgrimage site since medieval times.
James is the traditional author of the NT Letter in his name. While most contemporary scholars dispute the authenticity of the Letter, some strongly defend it. The author of Jude refers to this James as his own brother (in faith). In post NT times, James became the traditional head of the Jewish-Christian wing of the Church, figuring in Gnostic, Jewish-Christian, and Great Church writings.
The Order of St. James of Compostela was founded in the 12th century CE, owing its name to James the Grater, the national patron of Galicia and Spain. Galicia is an autonomous community in the North-West of the Iberian Peninsula, being bordered by Portugal to the South, the Spanish autonomous communities of Castille and Leon, and Asturias to the East, and the Atlantic Ocean to the West and North. Galicia was inhabited by humans around 100,000 years ago and took its name from the Gall-Aeci, the Celtic people living North of the Do-Ur-o River during the last millennium BC.
After the death of the Grand Master in 1493, the Catholic Monarchs incorporated the Order into the Spanish Crown and the Pope Adrian IV forever united the office of Grand Master of James to the Crown in 1523. The 1st Republic suppressed the Order in 1873, although the Restoration was re-established, it was reduced to an nobiliary Institute of honorable character. It was ruled by a Superior Council dependent of the Ministry of War, which was also reduced after the proclamation of the 2nd Republic in 1931. The Order of Lames was restored (together with Calatrava, Alcantara, and Montesa) was restored as a Civil Association with the kingship of Juan Carlos I again with the character of a nobiliary, honorable, and religious organization that remains as such.
The Order's Insignia is a red cross resembling a Sword, with the shape of a fleur-de-lis (represent "honor without stain") on the hilt and the arms. The cross of the royal standard had a Mediterranean scallop in the center and another one at the end of each arm. The shape originated in the Era of the Crusades, when knights took with them small crosses with sharpened bottoms to stick them to the ground. Then the knights wore the cross stamped on the royal standard and white cape.
The sword represent the chivalrous character of the apostle and his heart full of vengeance also  his prevalence ambition over the rest of the apostles. He died being decapitated with a sword. From this teaching comes this saying "Whoever lives by the sword die by the sword."
Tradition, in general, belief that Alpha-Eus was the same person as Clopas (John 19), which make him the husband of "the other Mary." (Matt.27; Mark 15;16; Luke 24). It was common in those times that an individual held two different names.