St. James the Greater is the son of Zebedee and Salome and the brother of St. John the Evangelist. He was born in Bethsaida to a family believed to have been of relatively high social standing. He and his brother are sometimes called Boanerges or "Sons of Thunder" because, although they were usually of a gentle nature, they sometimes became angry and hot-headed. It is possible he is a first cousin of Jesus.
St. James is often confused with two other individuals named James mentioned in the New Testament. The first is St. James the Less who was also an apostle. It is unclear to what exactly the epithets Greater or Less refer, but many believe it is either height or age. The other figure is James, the brother of Jesus also known as James the Just. This later figure was an important leader in the early Church in Jerusalem and is believed by some to be the same as James the Less.
Regardless of which James he actually was, we do know that James the Greater was among the first disciples called, being called with his brother directly from their fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. He is often described as being within the "inner circle" of followers, being present at many important events such as the Transfiguration. James also has the distinction of being the first Apostle martyred and the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament. Acts of the Apostles records that King Herod Agrippa had James executed by the sword.
Among the traditions which have grown up around St. James is the tradition that he preached the gospel in Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal). According to this tradition, he was preaching when the Virgin Mary appeared to him atop a pillar in Zarazoga, Spain, Following this appearance, he returned to Judea where he was martyred. After his death, his body was taken back to Spain and buried in Compostela. Some accounts say his body was actually flown back in a rudderless boat directed by angels. Consequently, pilgrimages to Compostela to his grave using the Way of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) have been among the most popular pilgrimages in Western Europe since the Middle Ages.