Biblical Characters

Abijah

Second King of Judah

Dates: 913-910 BC
Tribe: Judah

Brief but militarily successful reign. Defeated Jeroboam's larger army by trusting in God.

Patriarch

Abraham

Father of Faith

Dates: c. 2166-1991 BC
Tribe: Chaldean (later Hebrew)

Abraham, originally Abram, was called by God to leave his homeland for an unknown land. His faith in God's impossible promises made him the father of all who believe, and through his seed all nations would be blessed.

Patriarch

Creation

Adam

First Man, Father of Humanity

Dates: Beginning of time
Tribe: None (first human)

Adam was the first man, created by God from the dust of the ground and animated by divine breath. He was placed in Eden as its keeper, named all animals, received Eve as his wife, but brought sin and death upon humanity through his disobedience.

Prophet

Apostolic Age

Agabus

Prophet of the Early Church

Dates: c. 40-60 CE
Tribe: Judah

Agabus was a Judean Christian prophet active in the apostolic church. He predicted the severe famine under Claudius (Acts 11:27-28) that prompted the Antioch-to-Jerusalem relief offering, and — in a prophetic sign-act — he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and foretold Paul's arrest in Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-11).

King

Ahab

7th King of Israel

Dates: 874–853 BC
Tribe: Israel

The seventh and most infamous king of Israel who married Jezebel and introduced systematic Baal worship to Israel. He was confronted by Elijah on Mount Carmel, murdered Naboth for his vineyard, and was killed by a random arrow at Ramoth-gilead.

King

Ahaz

12th King of Judah

Dates: 735–715 BC
Tribe: Judah

One of the most wicked kings of Judah who practiced child sacrifice, introduced Assyrian religion into Jerusalem, closed the Temple, and refused Isaiah's offer of a divine sign. The Immanuel prophecy was given during his crisis.

King

Ahaziah of Israel

8th King of Israel

Dates: 853–852 BC
Tribe: Israel

The eighth king of Israel who reigned two years and followed the sins of both his father Ahab and his mother Jezebel. After falling through a lattice and being injured, he sent to consult Baal-Zebub of Ekron instead of God, and Elijah pronounced his death.

King

United-to-Divided Monarchy

Ahaziah of Judah

6th King of Judah

Dates: 841 BC
Tribe: Judah

The sixth king of Judah who reigned for only one year, deeply influenced by his wicked mother Athaliah and the house of Ahab. He was killed by Jehu during his purge of Ahab's dynasty.

Prophet

Ahijah

Ahijah the Shilonite

Dates: c. 960-900 BCE
Tribe: Levi (Shiloh)

Ahijah the Shilonite prophesied during the reigns of Solomon and Jeroboam I. He tore his new garment into twelve pieces to symbolically give Jeroboam ten tribes (1 Kgs 11:29-39) — inaugurating the divided kingdom. He later pronounced the judgment on Jeroboam's house (1 Kgs 14).

King

Amaziah

9th King of Judah

Dates: 796–767 BC
Tribe: Judah

The ninth king of Judah who defeated Edom but then foolishly worshipped Edomite gods. He recklessly challenged King Jehoash of Israel, suffered a humiliating defeat, and was eventually assassinated.

King

Amon

15th King of Judah

Dates: 642–640 BC
Tribe: Judah

The fifteenth king of Judah who reigned only two years. He followed his father Manasseh's early wicked ways but — unlike Manasseh — never repented and was assassinated by his own servants.

Prophet

Divided Monarchy (North)

Amos

Prophet of Justice

Dates: c. 760-750 BCE
Tribe: Judah (prophesying to Israel)

Amos of Tekoa — a Judean shepherd and "dresser of sycamore figs" — prophesied against the northern kingdom during the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II. His message of social injustice under cover of ritual piety is the sharpest prophetic critique of covenantal hypocrisy in the Hebrew Bible.

Prophet

Second Temple / NT

Anna

The Prophetess in the Temple

Dates: c. 90 BCE - 5 CE
Tribe: Asher

Anna the prophetess was an 84-year-old widow who worshipped night and day in the temple with fasting and prayer. She recognized the infant Jesus when Mary and Joseph brought him for dedication and spoke of him "to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:36-38).

King

Asa

Third King of Judah

Dates: 910-869 BC
Tribe: Judah

Godly king who instituted reforms and trusted God for victory, but later relied on foreign alliance and persecuted a prophet.

King

Athaliah

Queen of Judah (Usurper)

Dates: 841–835 BC
Tribe: Judah / Israel

Daughter of Ahab and Jezebel who seized the throne of Judah by slaughtering the royal heirs after her son's death. She ruled for six years until the priest Jehoiada revealed the hidden prince Joash and had her executed.

King

Baasha

3rd King of Israel

Dates: 908–886 BC
Tribe: Israel / Tribe of Issachar

The third king of Israel who came to power by assassinating Nadab and exterminating Jeroboam's dynasty. He warred extensively with King Asa of Judah, fortified Ramah, and had the prophet Jehu son of Hanani prophesy his own dynasty's doom for the same sins as Jeroboam.

King

Return from Exile

Cyrus the Great

King of Persia

Dates: 559–530 BC
Tribe: Persia

The founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire who was named by Isaiah 150 years before his birth. He decreed that the Jewish exiles could return to Judah and rebuild the Temple — fulfilling prophecy and reversing the Babylonian captivity.

Prophet

Babylonian Exile

Daniel

Prophet in the Court

Dates: c. 620-530 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Daniel was taken to Babylon as a youth of noble lineage in the first Judean deportation (605 BCE), trained in Babylonian wisdom, and rose to become an official advisor to Nebuchadnezzar and later Darius the Mede. His book contains court narratives of faithful exile (ch 1-6) and four apocalyptic visions (ch 7-12) shaping Second Temple eschatology.

King

Return from Exile

Darius the Great

King of Persia

Dates: 522–486 BC
Tribe: Persia

The Persian king who confirmed Cyrus's decree and allowed the Jerusalem Temple to be completed in his sixth year. He also cast Daniel into the lions' den when pressured by jealous officials, and publicly praised the God of Daniel after Daniel's miraculous deliverance.

Warrior

United Kingdom

David

King, Man After God's Heart

Dates: c. 1040-970 BC
Tribe: Judah

David was Israel's greatest king, a warrior, poet, and man after God's own heart. Despite grievous sins, his repentance and devotion made him the model for all kings and the ancestor of Christ.

Judge

Deborah

Judge and Prophetess

Dates: c. 1200-1125 BC
Tribe: Ephraim

Deborah was a prophetess and the only female judge of Israel, who led the nation to victory over Canaanite oppressors through faith and wisdom.

King

Elah

4th King of Israel

Dates: 886–885 BC
Tribe: Israel

The fourth king of Israel who reigned only two years and was killed while drunk by his chariot commander Zimri, fulfilling the prophecy against Baasha's house.

Prophet

Divided Monarchy (North)

Elijah

Tishbite Prophet

Dates: c. 900-840 BCE
Tribe: Gilead (Tishbite)

Elijah the Tishbite was the prophetic voice against the Baal-worship established by Ahab and Jezebel in the northern kingdom of Israel (c. 874-853 BCE). His confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, his fire-calling, chariot-ascending departure, and his appearance with Moses at Jesus' transfiguration make him the prophetic archetype alongside Moses.

Prophet

Divided Monarchy (North)

Elisha

Son of Shaphat; Successor to Elijah

Dates: c. 890-800 BCE
Tribe: Abel-meholah

Elisha son of Shaphat was Elijah's successor, receiving a double portion of his master's spirit (2 Kgs 2:9). His ministry spanned the reigns of four northern kings (Ahab's dynasty through Jehu's), and he performed about twice the number of recorded miracles as Elijah — parallel in form but amplified in extent.

Other

Persian Empire

Esther

Queen of Persia

Dates: c. 5th century BC
Tribe: Benjamin (Persia)

Esther was a Jewish orphan who became Queen of Persia. She risked her life to save her people from Haman's plot to destroy all Jews in the empire.

Prophet

Babylonian Exile

Ezekiel

Prophet of the Exile

Dates: c. 622-570 BCE
Tribe: Levi

Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, was among the exiles deported to Babylon in 597 BCE. Called in the fifth year of his exile, he prophesied to the Jewish community by the river Chebar for at least twenty-two years, delivering visions of strange apocalyptic power: the wheels within wheels, the valley of dry bones, the restored temple, and the river flowing from the temple.

Prophet

Gad

David's Seer

Dates: c. 1020-970 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Gad the seer served David from the outlaw years through the kingship. He delivered God's direction during David's cave period (1 Sam 22:5), announced the judgment after David's census (2 Sam 24; 1 Chr 21), and helped organize the Levitical worship (2 Chr 29:25).

Judge

Gideon

Mighty Warrior

Dates: c. 1200-1150 BC
Tribe: Manasseh

Gideon was a reluctant judge who defeated Midian with only 300 men, demonstrating that victory comes from God alone, not from human strength.

Prophet

Late 7th century

Habakkuk

Prophet Who Questioned God

Dates: c. 615-605 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Habakkuk is the only prophet whose book is a dialogue between himself and YHWH — a theodicy wrestling with the problem of how God can use the wicked Babylonians to judge the less-wicked Judeans. The answer: "the righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4), cited three times in the New Testament.

Prophet

Persian Period

Haggai

Prophet of the Second Temple

Dates: c. 520 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Haggai prophesied during the second year of Darius the Great (520 BCE), urging the returned Babylonian exiles to resume construction on the second temple which had stalled for sixteen years. His four brief oracles precipitated completion of the temple in 516 BCE.

Other

Hannah

Mother of Samuel

Dates: c. 1100 BC
Tribe: Ephraim

Hannah was a barren woman whose persistent prayer produced Samuel, Israel's greatest judge and prophet. Her song of praise anticipates Mary's Magnificat.

King

Herod Antipas

Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea

Dates: 4 BC–AD 39
Tribe: Idumea / Roman Galilee

The tetrarch of Galilee who executed John the Baptist after Salome's dance, who Jesus called "that fox," and who mocked Jesus at his trial when Pilate sent him for examination.

King

Herod the Great

King of Judea

Dates: 37–4 BC
Tribe: Idumea / Roman Judea

The Idumean king appointed by Rome who magnificently rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem, yet tried to murder the infant Jesus and ordered the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem — the first human ruler to attempt to destroy the Messiah.

King

Hezekiah

13th King of Judah

Dates: 715–686 BC
Tribe: Judah

One of Judah's greatest kings who reversed his father Ahaz's idolatry, reopened the Temple, held the greatest Passover since Solomon, and trusted God when Sennacherib's 185,000-man Assyrian army was destroyed by the angel of the LORD.

Prophet

Late Northern Kingdom

Hosea

Prophet of Covenant Love

Dates: c. 785-725 BCE
Tribe: Israel (north)

Hosea prophesied during the final decades of the northern kingdom before its fall to Assyria in 722 BCE. His prophetic sign was his own marriage to Gomer, an unfaithful wife whom he bought back from slavery — a dramatization of YHWH's covenant love for unfaithful Israel.

King

Hoshea

19th and Last King of Israel

Dates: 732–722 BC
Tribe: Israel

The final king of the northern kingdom of Israel who assassinated Pekah to take the throne. He stopped tribute to Assyria and sought Egypt's help, was imprisoned by Shalmaneser V, and watched Samaria fall after a three-year siege — ending the northern kingdom forever.

Prophet

Late Judahite Monarchy

Huldah

The Prophetess of Josiah's Day

Dates: c. 640-620 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Huldah the prophetess — whose husband Shallum was keeper of the wardrobe — authenticated the rediscovered book of the Law when Josiah's workers found it in the temple (2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34). Her prophetic judgment triggered Josiah's great reform.

Patriarch

Isaac

Son of Promise

Dates: c. 2066-1886 BC
Tribe: Hebrew

Isaac was the miraculous child of Abraham and Sarah, the son of promise through whom God's covenant continued. His willing submission at the altar and his peaceful life demonstrated quiet faith.

Prophet

Divided Monarchy

Isaiah

Prophet

Dates: c. 760-680 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Isaiah of Jerusalem prophesied through the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah (c. 740-680 BCE). Called in a throne-room vision in the year King Uzziah died (Isa 6), he delivered the longest prophetic book in the Hebrew Bible, containing the most extensive and richest messianic prophecies — the Immanuel oracle, the Prince of Peace oracle, the Suffering Servant, the new heavens and new earth.

Patriarch

Jacob

Israel, Prince with God

Dates: c. 2006-1859 BC
Tribe: Hebrew

Jacob was a supplanter transformed by grace into Israel, prince with God. His twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel, and despite his deceptions, God chose him to carry the covenant promises.

King

Jehoahaz of Israel

11th King of Israel

Dates: 814–798 BC
Tribe: Israel

The eleventh king of Israel who was oppressed by Syria throughout his reign, reducing Israel's army to almost nothing. In his distress he sought the LORD, who provided a deliverer — demonstrating God's willingness to respond even to this wayward king.

King

Jehoahaz of Judah

17th King of Judah

Dates: 609 BC
Tribe: Judah

The seventeenth king of Judah who reigned only three months before being deposed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt and dying in captivity in Egypt — the first Judean king to die in exile.

King

Jehoash of Israel

12th King of Israel

Dates: 798–782 BC
Tribe: Israel

The twelfth king of Israel who visited the dying prophet Elisha and received the arrow prophecy of partial victory over Syria. He struck the ground only three times instead of five or six, limiting his victories. He also defeated King Amaziah of Judah and broke down Jerusalem's wall.

King

Jehoiachin

19th King of Judah

Dates: 598–597 BC
Tribe: Judah

Reigned only three months before surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar and being exiled to Babylon for 37 years. He was eventually released and given a place of honor at the Babylonian king's table, and he appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

King

Jehoiakim

18th King of Judah

Dates: 609–598 BC
Tribe: Judah

Installed as king by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim was a ruthless ruler who burned Jeremiah's scroll, killed the prophet Uriah, and imposed heavy taxation. Daniel was taken to Babylon during his reign in the first deportation.

King

Jehoram of Judah

5th King of Judah

Dates: 848–841 BC
Tribe: Judah

Son of Jehoshaphat who married Ahab's daughter Athaliah and led Judah deeply into Baal worship. He murdered his brothers to secure the throne and died of a terrible bowel disease as prophesied by Elijah.

King

Jehoshaphat

Fourth King of Judah

Dates: 872-848 BC
Tribe: Judah

Godly king who strengthened Judah spiritually and militarily, but made unwise alliances with wicked kings of Israel.

King

Jehu

10th King of Israel

Dates: 841–814 BC
Tribe: Israel

Anointed by Elisha's messenger to destroy Ahab's house, Jehu executed Joram, Jezebel, all seventy sons of Ahab, and destroyed Baal worship in Israel. Yet he did not turn from the golden calves of Jeroboam, and his dynasty lasted four generations.

Prophet

Late Judahite Monarchy

Jeremiah

The Weeping Prophet

Dates: c. 645-580 BCE
Tribe: Levi (Anathoth)

Jeremiah, son of the priest Hilkiah of Anathoth, prophesied through the final forty years of Judah's existence (c. 627-586 BCE) and continued into the Babylonian exile. Called "the weeping prophet" for the intense emotional anguish of his book and the book of Lamentations, he is one of the most personally transparent figures in prophetic literature.

King

Jeroboam I

1st King of Israel (Northern Kingdom)

Dates: 930–909 BC
Tribe: Israel / Tribe of Ephraim

The founder of the Northern Kingdom of Israel who led the ten tribes in revolt against Rehoboam. He set up golden calves at Dan and Bethel to prevent his people from going to Jerusalem, and his sin became the benchmark by which all subsequent kings of Israel were judged.

King

Jeroboam II

13th King of Israel

Dates: 793–753 BC
Tribe: Israel

The thirteenth king of Israel with the longest reign of any northern king (41 years), who restored Israel's borders to their greatest extent since Solomon. Amos and Hosea prophesied during his prosperous but spiritually hollow reign.

King

Joash of Judah

8th King of Judah

Dates: 835–796 BC
Tribe: Judah

The child king hidden in the Temple who was crowned at age seven and repaired the Temple under the guidance of the priest Jehoiada. After Jehoiada's death he turned to idolatry and murdered Zechariah, Jehoiada's son, before being assassinated by his own servants.

Patriarch

Job

Suffering Servant

Dates: c. 2000-1800 BC (uncertain)
Tribe: Uz

Job was a blameless man who suffered catastrophic loss. His story explores suffering, divine justice, and faith that perseveres without answers.

Prophet

Judah (date debated)

Joel

Prophet of the Day of the Lord

Dates: date debated — likely c. 835 or 400 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Joel son of Pethuel prophesied after a devastating locust plague in Judah, interpreting it as a prefiguring of the greater "day of the LORD." His prophecy of poured-out Spirit (Joel 2:28-32) is cited by Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21) as the inaugural text of the church's age.

Apostle

John the Apostle

Beloved Disciple

Dates: c. 6-100 AD
Tribe: Galilee (Zebulun)

John was a 'son of thunder' who became the apostle of love. He was part of Jesus' inner circle, wrote five New Testament books, and was the only apostle to die a natural death.

Prophet

NT Era

John the Baptist

The Forerunner

Dates: c. 6 BCE - 30 CE
Tribe: Levi (priestly family)

John the Baptist, son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, was the prophetic forerunner of Christ — the "Elijah to come" whose wilderness baptism announced the kingdom at hand. Jesus said of him: "Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist" (Matt 11:11).

Prophet

8th century

Jonah

The Reluctant Prophet

Dates: c. 785-760 BCE
Tribe: Israel (Gath-hepher)

Jonah son of Amittai of Gath-hepher (mentioned in 2 Kgs 14:25) is the prophet whose rebellion became his sign. Commissioned to preach to Assyria's capital Nineveh, he fled to Tarshish, was swallowed by a great fish, and three days later was vomited onto dry land to fulfill his mission. Jesus named him as a sign of his own death and resurrection.

King

Joram of Israel

9th King of Israel

Dates: 852–841 BC
Tribe: Israel

The ninth king of Israel who removed the pillar of Baal his father had erected but kept the golden calves of Jeroboam. He was mortally wounded by Jehu's arrow at Jezreel and thrown into Naboth's field in poetic divine justice.

Patriarch

Joseph

Vizier of Egypt

Dates: c. 1915-1805 BC
Tribe: Hebrew (Israel)

Joseph rose from pit to palace through God's providence. Sold by jealous brothers, he became Egypt's vizier and saved his family from famine. His life powerfully prefigures Christ's rejection and exaltation.

Warrior

Conquest

Joshua

Conqueror of Canaan

Dates: c. 1500-1390 BC
Tribe: Ephraim

Joshua was Moses' servant and successor who led Israel to conquer the Promised Land. His name means 'Yahweh saves'—the same name as Jesus in Greek.

King

Josiah

16th King of Judah

Dates: 640–609 BC
Tribe: Judah

The greatest reforming king of Judah who became king at eight years old, began seeking God at sixteen, and at twenty-six found the Book of the Law. He led the most sweeping religious reform in Judah's history and held the greatest Passover since the time of Samuel.

King

Jotham

11th King of Judah

Dates: 750–732 BC
Tribe: Judah

One of the consistently good kings of Judah who grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD. He built the Upper Gate of the Temple and defeated the Ammonites but never entered the Temple as his father had done.

Prophet

Persian Period

Malachi

The Last Prophet

Dates: c. 460-430 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Malachi — "my messenger" — is the traditional last of the writing prophets of the Hebrew Bible, prophesying perhaps a century after Haggai and Zechariah, around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. His book closes the Hebrew Bible with the promise of Elijah's return before the great Day of the LORD.

King

Manasseh

14th King of Judah

Dates: 697–642 BC
Tribe: Judah

The longest-reigning king of Judah (55 years) and also the most wicked, who practiced child sacrifice, sorcery, and built altars to Baal throughout Jerusalem — yet was captured by Assyria, repented genuinely, was restored, and removed the idols.

Apostle

Mary Magdalene

Witness of the Resurrection

Dates: c. 1st century AD
Tribe: Galilee (Magdala)

Mary Magdalene was delivered by Jesus from seven demons and became one of His most devoted followers. She was present at the crucifixion and was the first person to see the risen Christ.

King

Menahem

16th King of Israel

Dates: 752–742 BC
Tribe: Israel

The sixteenth king of Israel notorious for brutal cruelty — he ripped open pregnant women of a city that refused to open its gates. He paid 1,000 talents of silver to Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria to secure his throne, taxing Israel's wealthy men.

Prophet

Late 8th century

Micah

Prophet of Peace and Judgment

Dates: c. 750-700 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Micah of Moresheth was contemporary with Isaiah, prophesying during Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah's reigns. His oracle of the ruler born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) is the foundational messianic prophecy cited at the birth of Christ (Matt 2:6).

Prophet

Exodus

Moses

Prophet, Lawgiver, Deliverer

Dates: c. 1526-1406 BCE
Tribe: Levi

Moses is the central human figure of the Old Testament — the prophet who led Israel out of Egyptian slavery, mediated the covenant at Sinai, shepherded the people through forty years of wilderness wandering, and received the Torah. Deuteronomy 34:10 declares: "there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face."

King

Nadab

2nd King of Israel

Dates: 909–908 BC
Tribe: Israel

The second king of Israel who reigned only two years. He continued in his father's sins and was assassinated by Baasha during a military campaign, fulfilling Ahijah's prophecy that Jeroboam's entire family would be exterminated.

Prophet

Late 7th century

Nahum

Prophet of Nineveh's Fall

Dates: c. 663-612 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Nahum of Elkosh prophesied the fall of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital — fulfilled in 612 BCE when the Medes, Babylonians, and Scythians besieged and destroyed the city. His three-chapter book is sustained poetic celebration of divine justice against imperial oppression.

Prophet

Nathan

Court Prophet under David

Dates: c. 1010-960 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Nathan was David's court prophet — a trusted advisor who both mediated the foundational Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7) and confronted David's gravest sin with the parable of the ewe lamb (2 Sam 12). His ministry established the prophetic office as the covenantal conscience of the monarchy.

King

Exile

Nebuchadnezzar

King of Babylon

Dates: 605–562 BC
Tribe: Babylon

The greatest king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and took Israel into exile. He encountered Daniel and the three Hebrew men, was struck with madness for seven years for his pride, and ultimately praised the God of Israel.

Patriarch

Antediluvian

Noah

Preacher of Righteousness

Dates: c. 2900-1950 BC
Tribe: Seth's line

Noah was a righteous man who found favor with God in a corrupt generation. He built the ark at God's command, preserved humanity and animal life through the flood, and received God's covenant with the rainbow as its sign.

Prophet

Post-586 BCE

Obadiah

Prophet Against Edom

Dates: c. 586-580 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Obadiah's one-chapter prophecy — the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible — is an oracle of judgment against Edom for its complicity in Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BCE. The theological point is larger: "the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations."

King

Omri

6th King of Israel

Dates: 885–874 BC
Tribe: Israel

The sixth king of Israel who founded the Omride dynasty, built Samaria as the new capital, and was considered so wicked that Assyrian records referred to Israel as "the house of Omri" for generations. He was worse than all who had been before him.

Apostle

Paul

Apostle to the Gentiles

Dates: c. 5-67 AD
Tribe: Benjamin (Tarsus)

Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians until the risen Christ appeared to him on the Damascus road. He became the greatest missionary and theologian of the early church.

King

Pekah

18th King of Israel

Dates: 752–732 BC
Tribe: Israel

The eighteenth king of Israel who allied with Syria in the Syro-Ephraimite War against Judah. Isaiah prophesied their failure. He lost massive territory to Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria and was finally assassinated by Hoshea.

King

Pekahiah

17th King of Israel

Dates: 742–740 BC
Tribe: Israel

The seventeenth king of Israel who reigned only two years before being assassinated by his officer Pekah and fifty Gileadites in the citadel of the palace in Samaria.

Apostle

Peter

Rock, Chief Apostle

Dates: c. 1-68 AD
Tribe: Galilee (Israel)

Peter was a fisherman who became the leading apostle—bold, impulsive, and deeply devoted to Jesus. Despite denying Christ, he was restored and became a pillar of the church.

King

The Exodus

Pharaoh of the Exodus

King of Egypt

Dates: c. 1446 BC
Tribe: Egypt

The unnamed Pharaoh who enslaved Israel in Egypt, resisted Moses through ten devastating plagues, and drowned in the Red Sea — whose hardened heart became the occasion for the greatest display of divine power in the Old Testament.

Other

Conquest

Rahab

Harlot Who Believed

Dates: c. 1400 BC
Tribe: Canaan (then Israel)

Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who hid the Israelite spies and was saved when Jericho fell. She became an ancestor of David and Christ.

King

Rehoboam

First King of Judah

Dates: 930-913 BC
Tribe: Judah

Solomon's son whose foolish response to the people caused the kingdom to split.

Other

Ruth

Moabite Ancestor of Christ

Dates: c. 1100 BC
Tribe: Moab (then Israel)

Ruth was a Moabite widow who chose to follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel. Her loyalty and faith led to marriage with Boaz and placement in the lineage of Christ.

Judge

Samson

Strongest Man

Dates: c. 1100-1070 BC
Tribe: Dan

Samson was a Nazirite with supernatural strength who fought the Philistines. His life of moral compromise ended in sacrificial death as he destroyed more enemies in dying than in living.

Prophet

Samuel

Prophet, Judge, Priest

Dates: c. 1100-1010 BCE
Tribe: Ephraim

Samuel is the transitional figure between the period of the judges and the monarchy. Born of the previously barren Hannah and dedicated from birth to the sanctuary at Shiloh, he served as Israel's last judge, first major prophet, and the anointer of Israel's first two kings, Saul and David.

Patriarch

Sarah

Mother of Nations

Dates: c. 2156-2029 BC
Tribe: Hebrew

Sarah was Abraham's wife and the mother of Isaac. Her barrenness tested the promise, but God gave her a son in her old age. She represents the covenant of promise and the free children of God.

King

Saul

First King of United Israel

Dates: 1050-1010 BC
Tribe: Benjamin

The first king of united Israel, chosen by God but ultimately rejected for his disobedience. His reign began with promise but ended in tragedy.

King

Shallum

15th King of Israel

Dates: 752 BC
Tribe: Israel

The fifteenth king of Israel who assassinated Zechariah to take the throne but himself reigned for only one month before being killed by Menahem, making him one of the shortest-reigning kings in history.

King

Solomon

King of United Israel — Wisest Man

Dates: 970-930 BC
Tribe: Judah

The wisest and wealthiest king, who built the Temple but whose heart was turned away by foreign wives in his old age.

King

Return from Exile / Persia

Uzziah

10th King of Judah

Dates: 792–740 BC
Tribe: Judah

Also known as Azariah, Uzziah reigned 52 years — one of the longest reigns in Judah — and was a great builder and military innovator. His pride led him to burn incense in the Temple, a priestly role, and he was struck with leprosy until his death.

King

Xerxes

King of Persia

Dates: 486–465 BC
Tribe: Persia

Also known as Ahasuerus, Xerxes is the Persian king in the book of Esther who deposed Queen Vashti, chose Esther as queen, authorized Haman's genocide plot against the Jews, and then had Haman executed and issued a second decree allowing Jews to defend themselves.

Prophet

Persian Period

Zechariah

Prophet of Apocalyptic Restoration

Dates: c. 520-480 BCE
Tribe: Judah (priestly family)

Zechariah son of Iddo, a priest of the returned community, prophesied contemporary with Haggai to encourage the temple reconstruction. His book contains eight night visions, two apocalyptic oracles, and some of the OT's most specific messianic prophecies.

King

Zechariah of Israel

14th King of Israel

Dates: 753 BC
Tribe: Israel

The fourteenth king of Israel who reigned only six months — the last king of Jehu's dynasty. He was publicly assassinated by Shallum in front of the people, fulfilling God's promise that Jehu's dynasty would last four generations.

King

Zedekiah

20th and Last King of Judah

Dates: 597–586 BC
Tribe: Judah

The last king of Judah, installed by Nebuchadnezzar, who repeatedly consulted Jeremiah but lacked the courage to obey him. He rebelled against Babylon, watched his sons killed before him, was blinded, and was taken to Babylon in chains as Jerusalem and the Temple burned.

Prophet

Late 7th century

Zephaniah

Prophet of the Day of the Lord

Dates: c. 640-609 BCE
Tribe: Judah

Zephaniah prophesied early in the reign of Josiah (c. 640-625 BCE), before or during the great Josianic reform. His book is the Hebrew Bible's most concentrated "Day of the LORD" prophecy — a sweeping announcement of universal judgment followed by a remnant promise of restoration.

King