Symbols Of Biblical Characters: James The Elder

Symbols Of Biblical Characters:

Church Symbol: The Staff, and scallop shells-traditionally the symbols of a pilgrim. (Symbols representing: James the Elder.)

This was James, the son of Zebedee, one of Christ's twelve Apostles.
He was the older brother of St. John (Evangelist John).

Mark 1:19,20 KJV
19. And when He had gone a little farther thence, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20.And straightway He called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Later the sons of Zebedee, would be called, “Boanerges,” meaning the "sons of thunder," members of Christ's inner most circle.
On the Mount of Transfiguration, James was there.
On the Mount of Olives, in the garden, where Jesus prayed in agony, James was there.
On the day of Christ's ascension, James was praying with the other apostles.

Some fifteen years after his Galilee calling, tradition says that before the day of passover, James was put to death by sword, by Herod Agrippa I in 44 A.D.

Acts 12:1-3 KJV
[1] Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
[2] And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
[3] And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Tradition says that James visited Spain before his martyrdom.