[The_Reader_David]

In the East the traditional understanding is quite clear: James and Jesus other brothers were His legal half-brothers (though in fact unrelated to Him) being the sons of St. Joseph the Betrothed by his previous wife, Salome.

St. James is titled "Brother of the Lord" in Orthodox hymnography because alone among Jesus' juridical half-brothers he was willing to share the inheritance from Joseph with Jesus. He also accompanied the Holy Family into exile in Egypt: Orthodox icons of the flight into Egypt show the aged Joseph, the young Virgin Mary carrying the Christ Child, and a youth--St. James.

That Jesus' brothers were not children of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is testified to by Christ's entrusting of Mary to the care of St. John: it would have contravened Jewish law and custom to do so had she had other children.

[Pyro7480]

Since Mary was legally their mother, wouldn't Jesus, by Jewish tradition, entrust her to these siblings, and not to the beloved Apostle John?

[Mark in the Old South]

You bring up an interesting issue. Both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox have the same tradition and both agree Saint Mary was Ever Virgin. Both claim a tradition back to the original churches.

Protestants which were founded at the earliest 1517 claim they know different. The only Protestant faith that I know about that claims a tradition as old are the Anglicans and they do not claim to know one way or the other.

[dangus]

Salome is St. Joseph's previous wife!??? Surely, this is not the same Salome who witnesses the resurrection? I presumed the Orthodox would believe St. Joseph to be a widower, not a divorcee!

(And I state that rhetorically, for I am sure you will dispel my false presumption, will you not?)