Lives that shape the story

Moses

The Hebrew prophet who led Israel out of Egyptian slavery and received the Law on Mount Sinai.

David

Shepherd, psalmist, and second king of Israel — 'a man after God's own heart' from whose line Christ would come.

Abraham

The father of the Hebrew nation and of all who believe — called out of Ur to a land God would show him.

Ruth the Moabitess

A Moabite widow whose loyal love brought her into the line of David — and of Christ.

Joshua

Successor of Moses who led Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Solomon

Son of David, builder of the temple, and the wisest king of Israel — whose later years drifted into compromise.

Elijah

The fiery Tishbite prophet who confronted Ahab and Jezebel and was taken to heaven in a whirlwind.

Esther

A Jewish exile who became queen of Persia and risked her life to save her people from genocide.

Daniel

A Jewish exile who served four kings of Babylon and Persia and received apocalyptic visions of the kingdoms to come.

Joseph (son of Jacob)

Jacob's favored son, sold into Egyptian slavery, who rose to become Pharaoh's prime minister and saved his family from famine.

Isaiah

The eighth-century prophet whose visions of judgment, comfort, and a suffering Messiah shaped Israel's hope and the New Testament's gospel.

Jeremiah

The 'weeping prophet' who watched Jerusalem fall to Babylon and preached a costly faithfulness to a doomed nation.

Deborah

The only female judge of Israel, who summoned Barak and led the nation to victory over Sisera's army.

Hannah

A barren woman whose prayer of anguish gave Israel the prophet Samuel and a song that anticipates Mary's Magnificat.

Ezra

The priest-scribe who led a second wave of exiles back to Jerusalem and re-grounded the people in the Law of Moses.

Nehemiah

Cupbearer to the king of Persia who rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days.

Gideon

A reluctant judge who, with three hundred men, routed a Midianite army that was 'like grasshoppers for multitude.'

Samson

The Nazirite strongman whose victories over the Philistines were undone — and finally redeemed — by his own weaknesses.

Jonah

A reluctant prophet who fled God's call, was swallowed by a great fish, and preached repentance to Nineveh.

Samuel

The last judge and first of the great prophets — kingmaker to both Saul and David.

Jonathan

Saul's son and crown prince, whose covenant friendship with David put loyalty to God above his own throne.

Noah

The righteous man who built the ark and preserved humanity and the animals through the flood.

Adam

The first human being, formed from the dust of the ground and made in the image of God.

Eve

The first woman, mother of all the living, formed by God from Adam's side.

Isaac

The son of promise, born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, and the second of Israel's patriarchs.

Jacob

The grandson of Abraham, renamed Israel, and father of the twelve tribes.

Sarah

Wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac — the first of Israel's matriarchs.

Job

The righteous sufferer of the land of Uz whose story confronts the mystery of innocent pain.

Aaron

Brother of Moses and Israel's first high priest, founder of the Aaronic priesthood.

Rahab

The Canaanite woman of Jericho who hid Israel's spies and joined the people of God.

Paul the Apostle

Pharisee turned apostle to the Gentiles, author of thirteen New Testament epistles.

Peter the Apostle

Galilean fisherman called by Jesus to be a 'fisher of men' and the spokesman of the Twelve.

Mary, Mother of Jesus

The young Jewish virgin of Nazareth chosen to bear the Son of God.

John the Apostle

The 'beloved disciple' — fisherman, gospel writer, and seer of Patmos.

John the Baptist

The wilderness forerunner who prepared Israel for the coming of Christ.

Mary Magdalene

A devoted follower of Jesus from whom he cast out seven demons and the first person to witness the resurrection.

Barnabas

The 'son of encouragement' who vouched for Paul, partnered with him on the first missionary journey, and later took John Mark under his wing.

Timothy

Paul's protégé and 'true son in the faith,' pastor at Ephesus and recipient of two of Paul's most personal letters.

Stephen

The first Christian martyr, whose sermon to the Sanhedrin retells Israel's whole story and whose death set off the church's mission to the world.

Lydia

A businesswoman of Philippi — a seller of purple — who became the first recorded European convert and hosted Paul's first church there.

Priscilla

A Jewish Christian who, with her husband Aquila, ran a tentmaking business, hosted churches in three cities, and discipled the eloquent Apollos.

Lazarus of Bethany

The friend of Jesus who was raised from the dead after four days in the tomb.

Martha of Bethany

The sister of Mary and Lazarus who confessed Jesus as the Christ at her brother's tomb.

Nicodemus

The Pharisee and ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night and later helped bury him.

Zacchaeus

The chief tax collector of Jericho who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus and came down a changed man.

Pontius Pilate

The Roman governor of Judea who tried Jesus, found no guilt in him, and condemned him anyway.

Joseph, Husband of Mary

The carpenter of Nazareth who became the earthly father of Jesus.