List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources

{{Short description|none}}

{{Bible related}}

These are biblical figures unambiguously identified in contemporary sources according to scholarly consensus. Biblical figures that are identified in artifacts of questionable authenticity, for example the Jehoash Inscription and the bullae of Baruch ben Neriah, or who are mentioned in ancient but non-contemporary documents, such as David and Balaam,Identified in the Tel Dan Stele and the Deir Alla Inscription respectively. are excluded from this list.

Hebrew Bible

{{Further|Hebrew Bible|Protocanonical books}}

File:Tilglath pileser iii.jpg from the walls of his palace (British Museum, London).]]

Although the first mention of the name 'Israel' in archaeology dates to the 13th century BC,Davies, Philip R., [https://books.google.com/books?id=HJIzCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 In Search of Ancient Israel: A Study in Biblical Origins], Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015, p. 48. contemporary information on the Israelite nation prior to the 9th century BC is extremely sparse.Kelle, Brad E., Ancient Israel at War 853–586 BC, Osprey Publishing, 2007, pp. 8–9 [https://books.google.com/books?id=j5hX7ADoWNkC&pg=PA8] In the following centuries a small number of local Hebrew documents, mostly seals and bullae, mention biblical characters. Still, more extensive information is available in the royal inscriptions from neighbouring kingdoms, particularly Babylon, Assyria and Egypt.

class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
width = "13%" scope=col | Name

! width = "13%" scope=col | Title

! width = "12%" scope=col | Date (BCE)For kings and rulers these dates refer to their reigns. Dates for Israelite and Judahite kings are according to the chronology of Edwin R. Thiele.

! scope=col class="unsortable" | Attestation and notes

! width = "10%" scope=col class="unsortable" | Biblical referencesThe dagger symbol (†) indicates that all occurrences in the Bible (including the Deuterocanonical books) have been cited.

Adrammelech

| Prince of Assyria

| {{sort

0681|{{floruit}} 681}}

| Identified as the murderer of his father Sennacherib in the Bible and in an Assyrian letter to Esarhaddon ([https://archive.org/details/assyrianandbaby10harpgoog ABL] 1091), where he is called "Arda-Mulissi".De Breucker, Geert, in [https://books.google.com/books?id=i4jBn3cThwgC The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture], edited by Karen Radner, Eleanor Robson, Oxford University Press, 2011, p. 643Kalimi, Isaac; Richardson, Seth (ed), [https://books.google.com/books?id=bF_bAgAAQBAJ Sennacherib at the Gates of Jerusalem], Brill, 2014, p. 45

| Is. 37:38, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|19:37|ESV}}†

Ahab

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0874|c. 874 – c. 853}}

| Identified in the contemporary Kurkh Monolith inscription of Shalmaneser IIIRainey, Anson F. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3210843 "Stones for Bread: Archaeology versus History"]. Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol. 64, No. 3 (September 2001), pp. 140–149 which describes the Battle of Qarqar and mentions "2,000 chariots, 10,000 soldiers of Ahab the Israelite" defeated by Shalmaneser, though the actual number of chariots is disputed.Lawson Younger, K. "Kurkh Monolith". In Hallo, 2000, Vol. II p. 263

| {{Bibleverse|1 Kgs.|17|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Chr.|18|ESV}}

Ahaz

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0732|c. 732 – c. 716}}

| Mentioned in a contemporary Summary Inscription of Tiglath-Pileser III which records that he received tribute from "Jehoahaz of Judah".Galil, G., [https://books.google.com/books?id=QkgEaWG0_j4C&pg=PA67 The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah], Brill, 1996, p. 67 Also identified in royal bullae belonging to Ahaz himselfDeutsch, Robert. [http://www.archaeological-center.com/en/monographs/m1/ "First Impression: What We Learn from King Ahaz's Seal"]. Biblical Archaeology Review, July 1998, pp. 54–56, 62 and his son Hezekiah.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|16|ESV}}, Hos. 1:1, Mi. 1:1, Is. 1:1

Ahaziah

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0842|c. 842 – c. 841}}

| The Tel Dan Stele contains an account by a Aram-Damascaus king, Hazael, claiming to have slain "[Ahaz]iahu, son of [... kin]g of the house of David", who reigned c. 850–849 BCE.{{cite book|last=Dever|first=William G.|title=Beyond the Texts: An Archaeological Portrait of Ancient Israel and Judah|page=492|date=2017|publisher=SBL Press|isbn=9780884142171|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mog6DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA492}}{{cite book |last=Irvine |first=Stuart A. |editor1-last=Dearman |editor1-first=J. Andrew |editor2-last=Graham |editor2-first=M. Patrick |title=The Land that I Will Show You: Essays on the History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East in Honor of J. Maxwell Miller|publisher=A&C Black |date=2002 |pages=113–115 |chapter=The rise of the House of Jehu |isbn=9780567355805|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d3yxAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA113}}

| {{bibleverse-lb|2|Kings|8:26|HE}}, ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|9:22–28|HE}}

Apries

| Pharaoh of Egypt

| {{sort

0589|589–570}}

| Also known as Hophra; named in numerous contemporary inscriptions including those of the capitals of the columns of his palace.[http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/memphis/palace.html "The palace of Apries"], University College London, 2002Petrie, W. M. Flinders & Walker, J. H. (1909). [https://archive.org/details/palaceofapriesme00petr The palace of Apries (Memphis II)]. School of Archaeology in Egypt, University College. Herodotus speaks of him in Histories II, 161–171.Wolfram Grajetzki, Stephen Quirke, and Narushige Shiode (2000). [http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/ Digital Egypt for Universities]. University College London.

| Jer. 44:30

Artaxerxes I

| King of Persia

| {{sort

0465|465–424}}

| Widely identified with "Artaxerxes" in the book of Nehemiah.Rogerson, John William; Davies, Philip R. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=1MMF6Titau8C&pg=PA89 The Old Testament world]. Continuum International, 2005, p. 89.Dunn, James D. G. and Rogerson, John William (2003). Eerdmans commentary on the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans. [https://books.google.com/books?id=2Vo-11umIZQC&pg=PA321 "Artaxerxes"]: p. 321; [https://books.google.com/books?id=2Vo-11umIZQC&pg=PA1274 "Pauline epistles"]: p. 1274 He is also found in the writings of contemporary historian Thucydides.Thucydides. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0247%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D137 History of the Peloponnesian War]. Translated by Thomas Hobbes, Book 1, Chapter 137 Scholars are divided over whether the king in Ezra's time was the same, or Artaxerxes II.

| {{Bibleverse|Neh.|2:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Neh.|5:14|ESV}}

Ashurbanipal

| King of Assyria

| {{sort

0668|668 – c. 627}}

| Generally identified with "the great and noble Osnappar", mentioned in the Book of Ezra.Lewis, D. M. and Boardman, John (1988). [https://books.google.com/books?id=nNDpPqeDjo0C&pg=PA149 The Cambridge ancient history], Volume IV. Cambridge University Press. p. 149.Coogan et al., 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Nc-i_pQsiW8C&pg=PA676 p. 673] His name survives in his own writings, which describe his military campaigns against Elam, Susa and other nations.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, pp. 294–301Harper, P. O.; Aruz, J.; Tallon, F. (1992). [https://books.google.com/books?id=dDWJ_KBHwe4C&pg=PA270 The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre]. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 270.

| Ezr. 4:10

Belshazzar

| Coregent of Babylon

| {{sort

0553|c. 553–539}}

| Mentioned by his father Nabonidus in the Nabonidus Cylinder.[https://www.livius.org/na-nd/nabonidus/cylinder-ur.html Nabonidus Cylinder] translation by Paul-Alain Beaulieu, author of The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556–539 BC (1989). According to another Babylonian tablet, Nabonidus "entrusted the kingship to him" when he embarked on a lengthy military campaign.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, p. 313

| {{Bibleverse|Dn.|5|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Dn.|7:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Dn.|8:1|ESV}}

Ben-Hadad II (Hadadezer)

|King of Aram Damascus

|c. 865–842

|Mentioned in the Kurkh Monoliths as one of the kings allegedly defeated by Shalmaneser III of Assyria.

|{{Bibleverse|1 Kings|20}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Kings|22}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kings|8:7}}

Ben-Hadad III

| King of Aram Damascus

| {{sort

0795|early 8th century}}

| Mentioned in the Zakkur Stele.Geoffrey W. Bromiley [https://books.google.com/books?id=wo8csizDv0gC International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: A–D]. "Agrippa": p. 42; "Ben-Hadad III": p. 459 A son of Hazael, he is variously called Ben-Hadad/Bar-Hadad II/III.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|13:3|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|13:24|ESV}}

Cyrus II

| King of Persia

| {{sort

0559|559–530}}

| Appears in many ancient inscriptions, most notably the Cyrus Cylinder.[https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/c/cyrus_cylinder_-_translation.aspx Translation by Irving Finkel], at the British Museum He is also mentioned in Herodotus' Histories.

| {{Bibleverse|Is.|45:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Dn.|1:21|ESV}}

Darius I

| King of Persia

| {{sort

0522|522–486}}

| Mentioned in the books of Haggai, Zechariah and Ezra.Berlin, Adele and Brettler, Marc Zvi (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=aDuy3p5QvEYC&pg=PA1243 The Jewish Study Bible]. Oxford University Press. p. 1243.Stead, Michael R. and Raine, John W. (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=CYodi4AgwOwC&pg=PA40 The Intertextuality of Zechariah 1–8]. Continuum International. p. 40. He is the author of the Behistun Inscription. He is also mentioned in Herodotus' Histories.

| Hg. 1:1, Ezr. 5:6

Esarhaddon

| King of Assyria

| {{sort

0681|681–669}}

| His name survives in his own writings, as well as in those of his son Ashurbanipal.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, pp. 289–301Thompson, R. Campbell (1931). [https://archive.org/details/prismsofesarhadd00thomuoft The prisms of Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal found at Nineveh]. Oxford University Press. pp. 9, 25.

| {{Bibleverse|Is.|37:38|ESV}}, Ezr. 4:2, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|19:37|ESV}}

Amel-Marduk
(Evil Merodach)

| King of Babylon

| {{sort

0562|c. 562–560}}

| His name (Akkadian Amēl-Marduk) and title were found on a vase from his palace,Barton, George A. (1917). [https://archive.org/details/archologybible00bartrich Archæology and the Bible]. American Sunday-school Union. p. 381. and on several cuneiform tablets.Beaulieu, Paul-Alain (2003). [https://books.google.com/books?id=v-WRJhvfudIC The pantheon of Uruk during the neo-Babylonian period]. Brill. pp. 151, 329.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|25:27|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Jer.|52:31|ESV}}†

Hazael

| King of Aram Damascus

| {{sort

0842|c. 842 – c. 800}}

| Shalmaneser III of Assyria records that he defeated Hazael in battle and captured many chariots and horses from him. The majority of scholars think that Hazael was the author of the Tel Dan Stele.Hagelia, Hallvard (January 2004). "The First Dissertation of the Tel Dan Inscription". Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament. Volume 18, Issue 1, p. 136

| {{Bibleverse|1 Kgs.|19:15|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|8:8|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kings|12:18}}, {{Bibleverse|Am.|1:4|ESV}}

Hezekiah

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0715|c. 715 – c. 686}}

| An account is preserved by Sennacherib of how he besieged "Hezekiah, the Jew", who "did not submit to my yoke", in his capital city of Jerusalem.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, pp. 287–288 A bulla was also found bearing Hezekiah's name and title, reading "Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz king of Judah".{{cite web|title=Biblical King's seal discovered in dump site|author=Heilpern, Will|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/middleeast/king-hezekiah-royal-seal/|publisher=CNN|date=December 4, 2015|access-date=2016-05-03}}Cross, Frank Moore (March–April 1999). [http://members.bib-arch.org/search.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=25&Issue=2&ArticleID=3&UserID=0& "King Hezekiah's Seal Bears Phoenician Imagery"]. Biblical Archaeology Review.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|16:20|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Prv.|25:1|ESV}}, Hos. 1:1, Mi. 1:1, Is. 1:1

Hilkiah

| High Priest of First Temple Jerusalem

| {{sort

0641|c. 7th century BCE}}

| Hilkiah in extra-biblical sources is attested by the clay bulla naming a Hilkiah as the father of an Azariah, and by the seal reading Hanan son of Hilkiah the priest.Josette Elayi, New Light on the Identification of the Seal of Priest Hanan, son of Hilqiyahu (2 Kings 22), Bibliotheca Orientalis, 5/6, September–November 1992, 680–685.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|22:8|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|23:24|ESV}}

Hoshea

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0732|c. 732 – c. 723}}

| He was put into power by Tilgath-Pileser III, king of Assyria, as recorded in his Annals, found in Calah.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, p. 284

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|15:30|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|18:1|ESV}}

Jehoash

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0798|c. 798 – c. 782}}

| Mentioned in records of Adad-nirari III of Assyria as "Jehoash of Samaria".Tetley, M. Christine (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=n2lE-TlXv1gC&pg=PA99 The reconstructed chronology of the Divided Kingdom]. Eisenbrauns. p. 99.Bryce, Trevor (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=E1aF0hq1GR8C&pg=PA342 The Routledge Handbook of The People and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Earky Bronze Age to the fall of the Persians Empire]. Routledge. p. 342

| 2 Kgs. 13:10, {{Bibleverse|2 Chr.|25:17|ESV}}

Jehoiachin

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0598|598–597}}

| He was taken captive to Babylon after Nebuchadrezzar first captured Jerusalem. Texts from Nebuchadrezzar's Southern Palace record the rations given to "Jehoiachin king of the Judeans" (Akkadian: Ya'ukin sar Yaudaya).

Wiseman, D. J. (1991). [https://books.google.com/books?id=1KGMl3B78cgC Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon]. Oxford University Press. pp. 81–82.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|25:14|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Jer.|52:31|ESV}}

Jehoram of Israel

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0852|852–841}}

| He is mentioned in the Tel Dan inscription alongside Ahaziah of Judah. The author of the text, Hazael, claims to have slain both Ahaziah of Judah and "[Jeho]ram".

| {{bibleverse|2 Kings|8:12|9}}, {{bibleverse|2 Kings|3:2|KJV}}

Jehoram of Judah

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0853|c. 853 – c. 842}}

| The Tel Dan Stele contains an account by a Aram-Damascaus king, Hazael, claiming to have slain "[Ahaz]iahu, son of [... kin]g of the house of David", and Jehoram is mentioned as king of the House of David and father of Ahaziah. His name is in brackets to fill in the gaps of the fragment.

| {{bibleverse-lb|2|Kings|8:17|HE}}

Jehu

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0841|c. 841 – c. 814}}

| Mentioned on the Black Obelisk.[https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_black_obelisk_of_shalmanes.aspx The Black Obelisk] at the British Museum. [http://www.kchanson.com/ancdocs/meso/obelisk.html Translation] adapted by K. C. Hanson from Luckenbill, Daniel David (1927). Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia. Vol. 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Kgs.|19:16|ESV}}, Hos. 1:4

Jeroboam II

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0793|793–753}}

| An 8th century seal belonging to 'Shema, servant of Jeroboam', refers to king Jeroboam II,Boardman, John, The Cambridge ancient history, Vol. 3 Part 1, p. 501 [https://books.google.com/books?id=vXljf8JqmkoC&pg=PA501]

| {{bibleverse|2 Kings|15:1|KJV}}, {{bibleverse|Amos|6:13|KJV}}

Johanan

| High Priest of Israel

| {{sort

0410|c. 410 – c. 371}}

| Mentioned in a letter from the Elephantine Papyri.Ginsburg, H. L. in Pritchard 1969, p. 492

| {{Bibleverse|Neh.|12:22–23|ESV}}

Jotham

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0740|c. 740 – c. 732}}

| Identified as the father of King Ahaz on a contemporary clay bulla, reading "of Ahaz [son of] Jotham king of Judah".

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|15:5|ESV}}, Hos. 1:1, Mi. 1:1, Is. 1:1

Manasseh

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0687|c. 687 – c. 643}}

| Mentioned in the writings of Esarhaddon, who lists him as one of the kings who had brought him gifts and aided his conquest of Egypt.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, p. 291

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|20:21|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Jer.|15:4|ESV}}

Menahem

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0752|c. 752 – c. 742}}

| The annals of Tiglath-Pileser (ANET{{sup|3}} 283)[https://www.livius.org/sources/content/anet/283-the-annals-of-tiglath-pileser/ "The Annals of Tiglath-pileser"]. Livius.org. Translation into English by Leo Oppenheim. Quote: "I [Tiglath Pileser III] received tribute from... Menahem of Samaria...gold, silver, ..." record that Menahem paid him tribute, as stated in the Books of Kings.Oppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, p. 283

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|15:14–23|ESV}}

Mesha

| King of Moab

| {{sort

0840|{{floruit}} c. 840}}

| Author of the Mesha Stele.[http://www.louvre.fr/llv/oeuvres/detail_notice.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673225326&CURRENT_LLV_NOTICE%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673225326&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=9852723696500787&bmLocale=en The Mesha Stele] at the Louvre. [http://www.kchanson.com/ancdocs/westsem/mesha.html Translation] by K. C. Hanson (adapted from Albright 1969:320–21).

| 2 Kgs. 3:4

Merodach-Baladan

| King of Babylon

| {{sort

0722|722–710}}

| Named in the Great Inscription of Sargon II in his palace at Khorsabat.Birch, Samuel and Sayce, A. H. (1873). [https://archive.org/details/recordsofthepast09unknuoft "Records of the past: being English translations of the Ancient monuments of Egypt and western Asia"]. Society of Biblical Archaeology. p. 13. Also called "Berodach-Baladan" (Akkadian: Marduk-apla-iddina).

| {{Bibleverse|Is.|39:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|20:12|ESV}}†

Nebuchadnezzar II

| King of Babylon

| {{sort

0605|c. 605–562}}

| Mentioned in numerous contemporary sources, including the inscription of the Ishtar Gate, which he built.[http://www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/meso/ishtarins.html *The Ishtar Gate]", translation from Joachim Marzahn, The Ishtar Gate, The Processional Way, The New Year Festival of Babylon. Mainz am Rhein, Germany: Philipp von Zaubern, 1995. Also called Nebuchadrezzar (Akkadian: Nabû-kudurri-uṣur).

| {{Bibleverse|Ez.|26:7|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Dn.|1:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|24:1|ESV}}

Nebuzaradan

| Babylonian official

| {{sort

0587|{{floruit}} c. 587}}

| Mentioned in a prism in Istanbul (No. 7834), found in Babylon where he is listed as the "chief cook".Boardman, John. [https://books.google.com/books?id=OGBGauNBK8kC&pg=PA408 The Cambridge ancient history]. Vol. III Part 2. p. 408.Lipschitz, Oded (2005). The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem: Judah Under Babylonian Rule. Eisenbrauns. p. 80

| Jer. 52:12, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|25:8|ESV}}

Nebo-Sarsekim

| Chief Eunuch of Babylon

| {{sort

0587|{{floruit}} c. 587}}

| Listed as Nabu-sharrussu-ukin in a Babylonian tablet.{{cite journal|last1=Greenspoon|first1=Leonard|title=Recording of Gold Delivery by the Chief Eunuch of Nebuchadnezzar II|journal=Biblical Archaeology Review|date=November 2007|volume=33|issue=6|page=18}}{{cite journal|title=Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, You Say?|journal=British Heritage|date=January 2008|volume=28|issue=6|page=8|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/27191936/nabu-sharrussu-ukin-you-say|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235101/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/27191936/nabu-sharrussu-ukin-you-say|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-03-03|access-date=January 25, 2015}}

| Jer. 39:3

Necho II

| Pharaoh of Egypt

| {{sort

0610|c. 610 – c. 595}}

| Mentioned in the writings of AshurbanipalOppenheim, A. L. in Pritchard 1969, p. 297

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|23:29|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Jer.|46:2|ESV}}

Omri

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0880|c. 880 – c. 874}}

| Mentioned, together with his unnamed son or successor, on the Mesha Stele. His dynasty became the Assyrian Empire's byname for the Israelite kingdom.{{cite book|title= The Old Testament Between Theology and History: A Critical Survey|first=Niels Peter|last=Lemche|authorlink=Niels Peter Lemche|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|date=2008|isbn=9780664232450|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RWqLVc7ccG0C&pg=PA147|pages=147–148}}{{cite book|title= In Search of "Ancient Israel": A Study in Biblical Origins|first=Philip R.|last=Davies|authorlink=Philip R. Davies|publisher=A&C Black|date=1995|isbn=9781850757375|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5D5GNju1-ggC&pg=PA64|page=64}}

| {{Bibleverse|1 Kgs.|16:16|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Mi.|6:16|ESV}}

Osorkon IV

| Pharaoh of Egypt

| {{sort

0730|c. 730 – 716}}

| Osorkon IV is mentioned in the Book of Kings under the name “So, King of Egypt,” an abbreviation of “Osorkon”.{{harvp|Edwards|1982|p=576}}{{harvp|Schneider|1985|pp=261–263}}{{harvp|Mitchell|1991|p=345}}{{harvp|Kitchen|1996|pp=333ff; 463–464}}{{harvp|Patterson|2003|pp=196–197}}{{harvp|Clayton|2006|pp=182–183}}{{harvp|Dodson|2014|p=9}}{{harvp|Theis|2020|pp=107–113}}

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|17:4|ESV}}

Pekah

| King of Israel

| {{sort

0740|c. 740 – c. 732}}

| Mentioned in the annals of Tiglath-Pileser III.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|15:25|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Is.|7:1|ESV}}

Rezin

| King of Aram Damascus

| {{sort

0732|died c. 732}}

| A tributary of Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria and the last king of Aram Damascus.Grabbe, Lester L. (2007). Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? New York: T&T Clark. p. 134 According to the Bible, he was eventually put to death by Tiglath-Pileser.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|16:7–9|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Is.|7:1|ESV}}

Sanballat

| Governor of Samaria

| {{sort

0445|{{floruit}} 445}}

| A leading figure of the opposition which Nehemiah encountered during the rebuilding of the walls around the temple in Jerusalem. Sanballat is mentioned in the Elephantine Papyri.Vanderkam, James C. (2001). [https://books.google.com/books?id=0fFlz7PbgTcC&pg=PA7 An introduction to early Judaism]. Wm. B. Eerdmans. p. 7.

| {{Bibleverse|Neh.|2:10|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Neh.|13:28|ESV}}

Sargon II

| King of Assyria

| {{sort

0722|722–705}}

| He besieged and conquered the city of Samaria and took many thousands captive, as recorded in the Bible and in an inscription in his royal palace."[http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Sargon.html "The Annals of Sargon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619000229/http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Sargon.html |date=2015-06-19 }}. Excerpted from "Great Inscription in the Palace of Khorsabad", tr. Julius Oppert, in Records of the Past, vol. 9. London: Samuel Bagster and Sons, 1877. pp. 3–20. His name, however, does not appear in the biblical account of this siege, but only in reference to his siege of Ashdod.

| Is. 20:1

Sennacherib

| King of Assyria

| {{sort

0705|705–681}}

| The author of a number of inscriptions discovered near Nineveh.Reade, Julian (October 1975). [https://www.jstor.org/pss/1359321 "Sources for Sennacherib: The Prisms"]. Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 27, No. 4. pp. 189–196

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|18:13|ESV}}, Is. 36:1

Shalmaneser V

| King of Assyria

| {{sort

0727|727–722}}

| Mentioned on several royal palace weights found at Nimrud.Lipiński, Edward et al. (1995). [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sargon/downloads/fales_immigration1995.pdf Immigration and emigration within the ancient Near East]. Peeters Publishers & Department of Oriental Studies, Leuven. pp. 36–41, 48. Another inscription was found that is thought to be his, but the name of the author is only partly preserved.Luckenbill, D. D. (April 1925). [https://www.jstor.org/pss/528696 "The First Inscription of Shalmaneser V"]. The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literature, Vol. 41, No. 3. pp. 162–164.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|17:3|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|18:9|ESV}}†

Shoshenq I

| Pharaoh of Egypt

| {{sort

0943| 943–922}}

| Virtually all scholars identify him with king Shishak in the Hebrew Bible. The account of Shoshenq/Shishak’s invasion in the 5th year of Rehoboam correspond to an inscription found at Karnak of Shoshenq's campaign into Canaan.Grabbe, Lester L., Israel in transition: from late Bronze II to Iron IIa (c. 1250–850 B.C.E.), Continuum International Publishing Group, 2010, p. 84 [https://books.google.com/books?id=agSC0aHvri0C&pg=PA84]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Kgs.|11:40|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Kgs.|14:25|ESV}}†

Taharqa

| Pharaoh of Egypt, King of Kush

| {{sort

0690|690–664}}

| Called "Tirhaka, the king of Kush" in the books of Kings and Isaiah.Coogan et al., 2010, p. 1016 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Nc-i_pQsiW8C&pg=PA565] Several contemporary sources mention him and fragments of three statues bearing his name were excavated at Nineveh.Thomason, Allison Karmel (2004). [https://www.jstor.org/pss/4200570 "From Sennacherib's Bronzes to Taharqa's Feet: Conceptions of the Material World at Nineveh"]. Vol. 66. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assriologique Internationale, Part One. pp. 151–162

| {{Bibleverse|Is.|37:9|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|19:9|ESV}}†

Tattenai

| Governor of Eber-Nari

| {{sort

0520|{{floruit}} 520}}

| Known from contemporary Babylonian documents.Coogan et al., 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Nc-i_pQsiW8C&pg=PA678 p. 674]Briant, Pierre (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=lxQ9W6F1oSYC&pg=PA487 From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire]. Eisenbrauns. p. 487. He governed the Persian province west of the Euphrates river during the reign of Darius I.

| {{Bibleverse|Ezr.|5:3|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Ezr.|6:13|ESV}}

Tiglath-Pileser III

| King of Assyria

| {{sort

0745|745–727}}

| Also called "Pul" in Second Kings. Numerous writings are ascribed to him and he is mentioned, among others, in an inscription by Barrakab, king of Sam'al.Oppenheim, A. L. and Rosenthal, F. in Pritchard 1969, pp. 282–284, 655 He exiled inhabitants of the cities he captured in Israel.

| {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|15:19|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|15:29|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|16:7|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Kgs.|16:10|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Chr.|5:6|ESV}}

Uzziah

| King of Judah

| {{sort

0791|791–750}}

| Uzziah's name appears in two unprovenanced iconic stone seals discovered in 1858 and 1863. The first is inscribed l’byw ‘bd / ‘zyw, "[belonging] to ’Abiyah, minister of ‘Uziyah", and the second (rev.) lšbnyw ‘ / bd ‘zyw, "[belonging] to Shubnayah, minister of ‘Uziyah.{{cite book |last=Mykytiuk |first=Lawrence J. |title=Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200–539 B.C.E. |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |location=Atlanta |year=2004 |pages=153–159, 219 |isbn=978-1-589-83062-2}} He suffered leprosy, and a major earthquake occurred during his reign in 760 BC.

| {{bibleverse-lb|2|Kings|15:5|HE}}, (Amos 1:1, NIV)

Xerxes I

| King of Persia

| {{sort

0486|486–465}}

| Called Ahasuerus in the books of Ezra and Esther.Fensham, Frank Charles (1982). [https://books.google.com/books?id=IfxMeDl6BZgC&pg=PA69 The books of Ezra and Nehemiah]. Eerdmans. p. 69. Xerxes is known in archaeology through a number of tablets and monuments,Briant, Pierre (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=lxQ9W6F1oSYC&pg=PA554 From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire]. Eisenbrauns, 2006, p. 554. notably the "Gate of All Nations" in Persepolis. He is also mentioned in Herodotus' Histories.

| {{Bibleverse|Est.|1:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Dn.|9:1|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Ezr.|4:6|ESV}}

Deuterocanonicals

{{Further|Deuterocanonical books}}

File:AlexanderIBalasAndCleopatraThea.jpg with her first husband, Alexander Balas]]

While the deuterocanon describes events between the eighth and second centuries BCE, most historically identifiable people mentioned in the deuterocanon lived around the time of the Maccabean Revolt (167–160 BCE), during which Judea was part of the Seleucid Empire. Coins featuring the names of rulers had become widespread and many of them were inscribed with the year number in the Seleucid era, allowing them to be dated precisely.

First-hand information comes also from the Greek historian Polybius (c. 200 – c. 118 BCE), whose Histories covers much of the same period as the Books of Maccabees, and from Greek and Babylonian inscriptions. Josephus also discusses the Maccabean Revolt in some detail in Jewish Antiquities Book XII, although the Greek version of the book of 1 Maccabees was one of Josephus's main sources, so Antiquities is considered by some scholars a circular reference rather than truly independent confirmation.{{cite book |last=Bar-Kochva |first=Bezalel |authorlink=Bezalel Bar-Kochva |date=1989 |title=Judas Maccabaeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-32352-5 |pages=190–193}}

class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
width="17%" scope=col | NameNames that are also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible are not repeated here.

! width="13%" scope=col | Title

! width="9%" scope=col | Date (BCE)

! scope=col class="unsortable" | Attestation and Notes

! width="12%" scope=col class="unsortable" | Scriptural references

Alexander Balas

| King of AsiaThe official title for kings of the Seleucid dynasty

| {{sort

0150|150–146}}

| Pretended to be a son of Antiochus Epiphanes, as he is also described in 1 Maccabees.Schwartz, Daniel R. (2008). [https://books.google.com/books?id=BNxQilrua4sC&pg=PA13 2 Maccabees]. Walter de Gruyter. p. 13 Mentioned in Polybius' Histories.Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:33.18 Book 33 Chapter 18]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|10:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|11:1|NRSV}}

Alexander the Great

| King of Macedon

| {{sort

0336|336–323}}

| Referred to by Athenian orator Aeschines,Worthington, Ian, Alexander the Great: Man and God, Routledge, 2014, p. 66 [https://books.google.com/books?id=d7AABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA66]Aeschines, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0026.tlg003.perseus-eng1:219 3.219 Against Ctesiphon] and identified on his coins.Mørkholm, O., Grierson, P.,, and Westermark, U. (1991). [https://books.google.com/books?id=U_5Ez0kAOuIC&pg=PA42 Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Accession of Alexander to the Peace of Apamaea (336–188 BC)]. Cambridge University Press. p. 42.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|1:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|6:2|NRSV}} {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|1:10|NRSV}}†

Antiochus III the Great

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0222|222–187}}

| Mentioned by contemporary historian Polybius.Scolnic, Benjamin Edidin (2010). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ido1jMu7rIEC&pg=PA226 Judaism Defined: Mattathias and the Destiny of His People]. University Press of America. p. 226.Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:1.3 Book 1 Chapter 3] and coins with his name have survived.British Museum, # HPB, p150.1.C ([https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1256798&partId=1 in online collection])

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|1:10|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|8:6|NRSV}}

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0175|175–164}}

| Known from Polybius' HistoriesChampion, Craige B. (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=jp_cWQQyf6EC&pg=PA188 Cultural Politics in Polybius’s Histories]. University of California Press. p. 188.Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:31.21 Book 31 Chapter 21] and from contemporary coins.British Museum, # TC, p203.2.AntIV ([https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1256454&partId=1 in online collection])

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|10:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|4:7|NRSV}}

Antiochus V Eupator

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0163|163–161}}

| Executed by his half-brother Demetrius I when he was 11 years old. Identified in an inscription from Dymi,Grainger, John D. (1997). [https://books.google.com/books?id=eqxipjRXCf4C&pg=PA28 A Seleukid Prosopography and Gazetteer]. Brill. p. 28. Citing [https://archive.org/stream/orientisgraeciin01dittuoft#page/412 Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae] 252 and on contemporary coins.British Museum, # 1995,0605.73 ([https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1354471&partId=1 in online collection])

| {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|2:20|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|13:1|NRSV}}

Antiochus VI Dionysus

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0145|145–142}}

| Reigned only nominally, as he was very young when his father died,Bartlett, J. R. (1973). [https://books.google.com/books?id=uj44AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA158 The First and Second Books of the Maccabees]. Cambridge University Press. p. 158. but he is identified on contemporary coins.Bing, D. and Sievers, J. "[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/antiochus-1--thirteen-kings-of-the-seleucid-dynasty#A06 Antiochus VI]". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 12 January 2016.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|11:39|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|12:39|NRSV}}

Antiochus VII Sidetes

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0138|138–129}}

| Dethroned the usurper Tryphon. Coinage from the period bears his name.Astin, A. E. (1989). [https://books.google.com/books?id=5Oe1u1H_OSMC&pg=PA369 The Cambridge Ancient History]. Volume 8. Cambridge University Press. p. 369.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|15|NRSV}}†

Ariarathes V

| King of Cappadocia

| {{sort

0163|163–130}}

| Mentioned by Polybius.Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:21.47 Book 21 Chapter 47]Goodman, Martin; Barton, John; and Muddiman, John (eds.). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p9bFB2e0OiwC&pg=PA158 The Oxford Bible Commentary: The Apocrypha]. Oxford University Press, 2001. p. 158.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|15:22|NRSV}}†

Arsinoe III

| Queen of Egypt

| {{sort

0220|220–204}}

| Married to her brother, Ptolemy IV. Several contemporary inscriptions dedicated to them have been found.Gera, Dov (1998). [https://books.google.com/books?id=KDaM1XPv3zYC&pg=PA12 Judaea and Mediterranean Politics: 219 to 161 B.C.E.] Brill. p. 12.

| {{Bibleverse|3 Macc.|1:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|3 Macc.|1:4|NRSV}}†

Astyages

| King of Medes

| {{sort

0585|585–550}}

| The contemporary Chronicle of Nabonidus refers to the mutiny on the battlefield as the cause for Astyages' overthrow.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160627194959/https://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cyrus_I/babylon02.html Cyrus takes Babylon (530 BCE)] (Livius.org)

| {{Bibleverse|Bel and the Dragon|1:1|NRSV}}†

Attalus II Philadelphus

| King of Pergamon

| {{sort

0160|160–138}}

| Known from the writings of Polybius.Coogan et al., 2010, p. 1592Gruen, Erich S. (1986). [https://books.google.com/books?id=EkdCokrrp4gC&pg=PA573 The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome]. Volume 1. University of California Press, 1986. p. 573. Citing Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:30.1 Book 30 Chapter 1]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|15:22|NRSV}}†

Cleopatra Thea

| Queen of Asia

| {{sort

0126|126–121}}

| First married to Alexander Balas,{{cite book |last=Kosmin |first=Paul J. |authorlink=Paul J. Kosmin |title=The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in Seleucid Empire |date=2014 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-72882-0 |page=135}} The ancient source cited is Josephus's Jewish Antiquities. later to Demetrius II and Antiochus VII, she became sole ruler after Demetrius' death.Salisbury, Joyce E. (2001). [https://books.google.com/books?id=HF0m3spOebcC&pg=PA56 Encyclopedia of Women in the Ancient World]. ABC-CLIO. pp. 55–57. Her name and portrait appear on period coinage.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|10:57–58|NRSV}}†

Darius III

| King of Persia

| {{sort

0336|336–330}}

| Last king of the Achaemenid Empire, defeated by Alexander the Great. Mentioned in the Samaria Papyri.Folmer, M. L. (1995). [https://books.google.com/books?id=7-m1R072Ks0C&pg=PA27 The Aramaic Language in the Achaemenid Period: A Study in Linguistic Variation]. Peeters Publishers. pp. 27–28.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|1:1|NRSV}}†

Demetrius I Soter

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0161|161–150}}

| A cuneiform tablet dated to 161 BCE refers to him,Astin, A. E. (1989). [https://books.google.com/books?id=5Oe1u1H_OSMC&pg=PA358 The Cambridge Ancient History]. Volume 8. Cambridge University Press. p. 358. and Polybius, who personally interacted with Demetrius, mentions him in his Histories.Coogan et al., 2010, p. 1574Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:31.19 Book 31 Chapter 19]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|7:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|9:1|NRSV}}

Demetrius II Nicator

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0145|145–138}}, 129 – 126

| Ruled over part of the kingdom, simultaneously with Antiochus VI and Tryphon. He was defeated by Antiochus VII, but regained the throne in 129 BCE. Mentioned in the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries.Rahim Shayegan, M. (2011). [https://books.google.com/books?id=f_gcyC8l80MC&pg=PA68 Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Persia]. Cambridge University Press. p. 68.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|11:19|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|13:34|NRSV}}

Diodotus Tryphon

| King of Asia

| {{sort

0142|142–138}}

| Usurped the throne after the death of Antiochus VI. Although Antiochus VII melted down most of his coins, some have been found in Orthosias.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|11:39|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|12:39|NRSV}}

Eumenes II Soter

| King of Pergamom

| {{sort

0197|197–159}}

| Several of his letters have survived,Jonnes, L. and Ricl, M. (1997). [https://www.academia.edu/726059/A_New_Royal_Inscription_from_Phrygia_Paroreios_Eumenes_II_Grants_Tryriaion_the_Status_of_a_Polis A New Royal Inscription from Phrygia Paroreios: Eumenes II Grants Tryriaion the Status of a Polis]. Epigraphica Anatolica. 1997, pp. 4–9. and he is mentioned by Polybius.Geoffrey W. Bromiley (1982). [https://books.google.com/books?id=yklDk6Vv0l4C&pg=PA199 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]. Wm. B. Eerdmans. pp. 199–200. Citing Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:21.45 Book 21 Chapter 45]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|8:8|NRSV}}†

Heliodorus

| Seleucid legate

| {{sort

0178|{{floruit}} 178}}

| Identified in contemporary inscriptions.Schwartz, Daniel R. (2008). [https://books.google.com/books?id=BNxQilrua4sC&pg=PA192 2 Maccabees]. Walter de Gruyter. p. 192. Citing [https://archive.org/stream/orientisgraeciin01dittuoft#page/404 Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae 247]Coogan et al., 2010, p. 1604

| {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|3:7|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|5:18|NRSV}}

Mithridates I

| King of Parthia

| {{sort

0165|165–132}}

| Also called Arsaces. He captured Demetrius II as recorded in the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|14:2–3|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|15:22|NRSV}}†

Perseus

| King of Macedon

| {{sort

0179|179–168}}

| Son of Philip V.Coogan et al., 2010, p. 1576 Mentioned by Polybius.Thompson, Thomas L. and Wajdenbaum, Philippe (2014). [https://books.google.com/books?id=yFNsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA203 The Bible and Hellenism: Greek Influence on Jewish and Early Christian Literature]. Routledge. p. 203. and identified on his coins.British Museum, # 1968,1207.9 ([https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1264528&partId=1 in online collection])

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|8:5|NRSV}}†

Philip II

| King of Macedon

| {{sort

0359|359–336}}

| Father of Alexander the Great. Known from contemporary coins,Warry, John (1991). [https://books.google.com/books?id=e-T5MDabi88C&pg=PA8 Alexander 334–323 BC: Conquest of the Persian Empire]. Osprey. p. 8. and mentioned by Aeschines.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|1:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|6:2|NRSV}}†

Philip V

| King of Macedon

| {{sort

0221|221–179}}

| His name appears on his coins,British Museum, # 1896,0703.195 ([https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1288992&partId=1 in online collection]) and in Polybius' Histories.Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:4.22 Book 4 Chapter 22]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|8:5|NRSV}}†

Ptolemy IV Philopator

| King of Egypt

| {{sort

0221|221–204}}

| Mentioned together with his wife and sister Arsinoe III in contemporary inscriptions from Syria and Phoenicia.

| {{Bibleverse|3 Macc.|1:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|3 Macc.|3:12|NRSV}}

Ptolemy VI Philometor

| King of Egypt

| {{sort

0180|180–145}}

| Referred to in ancient inscriptions,Gera, Dov (1998). [https://books.google.com/books?id=KDaM1XPv3zYC&pg=PA165 Judaea and Mediterranean Politics: 219 to 161 B.C.E.] Brill. p. 12. Citing [https://archive.org/stream/orientisgraeciin02dittuoft#page/500 Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae 760] and mentioned by Polybius.Polybius, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.perseus-eng1:39.18 Book 39 Chapter 18]

| {{Bibleverse|1 Macc.|1:18|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|9:29|NRSV}}

Simon II

| High Priest of Israel

| {{sort

0200|Late 3rd century – early 2nd century}}

| Praised in Sirach for his apparent role in repairing and fortifying the Temple in Jerusalem, also briefly mentioned in Josephus' Antiquities.Antiquities, B. XII, Chr. 4 § 10

|{{Bibleverse|3 Macc.|2:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Sirach|50:1|NRSV}}, {{Bibleverse|Sirach|50:20|NRSV}} †

New Testament

File:Cameo August BM Gem3577.jpg (20–50 AD) depicting Roman emperor Augustus]]

By far the most important and most detailed sources for first-century Jewish history are the works of Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (37 – c. 100 AD).Grabbe, Lester L., An Introduction to First Century Judaism: Jewish Religion and History in the Second Temple Period, A&C Black, 1996, p. 22 [https://books.google.com/books?id=DO6kT5RPuxgC&pg=PA22]Millar, Fergus, The Roman Near East, 31 BC–AD 337, Harvard University Press, 1993, p. 70 [https://books.google.com/books?id=IA-YlZqHv90C&pg=PA70] These books mention many of the same prominent political figures as the New Testament books and are crucial for understanding the historical background of the emergence of Christianity.Feldman, Louis H., Josephus, the Bible, and History, Brill, 1989, p. 18 [https://books.google.com/books?id=lV70mR-E0DQC&pg=PA18] Josephus also mentions Jesus and the execution of John the BaptistAntiquities, Book XVIII Chr. 5 § 2 although he was not a contemporary of either. Apart from Josephus, information about some New Testament figures comes from Roman historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius and from ancient coins and inscriptions.

=Persons mentioned in the Gospels=

class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
width = "13%" scope=col | NameNames that are also mentioned in the Old Testament are not repeated here.

! width = "15%" scope=col | Title

! scope=col class="unsortable" | Attestation and Notes

! width = "10%" scope=col class="unsortable" | Biblical references

Augustus Caesar

| Emperor of Rome

| Reigned between 27 BC and 14 AD, during which time Jesus was born. He left behind a wealth of buildings, coins and monuments,[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/43047/Augustus Augustus (Roman Emperor)] in the Encyclopædia Britannica including a funerary inscription in which he described his life and accomplishments. His life is also described in detail by several ancient Roman historians.

| {{Bibleverse|Lk.|2:1|ESV}}†

Caiaphas

| High Priest of Israel

| Mentioned by Josephus in the Antiquities of the Jews.Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapters 33-35-95-97 In 1990, workers found an ornate limestone ossuary while paving a road in the Peace Forest south of the Abu Tor neighborhood of Jerusalem.{{cite book|editor1-first=Bruce M.|editor1-last=Metzger|editor2-first=Michael|editor2-last=Coogan|title=Oxford Companion to the Bible|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, England|date=1993|isbn=978-0195046458|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458/page/97 97]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458/page/97}}{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Specter|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/14/world/tomb-may-hold-the-bones-of-priest-who-judged-jesus.html?pagewanted=all|title=Tomb May Hold the Bones Of Priest Who Judged Jesus|newspaper=The New York Times|location=New York City|date=August 14, 1992|access-date=January 11, 2019}} This ossuary—referred to as the Caiaphas ossuary—contained the remains of an elderly man and has been declared by archaeologists to be authentic.{{cite news|author=Gil Ronen|title=Caiaphas Ossuary is Authentic|work=Israel National News|location=Beit El, West Bank|date=29 June 2011|url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/145297|access-date=8 October 2024}} An Aramaic inscription on the side was thought to read "Joseph son of Caiaphas" and on this basis the bones of an elderly man were considered to belong to the High Priest Caiaphas.{{cite book|first=James H.|last=Charlesworth|title=Jesus and archaeology|publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan|date=2006|isbn=978-0802848802|pages=323–329}} In 2011, archaeologists from Bar-Ilan University announced the recovery of a stolen ossuary, It is inscribed with the text: "Miriam, daughter of Yeshua, son of Caiaphas, Priest of Ma’aziah from Beth ‘Imri".

| {{Bibleverse|Jn.|18:13|ESV}}
{{Bibleverse|Jn.|11:49|ESV}}
Lk. 3:2

Herod Antipas

| Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea

| A son of Herod the Great. Mentioned in AntiquitiesAntiquities, B. XVII, Chr. 8, § 1 and Wars of the Jews.Flavius Josephus, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/index.htm#woj Wars of the Jews], translated by William Whiston, Book 2, Chr. 6, Par. 3 Mark, Matthew, Luke and Josephus{{Cite web |title=Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 18.118 |url=https://lexundria.com/j_aj/18.118/wst |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=lexundria.com}} record that he killed John the Baptist.

| {{Bibleverse|Mk.|6:17}}, {{Bibleverse|Mt.|14:9-10}}, {{Bibleverse|Lk.|9:9}}

Herod Archelaus

| Ethnarch of Judea, Samaria and Edom

| A son of Herod the Great. He is known from the writings of Flavius Josephus and from contemporary coins.

| {{Bibleverse|Mt.|2:22}}

Herod the Great

| King of Judea

| Mentioned by his friend, the historian Nicolaus of DamascusToher, Mark, in Herod and Augustus: Papers Presented at the IJS Conference, 21st-23rd June 2005 (edited by Jacobson, David M. & Kokkinos, Nikos), Brill, 2009, p. 71 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ro7KDAhBC10C]Nicolaus of Damascus, Autobiography, translated by C.M.Hall, [http://www.attalus.org/translate/nicolaus2.html#F134 fragment 134] and by Josephus in the Antiquities. His name is also found on contemporary Jewish coins.

| Mt. 2:1, {{Bibleverse|Lk.|1:5|ESV}}

[ Amanitore] ( Acts 8:27

| Herodias

| Herodian princess

| The wife of Herod Antipas.Antiquities, B. XVIII Chr. 5 § 4 According to the synoptic gospels, she was formerly married to Antipas's brother Philip, apparently Philip the Tetrarch. However, Josephus writes that her first husband was Herod II. Many scholars view this as a contradiction, but some have suggested that Herod II was also called Philip.Hoehner, Harold W., Herod Antipas: A Contemporary of Jesus Christ, Zondervan, 1980, pp. 133–134

| {{Bibleverse|Mt.|14:3|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Mk.|6:17|ESV}}

James the Just

|Bishop of Jerusalem and relative of Jesus

|The brother (or stepbrother or cousin, depending on the interpretation) of Jesus and the first Bishop of Jerusalem. He is mentioned by Josephus in the Antiquities,Antiquities, Book 20, Chapter 9 which state that he was arrested and stoned to death by order of High Priest Ananus ben Ananus. Ananus's decision angered Roman procurator Lucceius Albinus and local king Herod Agrippa II, who had him removed from his post.

|{{Bibleverse|Mk|6:3}}, {{Bibleverse|Mt|13:55-56}}, {{Bibleverse|Gal|1:19}}

Jesus of Nazareth

|Jewish itinerant preacher and son of Mary

|The person after whom Christianity is named. He was a Jewish itinerant preacher who clashed with the Pharisees. The Jewish authorities arrested him and handed him over to Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, who had him crucified. Jesus is mentioned by Josephus in the AntiquitiesAntiquities, Book 18, Chapter 3; Book 20, Chapter 9 and by Tacitus in his Annals.Annals, Book 15, Chapter 44 There is also a reference to a 'Chresto' in Suetonius' The Twelve Ceasars, perhaps the historical Jesus of Nazareth.

|{{Bibleverse|Mt.|1:1}}, {{Bibleverse|Mk.|1:1}}, {{Bibleverse|Lk.|1:31}}, {{Bibleverse|Jn.|1:17}}

John the Baptist

|Jewish itinerant preacher

|A Jewish itinerant preacher, known for having baptized Jesus. He is mentioned by Josephus in the Antiquities,Antiquities, Book 18, Chapter 5 which state that he was arrested and executed by order of the ethnarch of Galilea Herod Antipas.

|All four Gospels

Philip the Apostle

| Bishop of Hierapolis

| On Wednesday, 27 July 2011, the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that archaeologists had unearthed a tomb that the project leader claims to be the tomb of Saint Philip during excavations in Hierapolis close to the Turkish city Denizli. The Italian archaeologist, Professor Francesco D'Andria stated that scientists had discovered the tomb within a newly revealed church. He stated that the design of the tomb, and writings on its walls, definitively prove it belonged to the martyred apostle of Jesus.{{Cite web |url= http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/tomb-of-apostle-philip-found/ |title= Tomb of Apostle Philip Found |date= 16 August 2014 |access-date= 1 September 2015 |publisher= biblicalarchaeology.org}}

| {{Bibleverse|Jn|12:21|ESV}} {{Bibleverse|Jn|1:43|ESV}}

Philip the Tetrarch

| Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis

| Josephus writes that he shared the kingdom of his father with his brothers Herod Antipas and Herod Archelaus.Antiquities, B. XVII, Chr. 11 § 4 His name and title appear on coinage from the period.Myers, E. A., The Ituraeans and the Roman Near East: Reassessing the Sources [https://books.google.com/books?id=-cRrGQ8bIAkC], Cambridge University Press 2010, p. 111Freedman, D.N. (ed), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible [https://books.google.com/books?id=qRtUqxkB7wkC], Wm. B. Eerdmans 2000, Philip the Tetrarch: p. 584, Nergal-Sharezer: p. 959

| Lk. 3:1

Pontius Pilate

| Prefect of Judea

| He ordered Jesus's execution. A stone inscription was found that mentions his name and title: "[Po]ntius Pilatus, [Praef]ectus Iuda[ea]e" (Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judaea),Taylor, Joan E., [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=521660 Pontius Pilate and the Imperial Cult in Roman Judaea] in New Testament Studies, 52:564–565, Cambridge University Press 2006[http://www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/latin/pilate.html Pilate Stone], translation by K. C. Hanson & Douglas E. Oakman see Pilate Stone. He is mentioned by his contemporary Philo of Alexandria in his Embassy to Gaius, by Josephus in The Jewish War and the Antiquities and by Tacitus in his Annals.

| Mt. 27:2, {{Bibleverse|Jn.|19:15–16|ESV}}

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius

| Governor of Syria

| Conducted a census while governing Syria as reported by Luke and Josephus,Antiquities, B. XVIII Chr. 1 § 1 and confirmed by a tomb inscription of one Quintus Aemilius Secundus, who had served under him.Levick, Barbara, The Government of the Roman Empire: A Sourcebook [https://books.google.com/books?id=vImxNgOerkIC], 2nd ed. Routledge 2000, p. 75 He is mentioned by Josephus in the Antiquities and by Tacitus in the Annals.

| {{Bibleverse|Lk.|2:2|ESV}}

Salome

| Herodian princess

| A daughter of Herodias. Although she is not named in the Gospels, but referred to as 'the daughter of Herodias', she is commonly identified with Salome, Herodias' daughter, mentioned in Josephus' Antiquities.[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/519575/Salome "Salome"] in the Encyclopædia Britannica

| {{Bibleverse|Mt.|14:6|ESV}}, {{Bibleverse|Mk.|6:22|ESV}}

Simon Peter

| Peter the Apostle

| A prominent apostle of Jesus and the first Bishop of Rome. He is mentioned by Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Romans and to the Smyrnaeans, and the First Epistle to the Corinthians by Clement, who also says that Peter died as a martyr.[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm Letter to the Corinthians (Clement)][http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0125.htm From the exposition of the oracles of the Lord.][http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0107.htm The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans][http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans]

| Mt. 4:1820, Mt. 16

Tiberius Caesar

| Emperor of Rome

| Named in many inscriptions and on Roman coins. Among other accounts, some of his deeds are described by contemporary historian Velleius (died c. 31 CE).Marcus Velleius Paterculus, Roman History, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Velleius_Paterculus/2D*.html#122 Book 2, Chr. 122]

| Lk. 3:1

=Persons mentioned in the New Testament outside the Gospels=

class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
width = "13%" scope=col | NameNames that are also mentioned in the Gospels are not repeated here.

! width = "15%" scope=col | Title

! scope=col class="unsortable" | Attestation and Notes

! width = "10%" scope=col class="unsortable" | Biblical references

Ananias son of Nedebaios

| High Priest of Israel

| He held the office between c. 47 and 59 CE, as recorded by Josephus,Antiquities, B. XX Chr. 5 § 2 and presided over the trial of Paul.

| Acts 23:2, Acts 24:1

Antonius Felix

| Procurator of Judea

| Mentioned by historians Josephus,Antiquities, B. XX Chr. 7 SuetoniusGaius Suetonius Tranquillus, The Twelve Caesars, translated by J. C. Rolfe, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Claudius*.html#28 Book V, par. 28] and TacitusCornelius Tacitus, Annals, translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0078%3Abook%3D12%3Achapter%3D54 Book XII Chr. 54] He imprisoned the apostle Paul around the year 58 CE, two years before Porcius Festus replaced him.Cate, Robert L., One Untimely Born: The Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul, Mercer University Press, 2006, p. 117, 120 [https://books.google.com/books?id=vMVwtMopjeUC&pg=PA117]

| {{bibleverse|Acts|23:24|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|Acts|25:14|ESV}}

Apollos

|

| Both Paul and Clement affirmed that he was a Christian in Corinth.

| {{Bibleverse|1 Cor|3:6|ESV}}

Aretas IV Philopatris

| King of the Nabateans

| According to Paul, Aretas' governor in Damascus tried to arrest him. Besides being mentioned by Josephus,Antiquities, B. XVIII Chr. 5 § 1 his name is found in several contemporary inscriptionsHealey, John F., [https://books.google.com/books?id=1MLmDJmIVasC Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions, Volume IV: Aramaic Inscriptions and Documents of the Roman Period], Oxford University Press 2009, pp. 55–57, 77–79, etc. and on numerous coins.Galil, Gershon & Weinfeld, Moshe, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q8U9Gv7ibJ8C Studies in Historical Geography and Biblical Historiography: Presented to Zechariah Kallai (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum)], Brill Academic Publishers 2000, p. 85

| {{bibleverse|2 Cor.|11:32|ESV}}†

Berenice

| Herodian princess

| A daughter of Herod Agrippa I. She appears to have had almost equal power to her brother Herod Agrippa II (with whom she was rumored to have an incestuous relationship, according to Josephus) and is indeed called Queen Berenice in Tacitus's Histories.Cornelius Tacitus, The Histories, translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb, [http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/histories.2.ii.html Book II, par. 2]

| {{bibleverse|Acts|25:23|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|Acts|26:30|ESV}}

Claudius Caesar

| Emperor of Rome

| Like other Roman emperors, his name is found on numerous coinsBurgers, P., Coinage and State Expenditure: The Reign of Claudius AD 41–54 [https://www.jstor.org/pss/4436604] in Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte Vol. 50, No. 1 (1st Qtr., 2001), pp. 96–114 and monuments, such as the Porta Maggiore in Rome.

| {{bibleverse|Acts|11:28|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|Acts|18:2|ESV}}†

Drusilla

| Herodian princess

| Married to Antonius Felix, according to the Book of Acts and Josephus' Antiquities.Borgen, Peder, Early Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism, T&T Clark, 1998, p. 55 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Nsx0qpB4_24C&pg=PA55]

| {{bibleverse|Acts|24:24|ESV}}†

Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus

| Proconsul of Achaea

| Seneca the Younger, his brother, mentions him in his epistles to Lucilius Junior.Lucius Annaeus Seneca, [https://archive.org/stream/adluciliumepistu03seneuoft#page/190/mode/2up Letter 104] from Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, translation by Richard M. Gummere In Delphi, an inscription, dated to 52 CE, was discovered that records a letter by emperor Claudius, in which Gallio is also named as proconsulTiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, [http://www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/greek/gallio.html Gallio Inscription] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518174141/http://kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/greek/gallio.html |date=2011-05-18 }}, translation by K. C. Hanson (adapted from Conzelmann and Fitzmyer).

| Acts 18:12–17

Gamaliel the Elder

| Rabbi of the Sanhedrin

| He is named as the father of Simon by Flavius Josephus in his autobiography.Flavius Josephus, [http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/autobiog.htm The Life of Flavius Josephus], translated by William Whiston, paragraph 38. In the Talmud he is also described as a prominent member of the Sanhedrin.[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=G&artid=51 Gamaliel I] in the Jewish Encyclopedia

| Acts 5:34, Acts 22:3

Herod Agrippa I

| King of Judea

| Although his name is given as Herod by Luke,i.e. the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. See Authorship of Luke–Acts. and as Agrippa by Josephus,Antiquities, B. XVIII Chr. 6 § 1 the accounts both writers give about his death are so similar that they are commonly accepted to refer to the same person.Bruce, F.F. [https://books.google.com/books?id=QE5UhL88eOcC The Book of Acts (revised)], part of The New international commentary on the New Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988 Hence many modern scholars call him Herod Agrippa (I).

| {{bibleverse|Acts|12:1|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|Acts|12:21|ESV}}

Herod Agrippa II

| King of Judea

| He ruled alongside his sister Berenice. Josephus writes about him in his Antiquities, and his name is found inscribed on contemporary Jewish coins.Kanael, Baruch [https://www.jstor.org/pss/3210995 Ancient Jewish Coins and Their Historical Importance] in The Biblical Archaeologist Vol. 26, No. 2 (May, 1963), p. 52

| {{bibleverse|Acts|25:23|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|Acts|26:1|ESV}}

Judas of Galilee

|Galilean rebel

| Leader of a Jewish revolt. Both the Book of Acts and Josephus tell of a rebellion he instigated in the time of the census of Quirinius.Kinman, Brent, Jesus' Entry Into Jerusalem: In the Context of Lukan Theology and the Politics of His Days, BRILL, 1995, p. 18 [https://books.google.com/books?id=pRdiwjAeYLkC&pg=PA18]

| {{bibleverse|Acts|5:37|ESV}}†

Nero Caesar

| Emperor of Rome

| Depicted in contemporary coins.[https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/ngc-ancients-coinage-emperor-nero/ Coinweek - NGC Ancients: Roman Coinage of Emperor Nero]

| Rev. 13:18, {{Bibleverse|2 Thes.|2:3|ESV}}†

Paul the Apostle

|Christian apostle

| Mention by Ignatius of Antioch's Epistle to the Romans and Epistle to the Ephesians, Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians, and in Clement of Rome's Epistle to the Corinthians, who also says that Paul suffered martyrdom and that he had preached in the East and in the Far West[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11567b.htm St Paul][http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12219b.htm St. Polycarp][http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians]

| Gal. 1, 1 Cor. 1

Porcius Festus

| Governor of Judea

| Succeeded Antonius Felix, as recorded by Josephus and the Book of Acts.Antiquities, Book XX, Chr. 8, § 9Yamazaki-Ransom, K., The Roman Empire in Luke's Narrative, Continuum, 2010, p. 145 [https://books.google.com/books?id=4O9nHVKka4EC&pg=PA145]

| Acts 24:27, {{bibleverse|Acts|26:25|ESV}}

Amanitore

|Kandake of the Meroitic Kingdom of Kush

| Known from her monuments and several contemporary inscriptions.

| Acts 8:27

Tentatively identified

These are Biblical figures for which tentative but likely identifications have been found in contemporary sources based on matching names and credentials. The possibility of coincidental matching of names cannot be ruled out however.

=Hebrew Bible (Protocanonical Old Testament)=

File:Hebrew Kings in Archaeology.svg. Kings that are known from contemporary extra-biblical sources are highlighted in yellow. Tentatively identified kings are highlighted in orange.]]

  • Amariah son of Hezekiah, an ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah mentioned in the genealogy of {{bibleverse|Zephaniah|1:1|KJV}}. A late 8th – early 7th century BCE bulla reading "[belonging to] Amaryahu, son of the King" might refer to him.{{cite journal|title=The Bulla of 'Amaryahu Son of the King, the ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah|journal=Transeuphratène|url=https://www.academia.edu/9823742|last1=van der Veen|first1=P.|location=Paris|last2=Deutsch|first2=R.|volume=46|pages=121–132 (with Pls. 9–10)|year=2014|series=J. Elayi – J.-M. Durand (eds.). Bible et Proche-Orient. Mélanges André Lemaire. 3 vol. (Transeuphratène 46)|issn=0996-5904}}
  • Asaiah, servant of king Josiah (2 Kings 22:12). A seal with the text Asayahu servant of the king probably belonged to him.Heltzer, Michael, THE SEAL OF ˓AŚAYĀHŪ. In Hallo, 2000, Vol. II p. 204
  • Azaliah son of Meshullam, scribe in the Temple in Jerusalem: Mentioned in 2 Kings 22:3 and 2 Chronicles 34:8. A bulla reading "belonging to Azaliahu son of Meshullam." is likely to be his, according to archaeologist Nahman Avigad.{{cite book|last=Avigad |first=Nahman |title=Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals |year=1997 |publisher=Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem |edition=2 |page=237 |isbn=978-9652081384}}; WSS 90, published by the Israel Academy of Sciences & Humanities
  • Azariah son of Hilkiah and grandfather of Ezra: Mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:13,14; 9:11 and Ezra 7:1. A bulla reading Azariah son of Hilkiah is likely to be his, according to Tsvi Schneider.Schneider, Tsvi, "Six Biblical Signatures: Seals and seal impressions of six biblical personages recovered", Biblical Archaeology Review, July/August 1991
  • Baalis king of Ammon is mentioned in Jeremiah 40:14. In 1984 an Ammonite seal, dated to c. 600 BCE, was excavated in Tell El-`Umeiri, Jordan that reads "belonging to Milkomor, the servant of Baalisha". Identification of 'Baalisha' with the biblical Baalis is likely,Grabbe, Lester L., Can a 'History of Israel' Be Written?, Continuum International, 1997, pp. 80–82 [https://books.google.com/books?id=pk7Oy64C2fYC&pg=PA80] but it is not currently known if there was only one Ammonite king of that name.Mykytiuk, Lawrence J., Identifying Biblical persons in Northwest Semitic inscriptions of 1200-539 B.C.E., Society of Biblical Literature, 2004, Baalis: p. 242 [https://books.google.com/books?id=eprY1Qd0veAC&pg=PA242]; Jeroboam: p. 136 [https://books.google.com/books?id=eprY1Qd0veAC&pg=PA136]
  • Ben-Hadad I, was identified by William F. Albright as the "Bar-Hadad, son of [...], king of Aram" mentioned on the Melqart stele,{{cite journal |last1=Albright |first1=W. F. |title=A Votive Stele Erected by Ben-Hadad I of Damascus to the God Melcarth |journal=Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research |date=October 1942 |volume=87 |issue=87 |pages=23–29 |doi=10.2307/1355460 |jstor=1355460 |s2cid=163203878}} however, several other scholars, such as Kenneth Kitchen,{{cite book |last1=Kitchen |first1=K. A. |title=On the Reliability of the Old Testament |date=2006 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |isbn=978-0-8028-0396-2 }} dispute this identification, as the stele's inscription is damaged and there is no outside evidence supporting this conclusion.
  • David, or more accurately his royal house, is mentioned in the Tel Dan Stele, see above entry for Ahaziah.
  • Darius II of Persia, is mentioned by the contemporary historian Xenophon of Athens,[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1174/1174-h/1174-h.htm#2H_4_0002 Xenophon of Athens, Hellenica, Book 1, Chapter 2] in the Elephantine Papyri, and other sources. 'Darius the Persian', mentioned in Nehemiah 12:22, is probably Darius II, although some scholars identify him with Darius I or Darius III.VanderKam, James C., From revelation to canon: studies in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple literature, Volume 2000, Brill, 2002, p. 181 [https://books.google.com/books?id=L352z_jZSmcC&pg=PA181]Freedman, David N., The Unity of the Hebrew Bible, University of Michigan Press, 1993, p. 93 [https://books.google.com/books?id=f-VqAdnCD20C&pg=PA93]
  • Gedaliah son of Ahikam, governor of Judah. A seal impression with the name 'Gedaliah who is over the house' is commonly identified with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam.Wright, G. Ernest, Some Personal Seals of Judean Royal Officials [https://www.jstor.org/pss/3209241] in The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 1, No. 2 (May, 1938), pp. 10–12
  • Gedaliah son of Pashhur, an opponent of Jeremiah. A bulla bearing his name was found in the City of DavidUnique biblical discovery at City of David excavation site [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Early+History+-+Archaeology/Unique+biblical+discovery+at+City+of+David+excavation+site+18-Aug-2008.htm], Israel Ministry of Foreign affairs; 18-Aug-2008. Retrieved 2009-11-16
  • Gemariah (son of Shaphan), son of Shaphan the scribe. A bulla was found with the text "To Gemaryahu ben Shaphan". This may have been the same person as "Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe" mentioned in Jeremiah 36:10,12.Ogden, D. Kelly [http://en.scientificcommons.org/23488503 Bulla *2 "To Gemaryahu ben Shaphan"], published by Brigham Young University. Dept. of Religious Education
  • Geshem (Gusham) the Arab, mentioned in Nehemia 6:1,6 is likely the same person as Gusham, king of Kedar, found in two inscriptions in Dedan and Tell el-Mashkutah (near the Suez Canal)Wright, G. Ernest [https://www.jstor.org/pss/3209101 Judean Lachish] in The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Feb., 1955), pp. 9–17
  • Isaiah, In February 2018 archaeologist Eilat Mazar announced that she and her team had discovered a small seal impression which reads "[belonging] to Isaiah nvy" (could be reconstructed and read as "[belonging] to Isaiah the prophet") during the Ophel excavations, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.Mazar, Eilat. [https://members.bib-arch.org/biblical-archaeology-review/44/2/7 Is This the "Prophet Isaiah’s Signature?"] Biblical Archaeology Review 44:2, March/April May/June 2018. The tiny bulla was found "only 10 feet away" from where an intact bulla bearing the inscription "[belonging] to King Hezekiah of Judah" was discovered in 2015 by the same team.[https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-find-of-biblical-proportions-proof-of-prophet-isaiah-believed-unearthed/ In find of biblical proportions, seal of Prophet Isaiah said found in Jerusalem]. By Amanda Borschel-Dan. The Times of Israel. 22 February 2018. Quote: "Chanced upon near a seal identified with King Hezekiah, a tiny clay piece may be the first-ever proof of the prophet, though a missing letter leaves room for doubt." Although the name "Isaiah" in Paleo-Hebrew alphabet is unmistakable, the damage on the bottom left part of the seal causes difficulties in confirming the word "prophet" or a common Hebrew name "Navi", casting some doubts whether this seal really belongs to the prophet Isaiah.[https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/prophet-isaiah-signature-jerusalem/ "Isaiah’s Signature Uncovered in Jerusalem: Evidence of the prophet Isaiah?"] By Megan Sauter. Bible History Daily. Biblical Archeology Society. 22 Feb 2018. Quote by Mazar: "Because the bulla has been slightly damaged at end of the word nvy, it is not known if it originally ended with the Hebrew letter aleph, which would have resulted in the Hebrew word for "prophet" and would have definitively identified the seal as the signature of the prophet Isaiah. The absence of this final letter, however, requires that we leave open the possibility that it could just be the name Navi. The name of Isaiah, however, is clear."
  • Jehucal son of Shelemiah, an opponent of Jeremiah. Archaeologists excavated a bulla with his name,[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/01/clay-seal-connects-to-bible/ Clay seal connects to Bible] in The Washington Times, Wednesday, October 1, 2008 but some scholars question the dating of the seal to the time of Jeremiah.
  • Jerahmeel, prince of Judah. A bulla bearing his name was found.Avigad, Nahman, Baruch the Scribe and Jerahmeel the King's Son [https://www.jstor.org/pss/3209372] in The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 42, No. 2 (Spring, 1979), pp. 114–118
  • Jezebel, wife of king Ahab of Israel. A seal was found that may bear her name, but the dating and identification with the biblical Jezebel is a subject of debate among scholars.Korpel, Marjo C.A., [http://www.bib-arch.org/debates/jezebel-seal-01.asp Scholars Debate “Jezebel” Seal], Biblical Archaeology Review
  • Josiah, king of Judah. Three seals were found that may have belonged to his son Eliashib.Albright, W. F. in Pritchard 1969, p. 569
  • Nathan-melech, one of Josiah's officials in {{bibleverse|2 Kings|23:11|KJV}}. A clay bulla dated to the middle of the seventh or beginning of the sixth century BCE was found in March 2019 during the Givati Parking Lot dig excavation in the City of the David area of Jerusalem bearing the inscription, "(belonging) to Nathan-melech, servant of the king."Weiss, Bari. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/opinion/sunday/bible-josiah-david-seal.html The Story Behind a 2,600-Year-Old Seal]

Who was Natan-Melech, the king's servant?" New York Times. March 30, 2019[https://m.jpost.com/Israel-News/2600-year-old-seal-discovered-in-City-of-David-585321 2,600-year old seal discovered in City of David]. Jerusalem Post. April 1, 2019

  • Nergal-sharezer, king of Babylon is probably identical to an official of Nebuchadnezzar II mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3, 13. A record of his war with Syria was found on a tablet from the 'Neo-Babylonian Chronicle texts'.[https://www.livius.org/articles/person/neriglissar/ The Chronicle Concerning Year Three of Neriglissar], translation adapted from A. K. Grayson & Jean-Jacques Glassner
  • Seraiah son of Neriah. He was the brother of Baruch. Nahman Avigad identified him as the owner of a seal with the name "to Seriahu/Neriyahu".

Image:Silwan-inscr.jpg

  • Shebna (or Shebaniah), royal steward of Hezekiah: only the last two letters of a name (hw) survive on the so-called Shebna lintel, but the title of his position ("over the house" of the king) and the date indicated by the script style, have inclined many scholars to identify the person it refers to with Shebna.Deutsch, Robert, [http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=35&Issue=3&ArticleID=9 Tracking Down Shebnayahu, Servant of the King] in Biblical Archaeology Review May/Jun 2009
  • Shelomith, a daughter of Zerubbabel mentioned in the genealogy of {{bibleverse|1 Chronicles|3:19|KJV}}. She has been identified with the owner of a seal reading "Belonging to Shelomith, maidservant of Elnathan the governor".Cataldo, Jeremiah W. (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=TraoAwAAQBAJ&dq=shelomit+seal&pg=PA91 A Theocratic Yehud?: Issues of Government in a Persian Province]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 91. {{ISBN|978-0-567-54223-6}}.
  • Tou/Toi, king of Hamath. Several scholars have argued that Tou/Toi, mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:9 and 1 Chronicles 18:9, is identical with a certain 'Taita', king of 'Palistin', known from inscriptions found in northern Syria.{{cite journal |last1=Steitler |first1=Charles |date=2010 |title=The Biblical King Toi of Ḥamath and the Late Hittite State "P/Walas(a)tin" |journal=Bibische Notizen |issue=146 |pages=95}}The History of King David in Light of New Epigraphic and Archeological Data, ([https://www.haifa.ac.il/index.php/en/11-english/news-english/900-the-history-of-king-david-in-light-of-new-epigraphic-and-archeological-data link]), website of University of Haifa, citing publications by Gershon Galil from 2013-2014 However, others have challenged this identification based on linguistic analysis and the uncertain dating of king Taita.{{cite book |last=Simon |first=Zsolt |editor-last=Csabai |editor-first=Zoltán |title=Studies in Economic and Social History of the Ancient Near East in Memory of Péter Vargyas |publisher=The University of Pécs, Department of Ancient History |date= 2014 |pages=724–725 |chapter=Remarks on the Anatolian Background of the Tel Reḥov Bees and the Historical Geography of the Luwian States in the 10th c. BC |isbn=9789632367958 |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/7861592}}
  • Zedekiah, son of Hananiah (Jeremiah 36:12). A seal was found of "Zedekiah son of Hanani", identification is likely, but uncertain.Day, John [https://books.google.com/books?id=yM_X2yzRLx4C&dq=zedekiah+son+of+hananiah+seal&pg=PA376 In search of pre-exilic Israel: proceedings of the Oxford Old Testament Seminar] p. 376

=Deuterocanonicals or biblical apocrypha=

  • Ahikar, a sage mentioned in {{Bibleverse|Tobit|1:21-22|NRSV}} and in the Aramaic Story of Ahikar.{{cite book |title=Wandering Arameans: Arameans Outside Syria: Textual and Archaeological Perspectives |last=Oshima |first=Takayoshi |publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |year=2017 |isbn=978-3-447-10727-3 |pages=141–167 |editor-last=Berlejung |editor-first=Angelika |chapter=How Mesopotamian was Ahiqar the Wise? A Search for Ahiqar in Cuneiform Texts |editor-last2=Maeir |editor-first2=Aren M. |editor-last3=Schüle |editor-first3=Andreas |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/34084863}}{{rp|148}} At Uruk (Warka), a Late Babylonian cuneiform tablet from the second century BCE mentions an Aramaic sage Aḫu’aqār under Esarhaddon (seventh century BCE).{{rp|148–150}} There are also references to one or more people named Ahī-yaqar in cuneiform texts from the time of Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, although the identification of this person (or people) with the sage Ahiqar is uncertain.{{rp|144–145}}
  • Aretas I, King of the Nabataeans ({{floruit}} c. 169 BCE), mentioned in {{Bibleverse|2 Macc.|5:8|NRSV}}, is probably referred to in an inscription from Elusa.Healey, John F., The Religion of the Nabataeans: A Conspectus, Brill, 2001, p. 29 [https://books.google.com/books?id=coso-V3gCEAC&pg=PA29]

=New Testament=

  • Alexander son of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21): A burial cave in the Kidron Valley discovered in 1941 by E. L. Sukenik, belonging to Cyrenian Jews and dating before AD 70, was found to have an ossuary inscribed twice in Greek "Alexander son of Simon". It cannot, however, be certain that this refers to the same person.{{Cite journal |last=Avigad |first=N. |author-link=Nahman Avigad |date=1962 |title=A Depository of Inscribed Ossuaries in the Kidron Valley |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27924877 |journal=Israel Exploration Journal |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=1–12 |issn=0021-2059 |jstor=27924877 |lccn=53036113 |ol=32001168M |access-date=2022-03-27}}{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Craig A. |url=https://archive.org/details/jesusarchaeology0000unse |title=Jesus and Archaeology |date=2006 |publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company |isbn=0-8028-4880-X |editor-last=Charlesworth |editor-first=James H. |editor-link=James H. Charlesworth |page=338 |language=en |chapter=Excavating Caiaphas, Pilate, and Simon of Cyrene |oclc=1302072225 |ol=7904215M |author-link=Craig A. Evans |access-date=2022-03-27 |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}
  • 'The Egyptian', who was according to Acts 21:38 the instigator of a rebellion, also appears to be mentioned by Josephus, although this identification is uncertain.Vanderkam, James C., in The Continuum History of Apocalypticism [https://books.google.com/books?id=7UlbWioOV7sC] (edited by McGinn, Bernard J.; Collins, John J.; Stein, Stephen J.), Continuum, 2003, p. 133Frankfurter, David, Pilgrimage and Holy Space in Late Antique Egypt [https://books.google.com/books?id=3yENB_dXAtwC], Brill, 1998, p. 206
  • Erastus of Corinth (Romans 16:23): An inscription mentioning an Erastus was found in 1929 near a paved area northeast of the theater of Corinth, dated to the mid-first century and reads "Erastus in return for his aedileship paved it at his own expense."{{cite web|title=PH209961|url=http://epigraphy.packhum.org/inscriptions/main?url=oi%3Fikey%3D209961%26bookid%3D223%26region%3D2%26subregion%3D1|work=Searchable Greek Inscriptions|publisher=The Packard Humanities Institute|access-date=18 May 2012}} Inscription: {{langx|la|ERASTVS. PRO. AED. S. P. STRAVIT}}, abbreviated for ERASTUS PRO AEDILITATE SUA PECUNIA STRAVIT. Some New Testament scholars have identified this aedile Erastus with the Erastus mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans but this is disputed by others.{{Cite journal|last=Gill|first=David W. J.|date=1989|title=Erastus The Aedile|journal=Tyndale Bulletin|volume=40|issue=2|pages=298|doi=10.53751/001c.30545 }}
  • Joanna, wife of Chuza: An ossuary has been discovered bearing the inscription, "Johanna, granddaughter of Theophilus, the High Priest."D. Barag and D. Flusser, The Ossuary of Yehohanah Granddaughter of the High Priest Theophilus, Israel Exploration Journal, 36 (1986), 39–44. It is unclear if this was the same Joanna since Johanna was the fifth most popular woman's name in Judaea.Richard Bauckham, Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 143
  • Lysanias was tetrarch of Abila around 28 CE, according to Luke (3:1). Because Josephus only mentions a Lysanias of Abila who was executed in 36 BCE, some scholars have considered this an error by Luke. However, one inscription from Abila, which is tentatively dated 14–29 CE, appears to record the existence of a later tetrarch called Lysanias.Kerr, C. M., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans 1939, entry Lysanias [http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/L/lysanias.html]Morris, Leon, Luke: an introduction and commentary [https://books.google.com/books?id=1ngd8XtswdEC] Wm. B. Eerdmans 1988, p. 28
  • Sergius Paulus was proconsul of Cyprus (Acts 13:4–7), when Paul visited the island around 46–48 CE.Gill, David W. J. (ed.) & Gempf, Conrad (ed.), The Book of Acts in Its Graeco-Roman Setting [https://books.google.com/books?id=W-L1DA1ptKQC] Wm. B. Eerdmans 1994, p. 282 Although several individuals with this name have been identified, no certain identification can be made. One Quintus Sergius Paulus, who was proconsul of Cyprus probably during the reign of Claudius (41–54 CE) is however compatible with the time and context of Luke's account.Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (ed.), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Vol. III: K–P [https://books.google.com/books?id=Zkla5Gl_66oC] Wm. B. Eerdmans 1986, pp. 729–730 (entry Paulus, Sergius)
  • Theudas. The sole reference to Theudas presents a problem of chronology. In Acts of the Apostles, Gamaliel, a member of the sanhedrin, defends the apostles by referring to Theudas (Acts 5:36–8). The difficulty is that the rising of Theudas is here given as before that of Judas of Galilee, which is itself dated to the time of the taxation (c. 6–7 AD). Josephus, on the other hand, says that Theudas was 45 or 46, which is after Gamaliel is speaking, and long after Judas the Galilean.

See also

Notes

{{Reflist|group=n}}

References

{{reflist|25em}}

Bibliography

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{{The Bible and history}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Biblical Figures Identified In Extra-Biblical Sources}}

Category:Ancient Israel and Judah

extra-biblical records

Category:Biblical archaeology

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