James the Less - Who was he?

James the Less is a figure of early Christianity,possibly one of the 12 chosen by Jesus.
According to translation he is called ’ the minor’, the little’, ‘the lesser’ or ‘the younger’

Jesus chose his 12 apostles Matthew ch10 v 3-10,
Mark ch 4 v 13-19
Luke ch 6 v 12-16
*first Simon (also called Peter)
then Andrew (Peter’s brother)
James (son of Zebedee)
John (Jame’s brother)
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew ( the tax collector)
James (son of Alphaeus)
Simon ( the zealot)
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)
*
We have the ‘sons of Zebedee’ - John and James- he is not that James. This James is recognised as James the Great ( although that designation does not appear in the New Testament)

The other James in the 12 is James the son of Alphaeus

James is mentioned 3 other times In the Gospels along with the phrase Mary the mother of James.

Matthew ch 27 v 56 * Mary (the mother of James and Joseph)
Mark ch 15 v 40, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph)
Luke ch 24 v 10 Mary the mother of James
At no point is this Mary actually referred to being the mother of Jesus.

In Matthew ch 13 v 55 and Mark ch 6 v 3 *he’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary his mother and his brother’s - James, Joseph, Simon and Judas

This James is clearly a brother of Jesus.

The experts are divided as to whether James the Less was James, son of Alphaeus OR James the brother of Jesus.
Jerome concludes that James the Less, James, son of Alphaeus and James the brother of Jesus are one and the same person.

Read the thoughts of Jerome, Jacobus de Varagine and Papias of Hierapolis.
Modern scholars are divided,
Reach your own conclusion