James, the son of Alphaeus, was one of the Twelve apostles. This is not the same James who was the brother of John. Different James. Very little is recorded about him in Scripture compared with some of the other apostles. He is sometimes associated with “James the Less,” mentioned among the women at the crucifixion as the son of Mary, though the Bible does not clearly confirm this identification.
Key references: Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Mark 15:40