Alpheus (father of James son of Alpheus)
Father of the Apostle James the Less
Alpheus is a New Testament figure known exclusively as the father of the apostle James – one of the twelve, often referred to as "James the younger" or "son of Alpheus," in distinction from James the son of Zebedee. His name appears in all four lists of apostles in the New Testament, in the Synoptic Gospels and in Acts, yet he never acts as an independent character in any of the narratives. Despite this anonymity, the name Alpheus raises several interesting questions. A widespread church tradition identifies his wife with Mary mentioned at the cross in Mark 15:40 as mother of "James the younger and Joses." It has also been discussed whether he might be identical to Cleopas, mentioned in John 19:25, or with the Alpheus who is called father of the tax collector Levi in Mark 2:14. However, both these connections remain disputed and unconfirmed based solely on the New Testament texts.
Familia
Hechos clave
Mentioned as James' father in the lists of apostles
Alpheus is mentioned as the father of the Apostle James in the lists of Jesus' twelve disciples. His son was called by Jesus to be among the twelve apostles. The patronymic 'son of Alpheus' appears in all four apostle lists in the New Testament.
Possible connection to Mary at the cross
At Jesus' crucifixion, Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joses, is mentioned among the women who were present. If this James is identical with the Apostle James son of Alpheus, then this Mary was Alpheus' wife. She is also mentioned among the women who came to the tomb on Easter morning.
Possible connection to Levi/Matthew's father
In Mark 2:14, the tax collector Levi is called 'son of Alpheus'. It is debated among scholars whether this Alpheus is the same as the father of the Apostle James. If they are identical, James and Levi (traditionally identified with Matthew) would have been brothers, but this is not explicitly confirmed in any New Testament text.