James, brother of Jesus

About James, brother of Jesus

James, often referred to as James the Just, was the brother of Jesus of Nazareth and an early, pivotal leader within the nascent Christian movement in Jerusalem. According to early Christian tradition, he was highly respected for his piety and became known as a pillar of the Jerusalem church alongside Peter and John. His historical significance, which places him at rank #524 in the Pantheon project's Historical Popularity Index, stems from his assumed authority in the earliest decades of Christianity, influencing the direction and early doctrines of the faith before its broader expansion.

Despite this foundational role, James, brother of Jesus, receives relatively modest modern digital attention. In 2025, his annualized Wikipedia pageviews totaled 491K, resulting in an Attention Gap of approximately 1x, indicating his current internet visibility aligns closely with his historical importance, unlike many figures whose online presence far outstrips their HPI rank. For comparison, Saul (HPI #896) receives significantly more attention at 754K views, while contemporaries like the 14th Dalai Lama (#661 importance) garner 1.9M views, highlighting a disparity in attention within the religious leadership category.

His modest year-over-year change of +2.3% and stable momentum suggest his current level of online interest is steady rather than rapidly surging, perhaps reflecting a persistent, but not dominant, niche interest among those exploring early religious history.