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Biblical Profile: Stephen
Stephen Stephen was an exemplary early Christian who, as a result of the boldness of his witness, was arrested and killed by the Jewish authorities. He is known as the first Christian martyr. Stephe
Biblical Profile: Ezra
Ezra Ezra was a priest and scribe of the high-priestly line of Zadok (Ezra 7:1-5, 11-12; cp. Neh 8:2, 9). He was a leader in Judah following the Jews’ return from exile. As a scribe, Ezra was not jus
Biblical Profile: Nehemiah
Nehemiah Nehemiah was a powerful leader of God’s people living in Judea following the Exile. Nehemiah improved the morale and strength of God’s people in the midst of difficulty. Before Nehemiah ret
Biblical Profile: The Medes and Persians
The Medes and Persians The Medes (around 850–549 BC) The early Medes left no written records. According to an inscription from Shalmaneser III of Assyria (858–824 BC), the Medes had settled around E
Biblical Profile: Satan
Satan The book of Job includes “the satan” among the heavenly court (Job 1:6; 2:1). The Hebrew word (satan) refers to an adversary or an accuser in court (see Job 1–2; Zech 3:1). God sometimes appoin
Biblical Profile: John the Baptist
John the Baptist John the Baptist was a fiery open-air preacher who called people to repent and be baptized. John worked in the role of Elijah, to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah (Mal 4:
Biblical Profile: James, Son of Zebedee
James, Son of Zebedee James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the twelve apostles, and he was among the first to be killed as a follower of Jesus. His mother was possibly the sister of
Biblical Profile: Josiah
Josiah Josiah, who reigned in Judah from 640 to 609 BC, was a godly man, unlike his grandfather Manasseh and his father, Amon. Josiah “turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obe
Biblical Profile: Jonathan
Jonathan Jonathan, the oldest son of King Saul, was in line to be the next king. Yet when God rejected Saul and chose David, Jonathan welcomed and supported David’s rise to power (1 Sam 18:1-4; 19:1-
Biblical Profile: Daniel
Daniel Daniel provides a stirring example of faith, wisdom, and endurance under difficulty and oppression. His life and prophecies affirm that God is in control and will have the final victory despit
Biblical Profile: Moab and Ammon
Moab and Ammon The Moabites were descended from Moab, the son of Lot and his oldest daughter (Gen 19:36-38). They settled on the high plateau immediately east of the Dead Sea. Most of Moab is gently
Biblical Profile: Philip
Philip Philip was one of the first to take the Good News of Christ to those outside the borders of Judea. Well respected among the early Christians, he was one of seven men chosen to administer the f
Biblical Profile: Ahab
Ahab Ahab, Israel’s eighth king, inherited the northern kingdom from his powerful father, Omri (1 Kgs 16:27-28), and reigned in Israel from 874 to 853 BC. Ahab married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethba
Biblical Profile: Abishai
Abishai Abishai was a powerful and successful warrior and a leader in David’s army. He was David’s nephew, a son of David’s sister Zeruiah and the brother of Joab and Asahel (1 Chr 2:13-16). Abishai
Biblical Profile: Xerxes I
Xerxes I Xerxes I, who reigned over the Persian Empire from 486 to 465 BC, was the son and successor of Darius I (Hystaspes). He inherited a vast empire from his father and his maternal grandfather (
Biblical Profile: Cyrus II
Cyrus II Cyrus II, king of Persia (559–530 BC), founded the great Persian Empire. His father was king of Persia, a small nation that was subject to Media, and his mother was the daughter of the king
Biblical Profile: Rome
Rome In the first century AD Rome was both a cosmopolitan city and a mighty empire that had brought peace and stability to the Mediterranean world. The Founding and Early Growth of Rome Rome was fo
Biblical Profile: Gideon
Gideon Gideon, an Israelite judge, was the son of Joash, from the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon described his clan as the least powerful in Manasseh and himself as the least important in the clan. His st
Biblical Profile: Samuel
Samuel Samuel lived at the end of the period of the judges and ushered in the period of kingship. He was Israel’s last judge (1 Sam 7:6, 15-17) and was essentially considered Israel’s first prophet (
Biblical Profile: Saul
Saul Saul was the first king of Israel. He was chosen by God and the people, but he failed tremendously because he lacked confidence in himself and in God. Saul was a very complex character who somet
Biblical Profile: David
David David is one of the monumental figures of biblical history. His reign was a high point in God’s plan for Israel, and it had great and lasting significance. David was born in Bethlehem as Jesse
Biblical Profile: Eli
Eli Eli was Israel’s chief priest at the Tabernacle at Shiloh, Israel’s central shrine during the period of the judges. Eli apparently descended from Ithamar, Aaron’s youngest son (cp. 1 Kgs 2:27; 1
Biblical Profile: Bathsheba
Bathsheba Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, was the daughter of Eliam (2 Sam 11:3; cp. 1 Chr 3:5) and the granddaughter of Ahithophel, the king’s adviser (2 Sam 15:12; 23:34). Her husband, Uriah, was a Hitti
Biblical Profile: Jezebel
Jezebel Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon (1 Kgs 16:31), married King Ahab of Israel, probably to confirm a political alliance between their countries. Jezebel promoted Baal worship and dem