Ap – James (Jacob or Ya’akov)

James (Jacob or Ya’akov)

James (Jacob, or Ya’akov) is named as Yeshua’s half-brother in the gospels, along with Joseph (Joses), Simon and Judah, all popular Hebrew names in Eretz (Land of) Isra’el during this period, and an unspecified number of unnamed sisters (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3; First Corinthians 9:5). The exact manner in which Jacob became the leader in the Messianic community in Jerusalem is hard to trace. Many identify Acts 12:17 as the significant turning point when Peter left Jerusalem and went to another place after being delivered from prison by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:1-19). It seems that the leadership void was filled – in an unspecified fashion – by Ya’akov’s rise to prominence. Being Yeshua’s brother, his personal qualities, his Davidic descent and the prompting of the Ruach ha-Kodesh all played a part in his rise to leadership in the Jerusalem community.

Christian tradition has long held that James represented the “Torah-observant” stream of early Christianity in contrast to Paul’s “Torah-free” gospel. The certain men of James (2:12) were not Judaizers (to see link click Ag – Who Were the Judaizers?), for Ya’akov would not send such men, but Jewish believers, who, like Jacob, were still most scrupulous in their obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah. Even after the decision by the Jerusalem council (see the commentary on Acts Bt – The Council’s Letter to the Gentile Believers) regarding the relation of Torah observance to Gentile believers, still held to the view that Jewish believers still needed to be “Torah-observant.”

Even the Church Father Eusebius’ description of James – based on Hegesippus – supplies no definite certification of James’ pharisaic status, his most outstanding characteristic – his Nazirite existence – being a commitment made by many different people, as also his ascetic lifestyle and dedication to prayer, “The leadership of the Church passed to James the brother of the Lord, together with the Apostles. He was called “the Just” by all men from the Lord’s time to ours, since many are called Jacob, but he was [a Nazirite] from his mother’s womb. He drank no wine or strong drink, nor did he eat [animal] flesh; no razor went upon his head; he did not anoint himself with oil. He alone was allowed to enter alone into the sanctuary, for he did not wear wool, but linen, and he had a habit of entering the Temple alone and could be found kneeling and praying for forgiveness for the people. So that from his excessive righteousness he was called “the Just,” and Oblias, which in Greek means, protection of the people and righteousness, as the prophets declare concerning him.³¹

Jacob remained the leader of the Messianic community in Jerusalem until his death around 62 AD. While he lived, his influence was so great that even some of the leading citizens of the City believed that Yeshua was the long-awaited Messiah. This horrified the members of the Sanhedrin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). Somehow, because he was known to be “Torah observant,” the Pharisees thought that they could get James to discourage the people from believing in Messiah. So, they asked him to stand on the highest point of the Temple Mount.

The dizzying vantage point in the southeast corner of the Temple Mount was specifically from the Royal Stoa. Both Mattityahu and Luke use the same Greek word pterygion, which is a diminutive form of pteryx or wing. In B’rit Chadashah times, pterygion generally described the outermost part of something. Therefore, this expression can be translated tower, pinnacle, apex, peak or extreme point, seen in the lower left-hand corner of the picture below.

Both Matthew 4:5 and Luke 4:9a have the definite article coming before pterygion, which indicates that a specific, well known highest point is being dealt with. Not only that, but both authors use the word hieron or Temple Mount, and not naos or Sanctuary, for the expression the highest point of the Temple. Once this is understood, the spot is easy to identify. The most imposing vantage point in the entire Temple Mount is described by the Jewish historian Josephus. He wrote: The Royal Stoa was a structure more noteworthy than any under the sun. The depth of the ravine [below] was so great, when combined with the height of the Stoa, that no one [would dare] bend over [the ledge] because he would become so dizzy he wouldn’t be able to see the end of the measureless depth (paraphrased for readability).³² Josephus also reported that the drop to the valley floor was some 450 feet.

This is exactly where the ancient Serpent took Yeshua, and tempted Him saying: If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. To make the temptation more persuasive, the great dragon quoted Scripture. Quoting Psalm 91:11-12, he said: For it is written, “He will command His angels concerning You to guard you carefully; and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone” (Matthew 4:6; Luke 9b-10).

With that subtle and clever twist of quoting Psalm 91:11-12, the deceiver thought he had backed Messiah into a corner. It’s as if Satan was saying, “You claim to be God’s Son and trust His Word, so why don’t you demonstrate your Sonship and prove the truth of His Word by putting Him to a test – a scriptural test? If you won’t use your own divine power to help yourself, let your Father use His divine power to help You.” For Yeshua to have followed the devil’s suggestion to be saved by heavenly angels would have been, in the eyes of many Jews, a sure proof that He was the Messiah. But, Yeshua would not yield to the deceiver, and neither would James.

The Pharisees and Sadducees asked Ya’alov to stand at the highest point of the Temple Mount on Pesach and speak to the people below. Apparently James agreed. They brought him to the wing of the Temple Mount and shouted so that the people could hear, “Oh, righteous one, in whom we are able to place great confidence; the people are led astray after Yeshua, the crucified one. So declare to us, what is this way, Yeshua?”

Obviously, this wasn’t a very wise thing for them to do. Jacob was ready to defend his faith at any cost. His words are memorable, “Why do you ask me about Yeshua, the Son of Man? He sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and He will soon come on the clouds of heaven!” The Pharisees and Sadducees, realizing their terrible mistake, threw him off the highest point of the Temple Mount to his death because he would not renounce his faith.³³