How did James die?

How did James die?

• A. Martyred by being thrown down from the Temple and stoned while praying
• B. Executed by beheading
• C. Died in exile
• D. Died peacefully in Jerusalem

Answer: (A)

James the brother of Jesus, a key leader in the Jerusalem church, was martyred in Jerusalem. Early Christian historians report that he was condemned for his faith and killed by being thrown from the Temple and then stoned, with some accounts noting he was beaten with a club afterward. This traditional sequence matches the option describing being thrown down from the Temple and stoned while praying, making it the best-supported answer. The other death scenarios—beheading, dying in exile, or dying peacefully in Jerusalem—do not align with the historical accounts about this James.

James the brother of Jesus, a key leader in the Jerusalem church, was martyred in Jerusalem. Early Christian historians report that he was condemned for his faith and killed by being thrown from the Temple and then stoned, with some accounts noting he was beaten with a club afterward. This traditional sequence matches the option describing being thrown down from the Temple and stoned while praying, making it the best-supported answer. The other death scenarios—beheading, dying in exile, or dying peacefully in Jerusalem—do not align with the historical accounts about this James.