James, Intercessor for Jerusalem; (half brother of Jesus)

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Along with his brothers and sisters, James did not believe in Jesus before the Resurrection.
Paul mentions that the resurrected Jesus appeared to James.1Cor.15:7
James and his siblings were among the disciples meeting together before Pentecost (Ac.1:14).
Peter asks his listeners to "tell James and the brothers about this" (Peter's release from Herod Agrippa's prison by an Angel) (Ac.12:18).
This is the first direct mention of James.
Peter's request means James is prominent in the Jerusalem church.
Paul calls James "the Lord’s brother" and implies that he is one of its "pillars" (Gal.1:19, 2:9).
Luke describes James as the leader of the Jerusalem church about a decade later (Ac.21:18).
A shift in leadership from Peter to James has occurred in the Jerusalem church.
Peter may be an "Apostle at large" and not seen as the Jerusalem leader due to his association with Gentiles which brought him and the church in conflict with Herod (James (brother of John) has already been beheaded).
James the Just is more acceptable to Pharisees and Sadducees.
He is called "old camel knees" because of the time he spends in prayer as an intercessor for Jerusalem.
Eusebius also preserves an ancient tradition that says it is the apostles themselves who chose James to be the leader of the Jerusalem church.
At the time of Peter’s escape from Herod in the mid-A.D. 40s, James seems to be the leader of the Jerusalem church.
A.D. 49, James presides over the Jerusalem Council as chief spokesperson of the church.
He has authority to finalize what things churches located in areas outside Jerusalem should practice (Ac.15:13-21).
James continues to maintain his presence in Jerusalem for many years (21:17-25).

There is no biblical account of his death.


Eusebius (lived ~200 AD, so not much credibility here to bust old political tales) preserves a tradition that James is said to be thrown from a wing of the temple (supposedly the spire the devil took Jesus to) which he survived, only to be beaten to death with a club. (possibly stoned to death).
Tradition has it that the high priest Annus II has him killed in ~A.D. 62
in the time between Roman governors Festus and Albinus.

So there is nothing solid in a tradition written ~100 years later.

By AD 66, the Jews instigated a rebellion against the Romans
which leads to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70
(could that have been because the intercession and statesmanship of James and the Church, that is,
the Gracious Nature of Jesus is now missing from Jerusalem?).

Did James/Church just heed the prophetic word of Jesus (Matt24) to move out of Jerusalem (the stronghold of the persecuting Jews) to scatter into the surrounding countryside or nations?
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