The Sons of Zebedee as Jesus' Cousins

[Yekcidmij]

Looking at the people standing at the cross in Matthew, Mark and John (none named in Luke), it would appear that we should conclude that Salome was Mary's sister and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, were therefore Jesus' cousins. At the cross we have these individuals named:

Mary Magdelene
Mary the mother of James and Joses (seems to be the same as Jesus' mother)
Mary the wife of Clopas
Salome

and we have two individuals unnamed:

the mother of the sons of Zebedee
Mary's sister

It would seem that the parallels across the gospels identify Salome to be Mary's sister and thus James and John as Jesus' cousins.

What do you think?



Mark 15.40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome

Matt 27.56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

John 19.25 ...But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

 

[tz620q]

Looking at the people standing at the cross in Matthew, Mark and John (none named in Luke), it would appear that we should conclude that Salome was Mary's sister and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, were therefore Jesus' cousins. At the cross we have these individuals named:

Mary Magdelene
Mary the mother of James and Joses (seems to be the same as Jesus' mother)
Mary the wife of Clopas
Salome

and we have two individuals unnamed:

the mother of the sons of Zebedee
Mary's sister

It would seem that the parallels across the gospels identify Salome to be Mary's sister and thus James and John as Jesus' cousins.

What do you think?



Mark 15.40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome

Matt 27.56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

John 19.25 ...But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

It really depends on where you put the commas and how you interpret them. We know for sure that Mary Magdelene was there and Mary, the Mother of Jesus. As far as the rest, we have a Mary who is the mother of James the younger and Joses and maybe Salome. We have a Mary who is the wife of Clopas. Many think that this Mary is the same in both accounts where one lists her children and one her husband. If so, then this same Mary could be "his mother's sister". This yields the problem of why Jesus' mother and her sister would both be called Mary; but traditionally this has been explained as "his mother's sister" was actually Joseph, Mary's husband's sister and hence a sister-in-law to Mary, Jesus' mother. Finally we have the mother of the sons of Zebedee who could be called Mary and be the wife of Clopas. This yields the issue of why her husband is called both Zebedee and Clopas; but this can be explained by Zebedee being his Jewish name and Clopas his Greek name or by Zebedee having died and Mary remarrying Clopas. So in truth, other than Mary Magdelene and Mary, Jesus' mother, I don't think we can be sure of the rest.