Saint James Cathedral

In today video tour we are visiting the Saint James Cathedral within the Armenian quarter in old Jerusalem. The church of Saint James is one of the few cathedrals in Jerusalem from the Crusades to have survived almost intact. The Cathedral is considered one of the beautifule churches in Old Jerusalem

The church is dedicated to two martyred saints. One is St. James the Great which was one of the first apostles of Jesus and lost his head by the order of Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. According to Armenian tradition, the head of St. James the Great is buried within a small chapel inside the Saint James Cathedral which we are visiting in this video tour.

The second saint is James the Less which is believed to be a close relative of Jesus and who became the first bishop of Jerusalem. James the Less was executed by the Temple authorities by being thrown from the Temple platform and then stoned to death. Saint James the Less’ body is also believed to be buried within the church but not in a place with access to the public.