Bible people and families | CRSGlobal Ministries

16 people shown, in the order of the biblical story.

Exile & Return 16

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Nebuchadnezzar also Nebuchadrezzar	Gentile Babylonian	King of Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem	c. 605-562 BC
Daniel also Belteshazzar	Israelite / Jew Jew of Judah, in exile in Babylon	Prophet and official in Babylon and Persia	c. 605-536 BC
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego also Abednego, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah	Israelite / Jew Jews of Judah, in exile in Babylon	Three Hebrew companions of Daniel	c. 600 BC (reign of Nebuchadnezzar)
Ezekiel	Israelite / Jew Jew; priest among the exiles in Babylon	Priest and prophet of the exile	c. 593-571 BC
Belshazzar	Gentile Babylonian	Last king of Babylon in the book of Daniel	c. 539 BC (fall of Babylon)
Darius the Mede also Darius the Median, Darius	Gentile Median	Ruler over Babylon who cast Daniel to the lions	c. 539 BC (after the fall of Babylon)
Cyrus	Gentile Persian	King of Persia who freed the Jews	c. 539-530 BC (decree c. 538 BC)
Zerubbabel also Zorobabel	Israelite / Jew Jew, of the house of David (tribe of Judah)	Governor of Judah who rebuilt the temple	c. 538-515 BC
Ahasuerus	Gentile Persian	King of Persia; husband of Esther	c. 486-465 BC (commonly identified with Xerxes I)
Esther also Hadassah	Israelite / Jew Jew, tribe of Benjamin, living in Persia	Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people	c. 480 BC (reign of Ahasuerus)
Mordecai	Israelite / Jew Jew, tribe of Benjamin, living in Persia	Cousin and guardian of Esther	c. 480 BC (reign of Ahasuerus)
Haman	Gentile Agagite	Persian official who plotted to destroy the Jews	c. 480 BC (reign of Ahasuerus)
Ezra	Israelite / Jew Jew, priest of the line of Aaron	Priest and scribe of the law	c. 458 BC
Artaxerxes	Gentile Persian	King of Persia who sent Ezra and Nehemiah	c. 465-424 BC (commonly identified with Artaxerxes I)
Nehemiah	Israelite / Jew Jew; cupbearer in Persia, governor of Judah	Cupbearer to the king; rebuilder of Jerusalem's walls	c. 445 BC
Malachi	Israelite / Jew Jew (post-exilic Judah)	Last of the Old Testament prophets	c. 430 BC (traditional)

"Gentile" means anyone who was not of the people of Israel. From Melchizedek, Rahab and Ruth to Cornelius and Lydia, Scripture shows God's promise to Abraham reaching every nation: "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3).