Alphaeus Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Alphaeus was the father of two of Jesus' apostles, James and Matthew (also known as Levi).
father of James the disciple (MAT 10:3)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Isaac › Jacob › Judah › Pharez › Hezron › Ram › Amminadab › Nahshon › Salmon › Boaz › Obed › Jesse › David › Solomon › Rehoboam › Abijah › Asa › Jehoshaphat › Jehoram › Ahaziah › Joash › Amaziah › Uzziah › Jotham › Ahaz › Hezekiah › Manasseh › Amon › Josiah › Jehoiakim › Jehoiachin › Pedaiah › Zerubbabel › Abiud › Eliakim › Azor › Sadoc › Achim › Eliud › Eleazar › Matthan › Jacob › Alphaeus
Names
- en Alphaeus
- en Alphaeus · Also called · none G256 · MAT 10:3
- en Alpheus · Also called
- en Cleopas · Also called
- en Clopas · Also called
- en Cleophas · Also called
- he חַלְפַי chaləpay · none · MAT 10:3
- el Ἁλφαίου A̔lphaíou · G256 · MAT 10:3
- el Ἀλφαῖος · G0256
- el Κλεόπας · G2810
- el Κλωπᾶς · G2832
- bg Алфей
Mentioned in (7)
SDA Books
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Conditional birth estimate · c. 369 BC – 77 BC
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Jehoiachin · 617 BC Ancestor |
12 20–45 years per generation |
c. 377 BC – 77 BC |
| Jehoiakim · 635 BC Ancestor |
13 20–45 years per generation |
c. 375 BC – 50 BC |
| Josiah · 649 BC Ancestor |
14 20–45 years per generation |
c. 369 BC – 19 BC |
| Hezekiah · 742 BC Ancestor |
17 20–45 years per generation |
c. 402 BC – AD 24 |
| Amaziah · 826 BC Ancestor |
21 20–45 years per generation |
c. 406 BC – AD 120 |
| Joash · 845 BC Ancestor |
22 20–45 years per generation |
c. 405 BC – AD 146 |
| Jehoshaphat · 949 BC Ancestor |
25 20–45 years per generation |
c. 449 BC – AD 177 |
| Solomon · 1036 BC Ancestor |
29 20–45 years per generation |
c. 456 BC – AD 270 |
| David · 1086 BC Ancestor |
30 20–45 years per generation |
c. 486 BC – AD 265 |
| Absalom · 1051 BC Ancestor |
30 20–45 years per generation |
c. 451 BC – AD 300 |
| Ruth · 1116 BC Ancestor |
33 20–45 years per generation |
c. 456 BC – AD 370 |
| Pharez · 1722 BC Ancestor |
39 20–45 years per generation |
c. 942 BC – AD 34 |
| Jacob · 1835 BC Ancestor |
41 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1015 BC – AD 11 |
| Isaac · 1895 BC Ancestor |
42 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1055 BC – 5 BC |
| Rebekah · 1876 BC Ancestor |
42 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1036 BC – AD 15 |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
43 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1135 BC – 60 BC |
| Sarah · 1985 BC Ancestor |
43 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1125 BC – 50 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
44 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1025 BC – AD 3596 |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
45 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1031 BC – AD 3695 |
| Haran · 2056 BC Ancestor |
45 25–130 years per generation |
c. 931 BC – AD 3795 |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
46 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1036 BC – AD 3795 |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
47 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1043 BC – AD 3893 |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
48 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1048 BC – AD 3993 |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
49 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1057 BC – AD 4089 |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
50 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1062 BC – AD 4189 |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
52 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1047 BC – AD 4414 |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
53 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1122 BC – AD 4444 |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
54 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1598 BC – AD 4073 |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
55 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1755 BC – AD 4021 |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
56 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1917 BC – AD 3964 |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
57 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1957 BC – AD 4029 |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
58 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2094 BC – AD 3997 |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
59 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2134 BC – AD 4062 |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
60 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2179 BC – AD 4122 |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
60 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2504 BC – AD 3797 |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
61 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2244 BC – AD 4162 |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
61 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2479 BC – AD 3927 |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
61 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2480 BC – AD 3926 |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
62 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2324 BC – AD 4187 |
One-parent family
- Son: Lebbaeus Thaddaeus
Took part in (1)
Alphaeus Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Alphaeus, also known as Cleopas, is mentioned in the New Testament as the father of two of Jesus' apostles, James and Matthew (Levi). James, the son of Alphaeus, is listed among the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus. (Mat 10:3; Mrk 3:18; Luk 6:15; Act 1:13) He is often referred to as "James the Less" or "James the Younger" to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee, and James, the brother of Jesus.
Matthew, also known as Levi, is identified as the son of Alphaeus in the account of his calling as a disciple. Jesus encountered Matthew at the tax collector's booth and called him to follow him, which Matthew did, leaving behind his profession. (Mrk 2:14)
In the Gospel of John, a woman named Mary is described as standing near the cross of Jesus, along with his mother and other women. This Mary is identified as the wife of Clopas (an alternative spelling of Cleopas or Alphaeus). (Jhn 19:25) Some scholars suggest that this Mary may have been the mother of James and Matthew, but this is not explicitly stated in the text.
Additionally, in the Gospel of Luke, a man named Cleopas is mentioned as one of the two disciples who encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. (Luk 24:18) While some traditions identify this Cleopas with Alphaeus, the father of James and Matthew, there is no clear evidence in the biblical text to support this connection.
The limited information provided about Alphaeus in the Gospels and Acts focuses primarily on his relationship to his sons, James and Matthew, who became followers of Jesus and members of the twelve apostles. His mention in the biblical text serves to identify and distinguish these two disciples from others with similar names.
Alphaeus 1 Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
The father of James the Less, the apostle and writer of the epistle (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), and the husband of Mary (John 19:25). The Hebrew form of this name is Cleopas, or Clopas (q.v.).
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Alphaeus_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Alphaeus@Mat.10.3-Act) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, alphaeus_192)