Biblical Figures

Formed by God from the dust of the ground, into whom God breathed the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). According to the Masoretic genealogy he lived 930 years and then died (Genesis 5:5). Genesis does not state how much time elapsed between the creation account of Genesis 1 and the formation of this man in Genesis 2.

Created from the man’s rib and brought to him (Genesis 2:22). Named Eve (Hebrew חוָּה, Hawwah) by Adam, “because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). The text does not record her death. The lifespan bar begins with Adam’s chronological anchor; the text gives no independent birth year for her.

The son of Lamech through whom the line of Adam continued past the flood (Genesis 5:29). The text records that all the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died (Genesis 9:29).

Called by God from Ur and Haran, Abraham (originally Abram) became the father of the covenant line (Genesis 12:1-4). The text records that he lived 175 years (Genesis 25:7).

The wife of Abraham, originally named Sarai and renamed Sarah by God at the same time Abram became Abraham (Genesis 17:15). She is described as barren until God opened her womb (Genesis 11:30; 21:1-2). She bore Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:1-5). Genesis 17:17 gives her age as 90 when the promise was reaffirmed, from which her birth year is estimated. She died at 127 years in Kirjath-arba (Hebron) — the only woman whose age at death is explicitly recorded in the Hebrew scriptures (Genesis 23:1-2).

An Egyptian servant of Sarai (Genesis 16:1). Given to Abram by Sarai when Abram had lived in Canaan ten years (Genesis 16:3). She bore Ishmael to Abram (Genesis 16:15). After the birth of Isaac she and Ishmael were sent away at Sarah’s insistence (Genesis 21:9-14). Her birth year is not given in the text; the bar placement is an estimate based on narrative context. Her death is not recorded.

The son of Abram and Hagar the Egyptian, born when Abram was 86 years old (Genesis 16:15-16). He was circumcised at age 13 when Abram was 99 (Genesis 17:25-26). After the birth of Isaac he and his mother Hagar were sent away (Genesis 21:8-14). God promised to make him a great nation (Genesis 17:20; 21:18). Genesis records that he died at 137 years (Genesis 25:17). His twelve sons, who became twelve princes, are listed in Genesis 25:12-16.

The son of Abraham and Sarah, born when Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 21:5). The text records that Isaac lived 180 years (Genesis 35:28).

The daughter of Bethuel and granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor (Genesis 24:15,24), met at the well by Abraham’s servant and brought to become Isaac’s wife (Genesis 24:67). Isaac was forty years old when he took her (Genesis 25:20). She was barren until Isaac prayed, and she bore the twins Esau and Jacob when Isaac was sixty (Genesis 25:21-26). Genesis 49:31 records that she was buried in the cave of Machpelah, but the text states neither her birth year nor the year of her death; the bar reflects an estimate.

The son of Isaac and Rebekah, later renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28), and father of the twelve tribes. The text records that he lived 147 years (Genesis 47:28).

The firstborn of the twins born to Isaac and Rebekah, red and hairy at birth, from which he was named Esau (Genesis 25:24-26). He sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal (Genesis 25:29-34) and later sought his father’s word after Jacob obtained the blessing (Genesis 27:30-40). Genesis states that Esau is Edom, the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir (Genesis 36:1,8-9). The text records that he and Jacob together buried Isaac (Genesis 35:29) but does not give the year of his death; his birth year is derived from Isaac’s age of sixty (Genesis 25:26).

The elder daughter of Laban, given to Jacob in place of Rachel through Laban’s deceit (Genesis 29:16-25). The text says her eyes were weak (Genesis 29:17) and that the LORD opened her womb because she was unloved (Genesis 29:31). She bore Jacob six sons — Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun — and a daughter, Dinah (Genesis 29:31-35; 30:17-21). Jacob states that she was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 49:31). Her birth year and the year of her death are not given in the text; the bar reflects an estimate.

The younger daughter of Laban, whom Jacob loved and for whom he served seven years (Genesis 29:16-18,20). She was barren until God opened her womb, and she bore Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24). She died giving birth to Benjamin on the way to Ephrath, that is Bethlehem, and was buried there (Genesis 35:16-19). Her death is recorded but not dated, and her birth year is not stated; the bar reflects an estimate.

The third son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:34). With Simeon he attacked the city of Shechem (Genesis 34:25-30), and Jacob’s words divide and scatter them for it (Genesis 49:5-7). The text records that the years of the life of Levi were 137 (Exodus 6:16). His birth year is not stated and is estimated from the birth order of Leah’s sons; the end of the bar applies his recorded lifespan of 137 years to that estimate. Aaron and Moses descended from Levi through Kohath and Amram (Exodus 6:16-20).

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, at whose birth Leah said, ‘This time I will praise the LORD’ (Genesis 29:35). He proposed selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:26-27) and fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar (Genesis 38:29-30). In Jacob’s words over his sons, the scepter is said not to depart from Judah (Genesis 49:8-10). Matthew traces the line of Jesus through Judah and Perez (Matthew 1:2-3), as does Luke (Luke 3:33). His birth year is not stated in the text and is estimated from the birth order of Leah’s sons; his death is not recorded.

The son of Jacob and Rachel who rose to second-in-command in Egypt (Genesis 41:46). The text records that he died at 110 years of age in Egypt (Genesis 50:26).

The wife of Judah’s firstborn Er, and after Er’s death the wife of his brother Onan, both of whom the LORD put to death (Genesis 38:6-10). When Judah withheld his third son, Tamar disguised herself, and Judah unknowingly fathered by her the twins Perez and Zerah; he declared, ‘She is more righteous than I’ (Genesis 38:11-26). She is named in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:3). Her birth year and death are not stated in the text; the bar reflects an estimate from the narrative.

The youngest son of Jacob and the second son of Rachel, who died at his birth; she named him Ben-oni (‘son of my sorrow’), but his father called him Benjamin (Genesis 35:16-18). He remained in Canaan when his brothers first went to Egypt for grain, and Joseph wept over him when he was brought down (Genesis 43:29-34; 45:14). Jacob’s words describe Benjamin as a ravenous wolf (Genesis 49:27). His birth year is not stated in the text and is estimated from the narrative; his death is not recorded.

The sister of Aaron, called a prophetess, who led the women with timbrel and dance in song after the crossing of the sea (Exodus 15:20-21). She and Aaron spoke against Moses because of his Cushite wife, and she was struck with leprosy for seven days (Numbers 12:1-15). The text records that she died and was buried at Kadesh (Numbers 20:1), placed in the fortieth year after the Exodus. She is generally identified with the sister who watched over the infant Moses (Exodus 2:4-8), though that passage does not name her; her birth year is not stated in the text.

The son of Amram and brother of Moses, appointed to speak for Moses before Pharaoh (Exodus 4:14-16). The text states he was eighty-three years old when he and Moses spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7). He and his sons were set apart to serve as priests (Exodus 28:1). The text records that Aaron died on Mount Hor at 123 years of age, in the fortieth year after Israel came out of Egypt (Numbers 33:38-39).

The one God used to lead Israel out of Egypt and receive the Law at Sinai; he was 80 years old when he spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7). The text records that he died at 120 years, his eye undimmed and his vigor unabated (Deuteronomy 34:7).

The son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, who led Israel’s fighting men against Amalek while Moses held up his hands (Exodus 17:9-13). He was one of the twelve sent to spy out the land and one of the two who gave a good report (Numbers 14:6-9). Moses laid his hands on him as successor at the LORD’s command (Numbers 27:18-23), and he led Israel into Canaan (Joshua 1:1-9). The text records that he died at 110 years of age (Joshua 24:29). His birth year is not stated; the bar applies his recorded lifespan to an estimated birth.

The son of Jephunneh, of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve sent to spy out the land (Numbers 13:6). With Joshua he urged Israel to go up, trusting the LORD (Numbers 13:30; 14:6-9), and the LORD said he had a different spirit and would enter the land (Numbers 14:24). He states that he was forty years old when Moses sent him and eighty-five when he received Hebron as his inheritance (Joshua 14:6-14). His age of forty at the spying fixes the estimated birth year; his death is not recorded.

A prostitute of Jericho who hid the two spies Joshua sent and let them down by a rope through her window, saying that dread of Israel’s God had fallen on the land (Joshua 2:1-21). She and her family were spared when Jericho was destroyed, and she lived in Israel (Joshua 6:22-25). Matthew names Rahab as the mother of Boaz in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). The New Testament also refers to her faith (Hebrews 11:31) and her works (James 2:25). Her birth and death are not stated in the text; the bar reflects an estimate around the fall of Jericho.

A prophetess who was judging Israel at the time; she sat under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment (Judges 4:4-5). This bar reflects her approximate period of activity as a judge.

The son of Abinoam of Kedesh in Naphtali, summoned by Deborah to lead ten thousand men against Sisera; he agreed to go only if Deborah went with him, and she foretold that the honor would go to a woman (Judges 4:6-9). The LORD routed Sisera’s army before him (Judges 4:14-16), and he sang with Deborah (Judges 5:1). He is named among those commended for faith in Hebrews 11:32. His birth and death are not stated in the text; the bar reflects his period of activity alongside Deborah.

The son of Joash of the clan of Abiezer, called by the angel of the LORD while beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites (Judges 6:11-14). This bar reflects his approximate period of activity as a judge over Israel.

The wife of Elimelech of Bethlehem who went to Moab during a famine and there lost her husband and her two sons (Ruth 1:1-5). Returning to Bethlehem, she asked to be called Mara, saying the Almighty had dealt bitterly with her (Ruth 1:19-21). The women blessed the LORD at the birth of Obed, her daughter-in-law Ruth’s son, whom she took to her bosom (Ruth 4:14-17). The book is set ‘in the days when the judges ruled’ (Ruth 1:1); her birth and death are not stated, and the exact date is uncertain.

A woman of Moab, widow of Naomi’s son, who refused to leave Naomi, saying, ‘Your people shall be my people, and your God my God’ (Ruth 1:16-17). She gleaned in the field of Boaz, who redeemed her, and she bore Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:13-17). Matthew names her in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5), and Luke traces the same line through Obed and Jesse (Luke 3:32). Her birth and death are not stated; the book is set in the days of the judges (Ruth 1:1).

A worthy man of Bethlehem, a relative of Naomi’s husband Elimelech (Ruth 2:1), who showed favor to Ruth as she gleaned in his field (Ruth 2:8-12). As kinsman-redeemer he acquired the property of Elimelech and took Ruth as his wife before the elders at the gate (Ruth 4:9-13). He is the father of Obed and thus great-grandfather of David, and is named in the genealogy of Jesus (Ruth 4:17-22; Matthew 1:5; Luke 3:32). His birth and death are not stated; the book is set in the days of the judges (Ruth 1:1).

Born to Hannah in answer to prayer and named Samuel because she had asked him of the LORD (1 Samuel 1:20). He served as the last of the judges and the prophet who anointed Israel's first two kings; the text records that he died and all Israel gathered to mourn him (1 Samuel 25:1). This bar reflects his lifespan.

A mighty warrior of Gilead, son of Gilead by a prostitute, driven out by his brothers and later called back to lead against the Ammonites (Judges 11:1-11). He vowed to offer to the LORD whatever came out of his house if he returned victorious, and it was his only daughter who came out to meet him (Judges 11:30-35). The text records that he judged Israel six years, then died and was buried in Gilead (Judges 12:7). He is named among those commended for faith in Hebrews 11:32; his birth year is not stated, and the bar reflects his six years as judge.

The son of Manoah, born to a barren woman as a Nazirite to God, who grew and was blessed by the LORD (Judges 13:24). At his death he pulled down the temple of the Philistines, so that those he killed in his death were more than those he had killed in his life (Judges 16:30). This bar reflects his approximate period of activity as a judge.

The son of King Saul, who with his armor-bearer attacked a Philistine garrison, saying nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few (1 Samuel 14:6-14). His soul was knit to David’s, and he made a covenant with him, giving David his robe and armor (1 Samuel 18:1-4; 20:16-17). He was killed alongside Saul and his brothers by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:2), and David lamented him (2 Samuel 1:25-26). His birth year is not stated; the bar runs to his death at Gilboa.

The son of Kish, anointed by Samuel as the first king over Israel when Samuel poured a flask of oil on his head (1 Samuel 10:1). Wounded in battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, he took his own sword and fell upon it (1 Samuel 31:4). This bar reflects his reign.

The son of Jesse, anointed to replace Saul and made king over all Israel. The text records that he was 30 when he began to reign and reigned 40 years (2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 2:11).

The daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite, whom David saw bathing and took while Uriah was at war (2 Samuel 11:2-4). After the death of the first child, she bore Solomon, whom the LORD loved (2 Samuel 12:24). She secured the throne for Solomon when David was old (1 Kings 1:11-31). Matthew includes her in the genealogy of Jesus, naming her only as the wife of Uriah (Matthew 1:6). Her birth and death are not stated; the bar reflects an estimate from the narrative.

A prophet in the reign of David through whom the LORD gave the promise that David’s offspring and throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:4-17). He confronted David over Uriah and Bathsheba with the parable of the ewe lamb, saying, ‘You are the man’ (2 Samuel 12:1-15). He acted to secure Solomon’s succession (1 Kings 1:22-45). His birth and death are not stated; the bar reflects his period of activity in David’s reign into Solomon’s accession.

The son of David and Bathsheba who succeeded David as king and built the temple in Jerusalem. The text records that he reigned over all Israel in Jerusalem 40 years (1 Kings 11:42); his birth year is not stated, so this bar reflects his reign.

The prophet from Tishbe in Gilead who confronted Ahab and the prophets of Baal during the reigns of the northern kings (1 Kings 17:1). The text records no death; he was taken up into heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). This bar reflects his approximate period of activity.

The son of Shaphat, called by Elijah while plowing with twelve yoke of oxen (1 Kings 19:19-21). When Elijah was taken up, Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit and took up the mantle that fell from him (2 Kings 2:9-14). He ministered through the reigns of several kings of Israel, and the text records that he fell sick and died, and was buried (2 Kings 13:14,20). His birth year is not stated; the bar reflects his period of activity from Elijah’s departure to his death.

The son of Amittai, a prophet from Gath-hepher, named in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel (2 Kings 14:25). Sent to Nineveh, he fled toward Tarshish and was swallowed by a great fish before being sent again (Jonah 1:1-17). At his preaching the people of Nineveh repented, and God relented from the disaster (Jonah 3:1-10). Jesus speaks of the sign of Jonah, drawing a parallel between Jonah’s three days in the fish and his own burial (Matthew 12:39-41). His birth and death are not stated; the bar reflects his period of activity under Jeroboam II.

The prophet whose vision came in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). This bar reflects his approximate period of prophetic activity in Judah; his death is not recorded in scripture.

The son of Amon and grandson of Manasseh, who became king of Yehudah at age 8 (2 Kings 22:1). He began seeking God at 16 and purging Yehudah's idolatry at 20 (2 Chronicles 34:3). In his 26th year the high priest Hilkiyahu discovered the Book of the Law during Temple repairs; when it was read to Yoshiyahu he tore his clothes and initiated the most sweeping religious reform since David — demolishing the high places, Asherah poles, and altars of Baal throughout Yehudah and even into the former Northern Kingdom territories. He reinstated Pesach in a manner not seen since the days of the judges (2 Kings 23:22). The text declares: 'Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might' (2 Kings 23:25). He died fighting Pharaoh Necho II at the Battle of Megiddo and was mourned by all Yehudah, with Yirmeyahu composing laments in his honor.

The prophet to Judah whose word came from the thirteenth year of Josiah until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month (Jeremiah 1:2-3). This bar reflects his prophetic activity through the fall of Jerusalem; his death is not recorded in scripture.

A young man of Judah taken to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar who served in the courts of Babylon and Persia (Daniel 1:1-6). His final dated vision came in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia (Daniel 10:1). This bar reflects his period of activity in exile.

A priest, the son of Buzi, to whom the word of the LORD came in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal among the exiles (Ezekiel 1:1-3). This bar reflects his approximate period of prophetic activity in exile; his death is not recorded in scripture.

The son of Shealtiel, appointed governor of Judah, who came up from Babylon with the first returning exiles and, with Jeshua the priest, rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:2-8). The word of the LORD came to him through Haggai to finish the house (Haggai 1:1,14; 2:2-9). He is named in the genealogy of Jesus in both Matthew (Matthew 1:12-13) and Luke (Luke 3:27). His birth and death are not stated in the text; the bar reflects his period of activity from the return under Cyrus to the temple’s completion.

A prophet through whom the word of the LORD came in the second year of Darius the king, calling the returned exiles to rebuild the house of the LORD (Haggai 1:1-8). All four of his dated messages fall within that same year (Haggai 1:1; 2:1; 2:10,20). With Zechariah he prophesied to the Jews rebuilding in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:1; 6:14). His birth and death are not recorded; the bar marks the single recorded year of his prophesying.

The son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, a prophet to whom the word of the LORD came in the eighth month of the second year of Darius (Zechariah 1:1). His dated visions and messages run from the second to the fourth year of Darius (Zechariah 1:1; 7:1). With Haggai he prophesied to the Jews rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:1; 6:14). His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects his dated period of prophesying.

A Jewish woman, also called Hadassah, cousin and ward of Mordecai, chosen by Ahasuerus (Xerxes) as queen in the seventh year of his reign (Esther 2:7,16-17). At Mordecai’s urging she approached the king at the risk of her life, saying, ‘If I perish, I perish’ (Esther 4:15-16), and exposed Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews (Esther 7:1-6). Her birth and death are not stated in the text; the bar reflects the period of the events recorded in the book.

A Jew of the tribe of Benjamin in Susa, descended from those carried into exile, who raised his cousin Esther as his own daughter (Esther 2:5-7). He uncovered a plot against the king (Esther 2:21-23) and refused to bow to Haman (Esther 3:2-5). After Haman’s fall he was set over Haman’s house and became second to the king, seeking the good of his people (Esther 8:1-2; 10:3). His birth and death are not stated in the text; the bar reflects the period of the events recorded in the book.

A scribe skilled in the Law of Moses who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king (Ezra 7:6-8). This bar reflects his period of activity in restoring the Law among the returned exiles.

The cupbearer to Artaxerxes who was sent to Jerusalem in the king's twentieth year to rebuild the city and its walls (Nehemiah 2:1-8). This bar reflects his period of activity as governor of Judah.

Seleucid king who reigned 175-164 BC. He plundered the Jerusalem temple, outlawed the practices of the Torah, and erected a pagan altar in the sanctuary (1 Maccabees 1:10-15). Daniel 11:21-35 describes a contemptible king who profanes the temple and sets up the abomination that makes desolate; many readers connect this figure to Antiochus, though the identification is interpretive rather than named in the text.

Son of the priest Mattathias who led the Jewish revolt against the Seleucids from roughly 167-160 BC (1 Maccabees 3:1-9). He recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the temple, and later fell in battle (1 Maccabees 9:18).

Hasmonean high priest and ruler of Judea, reigning 134-104 BC. His acts are noted at the close of 1 Maccabees, which records that the rest of his deeds were written in the chronicles of his high priesthood (1 Maccabees 16:23-24).

Rome-appointed king of Judea, reigning 37-4 BC. The Gospel of Matthew places the birth of Jesus in his reign (Matthew 2:1-3) and records his order to kill the children of Bethlehem, followed by his death (Matthew 2:16-19).

A carpenter of Nazareth, of the line of David, betrothed to Mary; told by an angel to take her as his wife and to name the child Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25). He went to Bethlehem for the census and was present at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:4-7), took the child to Egypt and back (Matthew 2:13-23), and last appears in the narrative when Jesus was twelve at the temple (Luke 2:41-51). Matthew traces his line through Jacob (Matthew 1:16) and Luke through Heli (Luke 3:23), two genealogies the reader may compare. The text does not record his birth or death; the bar reflects an estimate, and he is not mentioned during Jesus’ ministry.

A virgin of Nazareth betrothed to Joseph, told by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of the Most High; she answered, ‘Let it be to me according to your word’ (Luke 1:26-38). She gave birth to Jesus (Luke 2:6-7), was present at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-5) and at the cross, where Jesus committed her to the disciple he loved (John 19:25-27). She was among those gathered in prayer after the ascension (Acts 1:14). Her birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

A woman from whom seven demons had gone out, who followed Jesus and provided for the disciples out of her means (Luke 8:1-3). She was present at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:55-56) and came to the tomb on the first day of the week; the risen Jesus appeared to her and sent her to tell the disciples (John 20:1-18). Her birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

The forerunner of the Messiah, born to Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:57) and executed by beheading at the order of Herod Antipas (Mark 6:27).

Born to Mary in the days of Herod the king (Matthew 1:18-25). The text records that he was about thirty years old when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23), and that on the cross he said, 'It is finished,' and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

A fisherman from Bethsaida, called Simon, to whom Jesus gave the name Peter (Aramaic Cephas, meaning rock; John 1:42). Called by Jesus to follow him along with his brother Andrew (Matthew 4:18-20). Jesus foretold the manner of his death, signifying by what death he would glorify God (John 21:18-19). He later wrote from ‘Babylon’ with the church there (1 Peter 5:13).

The brother of Simon Peter, a fisherman of Bethsaida and formerly a disciple of John the Baptist, who first followed Jesus and then brought his brother to him, saying, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (John 1:40-42). He was called with Peter to leave his nets and follow (Matthew 4:18-20) and was among those who asked Jesus about the end (Mark 13:3-4). His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

The son of Zebedee and brother of John, called with his brother while mending nets (Mark 1:19-20). He was among the three taken by Jesus into closer moments, at the raising of Jairus’s daughter and elsewhere (Mark 5:37; 9:2). The text records that Herod had him killed with the sword (Acts 12:2), placing his death around 44 AD. His birth year is not stated; the bar reflects an estimate to his recorded death.

One of the twelve, called the Twin, who said when Jesus resolved to go to Judea, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’ (John 11:16). Absent when the risen Jesus first appeared, he said he would not believe without seeing the wounds; eight days later he saw and answered, ‘My Lord and my God’ (John 20:24-29). His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

A tax collector called by Jesus from his tax booth with the words ‘Follow me,’ after which he rose and followed (Matthew 9:9). The same account names him Levi, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-28), and records that he held a great feast for Jesus with tax collectors and sinners. His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

A Levite from Cyprus named Joseph, called Barnabas (‘son of encouragement’) by the apostles, who sold a field and laid the money at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:36-37). He brought the newly converted Saul to the apostles (Acts 9:27) and was sent to Antioch (Acts 11:22-26). Set apart with Saul by the Holy Spirit, he went on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:2-3), and later parted from Paul over John Mark (Acts 15:36-39). His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

Born a Jew in Tarsus of Cilicia and raised a Pharisee (Acts 22:3), he was met by the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and became an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1-19). Near the end he wrote that the time of his departure had come and that he had finished the race (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

The son of Zebedee, called with his brother James while mending nets (Mark 1:19-20). Late in life he was on the island of Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, where he received the Revelation (Revelation 1:9).

Named among the brothers of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Paul calls him ‘the Lord’s brother’ and one of the pillars in Jerusalem (Galatians 1:19; 2:9), and the risen Jesus appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:7). He spoke the judgment at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:13-21) and is generally taken to be the writer of the letter of James (James 1:1). He is distinct from the two apostles named James. His birth and death are not recorded in scripture; the bar reflects an estimate.

Named by Paul as ‘the beloved physician’ (Colossians 4:14), a fellow worker (Philemon 24), and the one who remained with Paul near the end (2 Timothy 4:11). The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts do not name their author within the text; the attribution to Luke is by tradition, though the ‘we’ passages of Acts (for example Acts 16:10-17) indicate that the writer traveled with Paul. His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

A leading man among the brothers in Jerusalem (Acts 15:22), chosen by Paul as his companion after Paul parted from Barnabas (Acts 15:40). He was beaten and imprisoned with Paul at Philippi, where they sang hymns at midnight (Acts 16:19-25). He appears as a co-sender of letters under the name Silvanus (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:19) and is associated with Peter’s first letter (1 Peter 5:12). His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

A married couple, Aquila a Jew of Pontus and his wife Priscilla, who had left Italy when Claudius commanded the Jews to depart from Rome; Paul stayed and worked with them as tentmakers (Acts 18:2-3). They took Apollos aside and explained the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:24-26). Paul calls them his fellow workers who risked their necks for him (Romans 16:3-4; see also 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19). Their birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate. This entry covers the pair together, as the text consistently names them as a couple.

A disciple from Lystra, son of a believing Jewish mother and a Greek father, well spoken of by the brothers, whom Paul took along on his journeys (Acts 16:1-3). Paul recalls the faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5) and addresses him as ‘my true child in the faith’ (1 Timothy 1:2). He is named as co-sender of several of Paul’s letters. His birth and death are not recorded; the bar reflects an estimate.

Bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of John the apostle; martyred by burning and stabbing in Smyrna at about eighty-six years of age. The connection is direct to the church he led: Revelation 2:8-11 is the letter to the church in Smyrna, calling it to be 'faithful unto death.'

A philosopher who converted to Christianity and wrote formal defenses (apologies) of the faith addressed to Roman authorities; martyred in Rome. The scripture connection is interpretive: 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts believers to always be 'prepared to make a defense,' which describes the apologetic work Justin took up, though the text does not name him.

Bishop of Lyon and a student of Polycarp; wrote 'Against Heresies' opposing Gnostic teaching and argued for the four Gospels as authoritative. The scripture connection is interpretive: 1 Timothy 6:20 warns to avoid 'what is falsely called knowledge' (Greek gnosis), the very error Irenaeus wrote against, though the text does not name him.

A prolific biblical scholar and theologian who produced the Hexapla, a six-column comparison of Old Testament texts; regarded as controversial on certain doctrines. The scripture connection is interpretive: 2 Timothy 2:15 speaks of 'rightly handling the word of truth,' which characterizes his textual scholarship, though the text does not name him.

Bishop of Alexandria who championed the full divinity of Christ against Arianism and was exiled five times; the phrase 'Athanasius contra mundum' (against the world) captures his perseverance. The scripture connection is direct: John 1:1-3, presenting the Logos as God and the agent of creation, was the text at the center of the Arian controversy.

The scholar who produced the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible; he studied Hebrew with Jewish scholars and championed the Hebrew canon (Hebraica veritas) over the Septuagint for the Old Testament. The scripture connection is interpretive: Nehemiah 8:8 describes reading Scripture 'clearly' and giving 'the sense,' a model for translation work, though the text does not name him.

Bishop of Hippo and a theologian whose writings shaped Western Christianity; converted after years of philosophical searching and wrote 'Confessions' and 'City of God.' The scripture connection is direct to a text central to his theology: Romans 9:15-16 on grace and election ('it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy').