Bible people and families | CRSGlobal Ministries

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

Creation & Patriarchs 9

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Melchizedek also Melchisedec	Gentile King of Salem (nationality not stated)	King of Salem and priest of the most high God	c. 2000 BC (days of Abraham, traditional)
Hagar also Agar	Gentile Egyptian	Egyptian handmaid of Sarah; mother of Ishmael	c. 2000 BC (traditional)
Ishmael	Gentile Son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian; father of the Ishmaelites	Firstborn son of Abraham	c. 2000 BC (traditional)
Esau also Edom	Gentile Edomite (father of Edom); son of Isaac	Elder twin of Jacob; father of the Edomites	c. 1900 BC (traditional)
Laban	Gentile Aramean ('Laban the Syrian') of Padan-aram	Brother of Rebekah; father-in-law of Jacob	c. 1900 BC (traditional)
Potiphar	Gentile Egyptian	Officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard	c. 1900 BC (traditional)
Asenath	Gentile Egyptian	Egyptian wife of Joseph	c. 1900 BC (traditional)
Pharaoh (in the days of Joseph) also Pharaoh	Gentile Egyptian	King of Egypt who exalted Joseph	c. 1900 BC (traditional); the king is not named
Job	Gentile Man of the land of Uz (not described as an Israelite)	Righteous sufferer of the land of Uz	Uncertain; often placed in the patriarchal age

Exodus & Wilderness 4

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Pharaoh (of the Exodus) also Pharaoh	Gentile Egyptian	King of Egypt who refused to let Israel go	The Exodus (the king is not named)
Jethro also Reuel, Raguel	Gentile Midianite	Priest of Midian; father-in-law of Moses	c. 1500-1400 BC (traditional)
Zipporah	Gentile Midianite	Midianite wife of Moses	c. 1500-1400 BC (traditional)
Balaam	Gentile Mesopotamian (of Pethor)	Soothsayer hired to curse Israel	End of the wilderness journey

Conquest & Judges 3

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Rahab also Rachab	Gentile Canaanite (Jericho)	Woman of Jericho who sheltered the spies	c. 1400 BC (traditional)
Delilah	Gentile Valley of Sorek; commonly regarded as a Philistine (the text does not state)	Woman who betrayed Samson	The days of the judges
Ruth	Gentile Moabite	Moabite widow; great-grandmother of King David	The days of the judges

United Kingdom 4

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Goliath	Gentile Philistine (of Gath)	Philistine giant champion	c. 1020 BC (reign of Saul, traditional)
Uriah the Hittite also Uriah, Urias	Gentile Hittite	Loyal soldier among David's mighty men	c. 1000 BC (traditional)
Queen of Sheba also Queen of the south	Gentile Sheba	Foreign queen who visited Solomon	c. 950 BC (reign of Solomon, traditional)
Hiram king of Tyre also Hiram, Huram	Gentile Phoenician (Tyre)	King of Tyre; friend of David and Solomon	c. 1000-950 BC (reigns of David and Solomon, traditional)

Divided Kingdom 4

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Jezebel	Gentile Sidonian (Zidonian)	Queen of Israel who promoted Baal worship	c. 874-841 BC (traditional)
Widow of Zarephath also Widow of Sarepta	Gentile Sidonian (Zarephath of Zidon)	Gentile widow who sheltered Elijah	9th century BC (reign of Ahab)
Naaman	Gentile Syrian (Aramean)	Syrian army captain healed of leprosy	9th century BC (days of Elisha)
Ebed-melech also Ebedmelech	Gentile Ethiopian	Ethiopian official who rescued Jeremiah	c. 587 BC (siege of Jerusalem, traditional)

Exile & Return 7

Name	People	Role (what)	When
Nebuchadnezzar also Nebuchadrezzar	Gentile Babylonian	King of Babylon who destroyed Jerusalem	c. 605-562 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)
Ahasuerus	Gentile Persian	King of Persia; husband of Esther	c. 486-465 BC (commonly identified with Xerxes I)
Haman	Gentile Agagite	Persian official who plotted to destroy the Jews	c. 480 BC (reign of Ahasuerus)
Artaxerxes	Gentile Persian	King of Persia who sent Ezra and Nehemiah	c. 465-424 BC (commonly identified with Artaxerxes I)

Life of Christ 9

Name	People	Role (what)	When
The Wise Men also wise men, Magi	Gentile Gentiles 'from the east' (Matthew 2:1)	Gentile visitors who came to worship the infant Jesus	c. 6-4 BC
Herod the Great also Herod, Herod the king	Gentile Idumean (Edomite) by descent; king of Judaea under Rome	King of Judaea at the birth of Jesus	reigned c. 37-4 BC
Herod Antipas also Herod, Herod the tetrarch, king Herod	Gentile Herodian dynasty (Idumean descent); tetrarch of Galilee under Rome	Tetrarch of Galilee who beheaded John the Baptist	tetrarch c. 4 BC - AD 39
Herodias	Gentile Herodian family (Idumean descent)	Wife of Herod Antipas who sought the death of John the Baptist	c. AD 28-29
The Woman of Samaria also woman of Samaria, Samaritan woman	Gentile Samaritan (of Sychar in Samaria); not Jewish	Samaritan woman who met Jesus at Jacob's well	c. AD 28
The Syrophoenician Woman also Syrophenician, woman of Canaan, Canaanite woman	Gentile A Greek, a Syrophenician by nation (Mark 7:26); 'a woman of Canaan' (Matthew 15:22)	Gentile mother whose great faith Jesus praised	c. AD 29
The Centurion of Capernaum also centurion	Gentile Gentile soldier (a centurion) stationed at Capernaum	Gentile centurion whose servant Jesus healed	c. AD 28
The Centurion at the Cross also centurion	Gentile Roman army officer (Gentile)	Roman centurion who confessed Jesus at his death	c. AD 30
Pontius Pilate also Pilate	Gentile Roman; governor of Judaea	Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to be crucified	governor c. AD 26-36

Early Church 13

Name	People	Role (what)	When
The Ethiopian Eunuch also eunuch, man of Ethiopia	Gentile Ethiopian; treasurer of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians (generally understood to be a Gentile worshipper of God)	Ethiopian court official baptised by Philip	c. AD 34
Cornelius	Gentile Roman (centurion of the Italian band)	Roman centurion; first Gentile convert baptised by Peter	c. AD 40
Lydia	Gentile Of Thyatira, living at Philippi; a worshipper of God (generally understood to be a Gentile)	Seller of purple; first recorded convert in Europe	c. AD 50
The Philippian Jailer also jailor, keeper of the prison	Gentile Of Philippi, a Roman colony (generally understood to be a Gentile)	Prison keeper converted with his household	c. AD 50
Titus	Gentile Greek (Galatians 2:3)	Greek co-worker of Paul; left to set the church in Crete in order	c. AD 49-60s
Luke also Lucas	Gentile Generally understood to be a Gentile (not listed among those 'of the circumcision', Colossians 4:10-14)	Physician and faithful companion of Paul	c. AD 50-60s
Philemon	Gentile Believer of Colossae (traditionally); ancestry not stated, generally understood to be a Gentile	Christian slave-owner to whom Paul wrote the letter to Philemon	c. AD 60-62
Onesimus	Gentile Of Colossae (Colossians 4:9); ancestry not stated, generally understood to be a Gentile	Runaway slave who became a faithful brother in Christ	c. AD 60-62
Felix	Gentile Roman; governor of Judaea at Caesarea	Roman governor who kept Paul in custody	governor c. AD 52-59
Festus also Porcius Festus	Gentile Roman; governor of Judaea after Felix	Roman governor before whom Paul appealed to Caesar	governor c. AD 59-62
Herod Agrippa I also Herod, Herod the king	Gentile Herodian dynasty (Idumean descent); king of Judaea under Rome	King who killed James and imprisoned Peter	reigned over Judaea c. AD 41-44
Herod Agrippa II also Agrippa, King Agrippa	Gentile Herodian dynasty (Idumean descent); king under Rome	King who heard Paul's defence at Caesarea	c. AD 59
Sergius Paulus also the deputy	Gentile Roman; deputy (proconsul) of the country at Paphos in Cyprus	Roman proconsul of Cyprus who believed	c. AD 46-47

"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).