ALFEO. — The name ‘Αἰαΐτος’ is probably the Hebrew or Aramaic Halpai (1 Macc. 11:70; Calphi, Gr. Χαλφί), formed like ‘Αγγαῖος from Haggai; it designates two figures in the New Testament.
1) Father of the apostle Levi (Mark 2:14) or Matthew. The so-called “Western text” (mss. D, O, 565, Ferrar group, Old Latin, Tatian and Ephrem) identifies him by substituting James for Levi. Among moderns, only F. Kirmis accepts this identification.
2) Father of the apostle James “the Less” according to the four lists of apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).
If Mary, the mother of James the Less (Mark 15:40; 16:1), was the “wife” of Clopas or Κλωπᾶς (John 19:25), then A. seems to be identified with Clopas (v.), whether he bore a single name in two Semitic and Greek forms (as Jesus-Jason, Simeon-Simon) or the single name Halpai was transliterated in two different ways (R. Cornely), or whether he bore two names like Levi-Matthew (M.-J. Lagrange). A. Clopas would be the father of the four “brothers of the Lord” (cf. Matt. 13:55 and Mark 6:3; Matt. 27:56 and Mark 15:40).
But the identity of A. with Clopas is contested, based on what is handed down by Hegesippus, by many Catholics (e.g., P. Schegg, J. Mader, A. Durand), as well as by the majority of Protestants. Th. Calmes and I. Vosté consider the Mary of John 19:25 to be the “sister” of Clopas and the wife of A. According to F. Prat, this Mary first married A., by whom she had James and Joseph, then Clopas, by whom she had Simon and Jude.
It may be presumed that A., of whose life nothing is known, died before the public life of Jesus Christ.