Biblical Figures
Aaron
the first high priest of the Israelites, brother of Moses (Exodus 4:14)
Abednego
one of Daniel's three companions who, together with Shadrach and Meshach, was miraculously saved from destruction in Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace (Daniel 3:12–30)
Abel
the second son of Adam and Eve, a shepherd, murdered by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:1–8)
Abigail
the woman who brought provisions to David and his followers and subsequently became his wife (I Samuel 25:1–42)
Abraham
the first of the patriarchs, the father of Isaac and the founder of the Hebrew people (Genesis 11–25)
Absalom
the third son of David, who rebelled against his father and was eventually killed by Joab (II Samuel 15–18)
Achitophel or Ahithophel
a member of David's council, who became one of Absalom's advisers in his rebellion and hanged himself when his advice was overruled (II Samuel 15:12–17:23)
Adam
the first man, created by God: the progenitor of the human race (Genesis 2–3)
Ahab
the king of Israel from approximately 869 to 850 bc and husband of Jezebel: rebuked by Elijah (I Kings 16:29–22:40)
Ahasuerus
a king of ancient Persia and husband of Esther, generally identified with Xerxes
Ammon
the ancestor of the Ammonites
Amos
a Hebrew prophet of the 8th century bc
Ananias
a Jewish Christian of Jerusalem who was struck dead for lying (Acts 5)
Andrew
one of the twelve apostles; brother of Simon Peter: his day is Nov. 30
Asher
the son of Jacob and ancestor of one of the 12 tribes of Israel
Balaam
a Mesopotamian diviner who, when summoned to curse the Israelites, prophesied future glories for them instead, after being reproached by his ass (Numbers 22–23)
Balthazar
(in Christian tradition) one of the Magi, the others being Caspar and Melchior
Barabbas
a condemned robber who was released at the Passover instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:16)
Bartholomew
one of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:3). Feast day: Aug 24 or June 11
Baruch
a disciple of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32–36)
Bathsheba
the wife of Uriah, who committed adultery with David and later married him and became the mother of his son Solomon (II Samuel 11–12)
Beelzebub
a god of the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2)
Belial
a demon mentioned frequently in apocalyptic literature: identified in the Christian tradition with the devil or Satan
Belshazzar
6th century bc, the son of Nabonidus, coregent of Babylon with his father for eight years: referred to as king and son of Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament (Daniel 5:1, 17; 8:1); described as having received a divine message of doom written on a wall at a banquet (Belshazzar's Feast)
Benjamin
the youngest and best-loved son of Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 35:16–18; 42:4)
Boanerges
a nickname applied by Jesus to James and John in Mark 3:17
Boaz
a kinsman of Naomi, who married her daughter-in-law Ruth (Ruth 2–4); one of David's ancestors
Caiaphas
the high priest at the beginning of John the Baptist's preaching and during the trial of Jesus (Luke 3:2; Matthew 26)
Cain
the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1–16)
Caspar
(in Christian tradition) one of the Magi, the other two being Melchior and Balthazar
Cush or Kush
the son of Ham and brother of Canaan (Genesis 10:6)
Dan
the fourth son of Jacob (Genesis 30:1–6)
Daniel
a youth who was taken into the household of Nebuchadnezzar, received guidance and apocalyptic visions from God, and was given divine protection when thrown into the lions' den
David
the second king of Israel and Judah, succeeding Saul: reputed to be the writer of many Psalms
Deborah
Rebecca's nurse (Genesis 35:8)
Delilah
Samson's Philistine mistress, who deprived him of his strength by cutting off his hair (Judges 16:4–22)
Dinah
the daughter of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 30:21; 34)
Dives
a rich man in the parable in Luke 16:19–31
Dorcas
a charitable woman of Joppa (Acts 9:36–42)
Elias
the Douay spelling of Elijah
Elijah
a Hebrew prophet of the 9th century bc, who was persecuted for denouncing Ahab and Jezebel. (I Kings 17–21: 21; II Kings 1–2:18)
Elisha
a Hebrew prophet of the 9th century bc: successor of Elijah (II Kings 3–9)
Enoch
the eldest son of Cain after whom the first city was named (Genesis 4:17)
Enos
a son of Seth (Genesis 4:26; 5:6)
Ephraim
the younger son of Joseph, who received the principal blessing of his grandfather Jacob (Genesis 48:8–22)
Esau
son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob, to whom he sold his birthright (Genesis 25)
Esther
a beautiful Jewish woman who became queen of Persia and saved her people from massacre
Eve
the first woman; mother of the human race, fashioned by God from the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:18-25)
Ezekiel
the book containing his oracles, which describe the downfall of Judah and Jerusalem and their subsequent restoration
Ezra
a Jewish priest of the 5th century bc, who was sent from Babylon by the Persian king Artaxerxes I to reconstitute observance of the Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem after the captivity
Gabriel
one of the archangels, the messenger of good news (Daniel 8:16–26; Luke 1:11–20, 26–38)
Gad
Jacob's sixth son, whose mother was Zilpah, Leah's maid
Gideon
a Hebrew judge who led the Israelites to victory over their Midianite oppressors (Judges 6:11–8:35)
Gilead
a grandson of Manasseh; ancestor of the Coileadites (Numbers 26: 29–30)
Gog and Magog
a hostile prince and the land from which he comes to attack Israel (Ezekiel 38)
Goliath
a Philistine giant from Gath who terrorized the Hebrews until he was killed by David with a stone from his sling (I Samuel 17)
Good Samaritan
a figure in one of Christ's parables (Luke 10:30–37) who is an example of compassion towards those in distress
Habakkuk
a Hebrew prophet
Hagar
an Egyptian maid of Sarah, who bore Ishmael to Abraham, Sarah's husband
Haggai
a Hebrew prophet, whose oracles are usually dated between August and December of 520 bc
Ham
Noah's second son: Gen. 6:10
Hannah
the woman who gave birth to Samuel (I Samuel 1–2)
Herod
called the Great. ?73–4 bc, king of Judaea (37–4). The latter part of his reign was notable for his cruelty: according to the New Testament he ordered the Massacre of the Innocents
Hezekiah
a king of Judah ?715–?687 bc, noted for his religious reforms (II Kings 18–19)
Hiram
10th century bc, king of Tyre, who supplied Solomon with materials and craftsmen for the building of the Temple (II Samuel 5:11; I Kings 5:1–18)
Holofernes
the Assyrian general, who was killed by the biblical heroine Judith
Hosea
a Hebrew prophet of the 8th century bc
Isaac
an Old Testament patriarch, the son of Abraham and Sarah and father of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 17; 21–27)
Isaiah
the first of the major Hebrew prophets, who lived in the 8th century bc
Ishmael
the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaid: the ancestor of 12 Arabian tribes (Genesis 21:8–21; 25:12–18)
Issachar
the fifth son of Jacob by his wife Leah (Genesis 30:17–18)
Jacob
the son of Isaac, twin brother of Esau, and father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel
Jael
the woman who killed Sisera when he took refuge in her tent (Judges 4:17–21)
James
known as James the Less. one of the twelve apostles, son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3). Feast day: May 3 or Oct 9
Japheth
the second son of Noah, traditionally regarded as the ancestor of a number of non-Semitic nations (Genesis 10:1–5)
Jehoshaphat
the king of Judah (?873–?849 bc) (I Kings 22:41–50)
Jehu
the king of Israel (?842–?815 bc); the slayer of Jezebel (II Kings 9:11–30)
Jephthah or Jephte
a judge of Israel, who sacrificed his daughter in fulfilment of a vow (Judges 11:12–40)
Jeremiah
a major prophet of Judah from about 626 to 587 bc
Jeroboam
the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel (?922–?901 bc)
Jesse
the father of David (I Samuel 16)
Jesus Christ
?4 bc–?29 ad, founder of Christianity, born in Bethlehem and brought up in Nazareth as a Jew. He is believed by Christians to be the Son of God and to have been miraculously conceived by the Virgin Mary, wife of Joseph. With 12 disciples, he undertook two missionary journeys through Galilee, performing miracles, teaching, and proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God. His revolutionary Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–8), which preaches love, humility, and charity, the essence of his teaching, aroused the hostility of the Pharisees. After the Last Supper with his disciples, he was betrayed by Judas and crucified. He is believed by Christians to have risen from his tomb after three days, appeared to his disciples several times, and ascended to Heaven after 40 days
Jethro
a Midianite priest, the father-in-law of Moses (Exodus 3:1; 4:18)
Jezebel
the wife of Ahab, king of Israel: she fostered the worship of Baal and tried to destroy the prophets of Israel (I Kings 18:4–13); she was killed by Jehu (II Kings 9:29–37)
Joab
the successful commander of King David's forces and the slayer of Abner and Absalom (II Samuel 2:18–23; 3:24–27; 18:14–15)
Job
a Jewish patriarch, who maintained his faith in God in spite of the afflictions sent by God to test him
Joel
a Hebrew prophet
John
the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, identified with the author of the fourth Gospel, three epistles, and the book of Revelation. Feast day: Dec 27 or Sept 26
John the Baptist
the forerunner and baptizer of Jesus: he was killed by Herod: Matt. 3
Jonah or Jonas
a Hebrew prophet who, having been thrown overboard from a ship in which he was fleeing from God, was swallowed by a great fish and vomited onto dry land
Jonathan
the son of Saul, and David's close friend, who was killed in battle (I Samuel 31; II Samuel 1:19–26)
Joseph
the eleventh son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:2–24)
Joshua
Moses' successor, who led the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan
Josiah
died ?609 bc, king of Judah (?640–?609). After the discovery of a book of law (probably Deuteronomy) in the Temple he began a programme of religious reform
Jubal
the alleged inventor of musical instruments (Genesis 4:21)
Judah
the fourth son of Jacob, one of whose descendants was to be the Messiah (Genesis 29:35; 49:8–12)
Judas Iscariot
the apostle who betrayed Jesus to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver (Luke 22:3–6, 47–48)
Jude
one of the twelve Apostles: his day is Oct. 28
Judith
the heroine of one of the books of the Apocrypha, who saved her native town by decapitating Holofernes
Laban
the father-in-law of Jacob, father of Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:16)
Lazarus
the brother of Mary and Martha, whom Jesus restored to life (John 11–12)
Leah
the first wife of Jacob and elder sister of Rachel, his second wife (Genesis 29)
Levi
the third son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Levi (Genesis 29:34)
Lot
Abraham's nephew: he escaped the destruction of Sodom, but his wife was changed into a pillar of salt for looking back as they fled (Genesis 19)
Luke
one of the four Evangelists, a physician and companion of the Apostle Paul and the reputed author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles: his day is Oct. 18
Magus
an astrologer, sorcerer, or magician of ancient times
Malachi
a Hebrew prophet of the 5th century bc
Manasseh
the elder son of Joseph (Genesis 41:51)
Mark
one of the four Evangelists. Feast day: April 25
Martha
sister of Lazarus and Mary, chided by Jesus for being overly concerned with housework while he talked with Mary: Luke 10:40
Mary
the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–2)
Mary Magdalene
a woman of Magdala in Galilee whom Jesus cured of evil spirits (Luke 8:2) and who is often identified with the sinful woman of Luke 7:36–50. In Christian tradition she is usually taken to have been a prostitute. Feast day: July 22
Matthew
a tax collector of Capernaum called by Christ to be one of the 12 apostles (Matthew 9:9–13; 10:3). Feast day: Sept 21 or Nov 16
Matthias
one of the Apostles, chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot: Acts 1:26: his day is May 14
Melchior
(in Christian tradition) one of the Magi, the others being Balthazar and Caspar
Melchizedek or Melchisedech
the priest-king of Salem who blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18–19) and was taken as a prototype of Christ's priesthood (Hebrews 7)
Meshach
one of Daniel's three companions who, together with Shadrach and Abednego, was miraculously saved from destruction in Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace (Daniel 3:12-30)
Methuselah
a patriarch supposed to have lived 969 years (Genesis 5:21–27) who has come to be regarded as epitomizing longevity
Micah
a Hebrew prophet of the late 8th century bc
Midian
a son of Abraham (Genesis 25:1–2)
Miriam
the sister of Moses and Aaron. (Numbers 12:1–15)
Mordecai
the cousin of Esther (in the Book of Esther), who saved the Jews from the destruction planned by Haman
Moses
the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land and gave them divinely revealed laws
Nabonidus
the father of Belshazzar, last king of Babylon before it was captured by Cyrus in 539 bc
Naboth
an inhabitant of Jezreel, murdered by King Ahab at the instigation of his wife Jezebel for refusing to sell his vineyard (I Kings 21)
Nahum
a Hebrew prophet of the 7th century bc
Naomi
the mother-in-law of Ruth (Ruth 1:2)
Naphtali
Jacob's sixth son, whose mother was Rachel's handmaid (Genesis 30:7–8)
Nathan
a prophet at David's court (II Samuel 7:1–17; 12:1–15)
Nathanael
a Galilean who is perhaps to be identified with the apostle Bartholomew (John 1:45–51; 21:1)
Nebuchadnezzar or Nebuchadrezzar
a king of Babylon, 605–562 bc, who conquered and destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Jews to Babylon (II Kings 24–25)
Nehemiah
a Jewish official at the court of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, who in 444 bc became a leader in the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity
Nicodemus
a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who supported Jesus against the other Pharisees (John 8:50–52)
Nimrod
a hunter, who was famous for his prowess (Genesis 10:8–9)
Noah
a Hebrew patriarch, who saved himself, his family, and specimens of each species of animal and bird from the Flood by building a ship (Noah's Ark) in which they all survived (Genesis 6–8)
Obadiah
a Hebrew prophet
Paul
Saint. Also called: Paul the Apostle, Saul of Tarsus. original name Saul. died ?67 ad, one of the first Christian missionaries to the Gentiles, who died a martyr in Rome. Until his revelatory conversion he had assisted in persecuting the Christians. He wrote many of the Epistles in the New Testament. Feast day: June 29
Peter
Saint. Also called: Simon Peter. died ?67 ad, a fisherman of Bethsaida, who became leader of the apostles and is regarded by Roman Catholics as the first pope; probably martyred at Rome. Feast day: June 29 or Jan 18
Philip
one of the sons of Herod the Great, who was ruler of part of former Judaea (4 bc–34 ad) (Luke 3:1)
Pontius Pilate
Roman procurator of Judaea (?26–?36 ad), who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, allegedly against his better judgment
Potiphar
one of Pharaoh's officers, who bought Joseph as a slave (Genesis 37:36)
prodigal son
a wastrel son who was welcomed back warmly on his homecoming in repentance: Luke 15:11-32
Queen of Sheba
a queen of the Sabeans, who visited Solomon (I Kings 10:1–13)
Rachel
the second and best-loved wife of Jacob; mother of Joseph and Benjamin (Genesis 29–35)
Rebecca
the sister of Laban, who became the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 24–27)
Reuben
the eldest son of Jacob and Leah: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 29:30)
Ruth
a Moabite woman, who left her own people to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi, and became the wife of Boaz; an ancestress of David
Salome
the daughter of Herodias, at whose instigation she beguiled Herod by her seductive dancing into giving her the head of John the Baptist
Samson
a judge of Israel, who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistine oppressors until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah (Judges 13–16)
Samuel
a Hebrew prophet, seer, and judge, who anointed the first two kings of the Israelites (I Samuel 1–3; 8–15)
Sapphira
the wife of Ananias, struck dead with her husband for lying: Acts 5:1-10
Sarah
the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac (Genesis 17:15–22)
Saul
the first king of Israel (?1020–1000 bc). He led Israel successfully against the Philistines, but was in continual conflict with the high priest Samuel. He became afflicted with madness and died by his own hand; succeeded by David
Seth
Adam's third son, given by God in place of the murdered Abel (Genesis 4:25)
Shadrach
one of Daniel's three companions, who, together with Meshach and Abednego, was miraculously saved from destruction in Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace (Daniel 3:12–30)
Shem
the eldest of Noah's three sons (Genesis 10:21)
Simeon
the second son of Jacob and Leah
Simon Magus
a Samaritan magician whose offer of money to learn how to impart the Holy Ghost to others angered Peter: Acts 8:9-24
Simon Peter
the full name of the apostle Peter, a combination of his original name and the name given him by Christ (Matthew 16:17–18)
Solomon
10th century bc, king of Israel, son of David and Bathsheba, credited with great wisdom
Susanna
the wife of Joachim, who was condemned to death for adultery because of a false accusation, but saved by Daniel's sagacity
Tetragrammaton
the Hebrew name for God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 3), consisting of the four consonants Y H V H (or Y H W H) and regarded by Jews as too sacred to be pronounced. It is usually transliterated as Jehovah or Yahweh
Thaddeus or Thadeus
one of the 12 apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18), traditionally identified with Jude
Thomas
(called Didymus, the Twin) one of the twelve Apostles, who doubted at first the resurrection of Jesus: John 20:24-29: his day is Dec. 21
Tobit
a pious Jew who was released from blindness through the help of the archangel Raphael
Tubal-cain
a son of Lamech, said in Genesis 4:22 to be the first artificer of metals
Uriah
a Hittite officer, who was killed in battle on instructions from David so that he could marry Uriah's wife Bathsheba (II Samuel 11)
Virgin Mary
Mary, the mother of Christ
Zacharias, Zachariah, or Zachary
John the Baptist's father, who underwent a temporary period of dumbness for his lack of faith (Luke 1)
Zebedee
the father of the apostles James and John (Matthew 4:21)
Zebulun
the sixth son whom Leah bore to Jacob: one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:20)
Zechariah
a Hebrew prophet of the late 6th century bc
Zedekiah
the last king of Judah, who died in captivity at Babylon
Zephaniah
the book containing his oracles, which are chiefly concerned with the approaching judgment by God upon the sinners of Judah.
Zilpah
Leah's maidservant, who bore Gad and Asher to Jacob (Genesis 30:10–13)