There are two Gnostic works called the Apocalypse of James. They are often referred to as the “first” and “second” Apocalypse of James. Both are found in Codex V of the Nag Hammadi collection. The collection was discovered in 1945 in Egypt, West of the Nile River, near the city of Chenoboskion. They are different from the Apocryphon of James, which is part of the New Testament Apocrypha.
The first one is over 20 pages long. It claims to be a revelation from the Lord to James, the brother of Jesus. He was also known as James the Righteous. Some parts of this revelation would have taken place before Christ's crucifixion, and others would have taken place after.
The second apocalypse is 20 pages of Coptic text. It claims to record a speech that James the Just gave while standing on the fifth step of the temple. The book includes many references to, and echoes of, the canonical Scriptures. It ends with a story of a crowd throwing James down from the temple and stoning him, in a way that recalls the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7.