Ca 77 CE

The Jewish Christian First Apocalypse of James is produced in Palestine as a response to Mark and takes no prisoners unlike the earlier Apocalypse of James which merely tries to distance James from Judaism and makes only one bleak negative reference to the Roman mission.  This work forthrightly denies that Jesus and James are brothers in the flesh unlike the Roman tradition and rejects the entire heritage of Judaism which is conserved by Roman Christianity in their retention of the Old Testament: “Leave Jerusalem.  For, it is she who always gives the cup of bitterness to the sons of light.” However, it is devotional in having hymns and Hebraic in its uplifting of James and open discussion of Wisdom and the Sophia Mythos. This work denies the suffering of Jesus upon the cross who then appears to James and kisses him.  It discusses the transmission of information that will go from James to Addai (who would be Judas Thomas) to Levi (who would be Matthew).  The women disciples are complimented and encouraged but James rebukes “the twelve”.  The text is corrupted at this point but it is clear that a minority of the disciples conspire to kill James.  This must be a reference to Paul.  The rest say: “We have no part in his blood for a just man will perish through injustice” which is transposed to the hand-washing of Pilate when Matthew is published.  This indicates the First Apocalypse of James was probably published before Matthew.