People & Beings in the Bible
The Bible is full of people you meet, lose track of, and meet again, along with angels, spirits, and other beings. This is a growing, carefully checked guide to who they are.
Each profile explains who a person or being is, distinguishes them from others who share the same name, and links to the chapters where they appear, so you can follow their story through the text. Search by name below, or browse the A to Z index.
A
- Aaron The brother of Moses, his spokesman before Pharaoh, and the first high priest of Israel.
- Abraham The patriarch whom God called to leave his homeland and promised to make into a great nation.
- Andrew One of the first disciples Jesus called, the brother of Simon Peter, who brought his brother to Jesus.
D
E
G
H
- Herod Agrippa The king who killed the apostle James, imprisoned Peter, and was struck down by an angel.
- Herod the Great The king ruling Judea when Jesus was born, who ordered the killing of the infants of Bethlehem.
- Herod the tetrarch The ruler of Galilee who imprisoned and beheaded John the Baptist and questioned Jesus at his trial.
I
J
- Jacob The son of Isaac, the third of the patriarchs, renamed Israel, and the father of the twelve tribes.
- James, son of Zebedee One of the Twelve apostles, the brother of John, and the first of the apostles whose death the New Testament records.
- John the Apostle One of the Twelve apostles, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, part of Jesus's inner circle.
- John the Baptist The prophet who preached repentance and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.
- Joseph The favored son of Jacob who is sold into Egypt by his brothers and rises to become Pharaoh's second-in-command.
- Joseph of Arimathea A member of the Jewish council who gave his own tomb for Jesus' burial.
- Judas Iscariot One of the Twelve apostles, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
M
- Mary Magdalene A follower of Jesus, healed by him, who was among the first witnesses of his resurrection.
- Mary, mother of Jesus The mother of Jesus, told by the angel Gabriel that she would bear the Messiah.
- Matthew A tax collector whom Jesus called to follow him, and one of the Twelve apostles.
- Michael The archangel who stands guard over God's people and contends against the dragon and the devil.
- Moses The prophet who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and received the Law at Mount Sinai.
N
- Nathanael A disciple brought to Jesus by Philip, often identified with the apostle Bartholomew.
- Nicodemus A Pharisee and leader of the Jews who comes to Jesus at night.
- Noah The man God chose to survive the flood in the ark, through whom life was preserved and a covenant made never to flood the earth again.
P
- Paul A former persecutor of the church who became a missionary to the Gentiles, and the figure to whom many of the New Testament letters are attributed.
- Peter A fisherman who became one of Jesus' twelve apostles and a leader of the early church.
- Philip the Apostle One of the Twelve apostles, from Bethsaida, who brought Nathanael to Jesus.
- Pontius Pilate The Roman governor of Judea who sentenced Jesus to be crucified after repeatedly finding no basis for the charges against him.
R
S
- Samuel The prophet and judge who led Israel and anointed its first two kings, Saul and David.
- Sarah The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac, who bore her only son in old age.
- Satan The adversary who opposes God and his people, tempting and accusing them; also called the devil.
- Solomon The son of David and king of Israel, known for his wisdom and for building the temple in Jerusalem.
T
No people or beings match your search.