The Cathedral of St. James is a 12th century Armenian church located in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem.
The Cathedral is named after James the brother of Jesus, the first bishop of Jerusalem and James the Apostle, brother of John the Evangelist, who was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in 44 CE. (Acts 12:1,2) Both were killed and according to tradition buried at this site: The tomb of St.James, the Apostle, the brother of St. John the Evangelist, is right, and the tomb of St.James, the brother of Jesus, left.
To the left of the entrance are three small chapels. The first from the entrance contains the tomb of Makarios, the bishop of Jerusalem in the fourth century. The third from the entrance is the shrine where the head of St. James the Apostle is entombed. Armenians believe that he was buried here in the first century after his execution by King Herod Agrippa I, about 44 CE. The second chapel is the site of the tomb of St. James, the brother of Jesus.
On the walls in the courtyard are katchkars (Armenian), stone plaques engraved with crosses and inscriptions, brought by pilgrims to commemorate their visit. The oldest katchkars are from the 12th century.
