According to the search results, Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, provided a significant reference to James as the brother of Jesus in his work "Antiquities of the Jews":
Josephus wrote about "James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ"[1][3]. This passage is found in Book 20, Chapter 9 of Antiquities and is considered authentic by most scholars, appearing in all known manuscripts[1][3].
Specifically, Josephus described the execution of James, ordered by the high priest Ananus ben Ananus around 62 CE. He wrote:
"Ananus...assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned."[3]
This reference is significant because:
1. It corroborates the New Testament's mention of James as Jesus' brother.
2. It provides non-Christian historical evidence for Jesus' existence.
3. It suggests James held a prominent position in Jerusalem, aligning with biblical accounts[4].
The phrase "who was called Christ" indicates Josephus was aware of Jesus' messianic claims or title, without necessarily endorsing them himself[3].
Sources
[1] Josephus on Jesus - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus_on_Jesus
[2] James: “Brother” Of Jesus: Josephus Vs. The Bible & Hegesippus https://www.patheos.com/blogs/davearmstrong/2022/09/james-brother-of-jesus-josephus-vs-the-bible-hegesippus.html
[3] James, brother of Jesus - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James,_brother_of_Jesus
[4] James the Brother of Jesus | Resources - American Bible Society https://bibleresources.americanbible.org/resource/james-the-brother-of-jesus
[5] If the Josephus reference to James "the brother of Jesus called ... https://www.reddit.com/r/AskBibleScholars/comments/jcslhf/if_the_josephus_reference_to_james_the_brother_of/