Justus of Jerusalem
Justus I Bishop of Jerusalem, whose Jewish name is Judas, was a 2nd-century Jewish Christian leader and according to most Christian traditions the third Bishop of Jerusalem, whose episcopacy was about 107–113 AD. He succeeded Simeon the son of Clopas who died crucified in 107/108, or in 115-117. He is probably a son of James, brother of Jesus and sometimes identified as the New Testament's "Jude of James", otherwise Jude the Apostle. His successor Zacchea I is also called "the Righteous", since this is the meaning of the Aramaic Zakka.
He is considered a saint and his feast day is 24 November.
Biographic information
Little is known about Justus. He appears in the third position of all the episcopal lists of Jerusalem, succeeding James the Just and Simeon of Clopas, starting with that of Eusebius of Caesarea. He is probably the leader of the city's Nazarene community, or at least of those who survived the massive Romans repressions after the Jewish revolt of 66-74 and its upheavals. Eusebius of Caesarea specifies that he was circumcised, the Nazarene movement considering itself to be a Jewish movement. However, during the last quarter of the first century the rift between the Nazoreans and the Jewish community widened. It was probably at this time that a new draft of the Birkat haMinim was written containing a curse on heretics among which the Nazoreans are included.Simon Claude Mimouni believes that it is possible that Justus is the son of James, the “brother” of Jesus. In this case, he would have acceded to the episcopate at an advanced age since he would be "necessarily born before 61/62, date of the execution of his father, which could then explain the short duration of his mandate", in particular if Simeon died under the consulate of Tiberius Claudius Atticus Herodes, as Eusebius of Caesarea indicates.
He is called Justus in most sources. In one of the episcopal lists, the character nicknamed Justus is nicknamed Barsabas. He is however designated under the name of Judas by Epiphanius of Salamis who quotes the list of the Apostolic Constitutions. In these, it is reported that Judas is the son of James quoted two lines previously: that is to say "James, brother of Christ according to the flesh" as stated in Apostolic Constitutions VIII, 35, 1. The pseudonym - or name - Justus is found very frequently among members of the family of Jesus, who is himself called the Righteous by Stephen in his speech as recomposed in the Acts of the Apostles, or by Claudia Procula, Pilate's wife at the time of his trial. His name could therefore be Judas, but he is better known by his nickname "the Righteous", which almost becomes a title.