Zebedee

Zebedee was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, the father of James and John, two of Jesus' twelve apostles (Matthew 4:21–22; Mark 1:19–20). When Jesus called his sons, Zebedee was in the boat mending nets and the two brothers immediately left both the boat and their father to follow Jesus. His wife, traditionally identified as Salome, also followed Jesus and was present at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40). Zebedee appears primarily in the call narratives and is otherwise a background figure in the Gospels.