James, the son of Zebedee, was one of the Twelve apostles and the brother of John; together, Jesus nicknamed them the Sons of Thunder. Jesus called the two brothers while they were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. James was part of Jesus’ inner circle along with Peter and John and was present at key moments such as the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the Transfiguration. He was later executed by King Herod Agrippa I, becoming the first of the apostles to be martyred.
Key references: Matthew 4:21–22, Mark 5:37, Acts 12:2