The People of the Bible

Joseph

The carpenter of Nazareth, the righteous husband of Mary and the earthly guardian of Jesus, through whom Jesus held legal descent from David.

Joseph of Arimathea

A rich and honorable member of the Sanhedrin, a secret disciple, who boldly asked Pilate for Jesus’ body and laid it in his own new tomb.

Joses

One of the brothers of Jesus named by the people of Nazareth.

Joshua

The high priest who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel and helped rebuild the temple; in Zechariah’s vision he is cleansed and crowned as a sign of the coming Branch.

Joshua

Moses' faithful assistant who succeeded him as Israel's leader and brought the nation into the Promised Land, conquering and dividing Canaan among the twelve tribes.

Josiah

The boy-king of Judah who led the nation’s last great revival after the lost Book of the Law was found, purging idolatry before dying in battle at Megiddo.

Jotham

The youngest son of Gideon, sole survivor of Abimelech’s massacre, who pronounced the Bible’s first parable — the trees seeking a king.

Jubal

A descendant of Cain, "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ" — the originator of music.

Judah

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah who became leader among his brothers; the royal tribe of Judah — and the line of David and Jesus — descends from him.

Judas

A brother of Jesus, traditionally identified as Jude, the author of the Epistle of Jude.

Judas Iscariot

The apostle who kept the money bag and betrayed Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver, then hanged himself in remorse.

Keturah

The wife Abraham married after Sarah’s death, who bore him six sons — ancestors of Arabian peoples including the Midianites.

Kish

A wealthy Benjamite, the father of King Saul, whose lost donkeys led Saul to Samuel and the throne.

Kohath

The second son of Levi and ancestor of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam through his son Amram; head of the Kohathite clan that carried the ark.

Korah

A Levite who led 250 leaders in rebellion against the authority of Moses and Aaron and was swallowed by the earth in God’s judgment.

Laban

Jacob’s uncle and father-in-law in Haran, a crafty shepherd who deceived Jacob into marrying Leah and repeatedly changed his wages.

Lamech

A descendant of Seth and the father of Noah, who prophesied that his son would bring comfort from the toil of the cursed ground.

Lamech

The boastful, violent descendant of Cain — the first polygamist in Scripture — whose "song of the sword" glorifies vengeance.

Lazarus

The brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, a friend of Jesus whom Jesus raised from the dead after four days in the tomb — His greatest public sign.

Leah

The elder daughter of Laban and first wife of Jacob; though unloved, she bore six of the twelve tribal patriarchs, including Levi and Judah.

Levi

The third son of Jacob and Leah and ancestor of the priestly tribe of Israel — the line of Moses, Aaron, and the Levites.

Lois

The grandmother of Timothy, the first of three generations of faith Paul praised — whose "unfeigned faith" lived on in her daughter Eunice and grandson Timothy.

Lot

Abraham’s nephew, who journeyed with him to Canaan and settled in Sodom. He was rescued from the city’s destruction but lost his wife and his home.

Luke

A physician and faithful companion of Paul, the careful historian who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Lydia

A businesswoman and seller of purple at Philippi whose heart the Lord opened to Paul’s gospel — the first recorded convert in Europe, who hosted the new church.

Mahalaleel

A patriarch of the Sethite line whose name means "praise of God"; son of Cainan and father of Jared.

Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

The younger son of Isaiah, given the longest name in the Bible as a sign that Assyria would soon plunder Israel’s enemies.

Malachi

The last of the Old Testament prophets, who rebuked the post-exilic people’s half-hearted worship and promised the coming of the messenger who would prepare the Lord’s way.

Manasseh

The longest-reigning and most wicked king of Judah, who filled Jerusalem with idolatry and blood — yet humbled himself and repented in Babylonian captivity.

Manasseh

The elder son of Joseph and Asenath, adopted by Jacob and made a tribe of Israel, though given the lesser blessing behind his brother Ephraim.

Manoah

A Danite of Zorah, the father of Samson, to whose barren wife the angel of the LORD announced the birth of a Nazirite deliverer.

Mark

John Mark, who deserted the first missionary journey but was restored, became Peter’s helper and the author of the Gospel of Mark.

Martha

The busy, hospitable sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany, gently corrected by Jesus for anxious distraction, who confessed Him as the Christ at her brother’s tomb.

Mary

The virgin mother of Jesus, a young woman of Nazareth who responded to God’s call with humble faith and is called "blessed among women."

Mary Magdalene

A devoted follower of Jesus, delivered from seven demons, who stood by the cross and became the first witness of the resurrection.

Mary of Bethany

The sister of Martha and Lazarus who sat at Jesus’ feet to learn and anointed Him with costly perfume before His burial.

Matthew

A tax collector whom Jesus called from his booth to follow Him; one of the twelve apostles and, by tradition, the author of the first Gospel.

Matthias

The disciple chosen by lot to take Judas Iscariot’s place among the twelve apostles after the resurrection.

Medan

A son of Abraham by Keturah whose descendants settled among the peoples of the Arabian east.

Mehujael

A descendant of Cain, son of Irad and father of Methushael.

Melchizedek

The mysterious king of Salem and priest of the Most High God who blessed Abraham; the New Testament presents him as a type of the eternal priesthood of Christ.

Mephibosheth

The lame son of Jonathan, shown extraordinary kindness by David for his father’s sake and given a permanent place at the king’s table.

Merari

The third son of Levi and head of the Merarite clan of Levites, charged with carrying the tabernacle’s frames, bars, and pillars.

Meshach

One of Daniel’s three Hebrew companions (Mishael) who, with Shadrach and Abednego, was saved from the fiery furnace for refusing to worship an idol.

Methuselah

The longest-lived person in the Bible, who reached 969 years; son of Enoch and grandfather of Noah, he died in the year of the flood.

Methushael

A descendant of Cain, son of Mehujael and father of Lamech, in the Cainite genealogy.

Micah

A prophet of Judah who denounced injustice and foretold both the fall of Jerusalem and the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem.

Micaiah

A prophet who alone foretold Ahab’s defeat and death at Ramoth-gilead, standing against four hundred court prophets — "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills."

Michal

A daughter of King Saul and the first wife of David, who loved him and saved his life but later despised him for his exuberant worship.

Midian

A son of Abraham by Keturah and ancestor of the Midianites, a desert people prominent throughout Israel’s history — from Moses to Gideon.

Milcah

The wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, and grandmother of Rebekah; mother of eight sons, including Bethuel.

Miriam

The sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess who led Israel’s women in song after the Red Sea crossing.

Mordecai

The Jewish exile who raised his cousin Esther, uncovered a plot against the king, and stood firm against Haman — rising to become second in the Persian Empire.

Moses

The prophet who led Israel out of Egypt, received the Law at Sinai, and mediated God’s covenant. He is the human author of the first five books of the Bible.

Naamah

A daughter of Lamech and Zillah and sister of Tubal-cain — the only woman named in the line of Cain.

Naaman

A Syrian army commander, a leper, who humbled himself to wash seven times in the Jordan at Elisha’s word and was healed, confessing the God of Israel.

Nabal

A rich, harsh man of Maon whose insult to David nearly cost his household their lives, averted by his wise wife Abigail; he died ten days later.

Naboth

A man of Jezreel judicially murdered by Jezebel so that Ahab could seize his ancestral vineyard — a crime that sealed the doom of Ahab’s house.

Nadab

The eldest son of Aaron, a priest who, with his brother Abihu, was struck dead for offering unauthorized "strange fire" before the LORD.

Nahor

A brother of Abraham who remained in Mesopotamia. His descendants, including Bethuel and Laban, would intermarry with Abraham’s line.