Adam & Eve (~prehistory / earliest mythic era)

• First humans, created by God in His image.
• Placed in the Garden of Eden, told not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
• Tempted by the serpent, eat the fruit, and are expelled.
• Parents of Cain, Abel, and Seth (the faithful line continues through Seth).
  • Cain’s line → founders of city life, music, herding, metalwork; ends at the Flood.
  • Abel → murdered, no descendants, remembered for faithfulness.
  • Seth’s line → the faithful lineage, leading to Noah, then Abraham, and ultimately Israel.

Cain & Abel (~prehistory)

• Sons of Adam and Eve.
• Abel’s sacrifice is accepted, Cain’s is rejected.
• Cain kills Abel in jealousy — first murder.
• God marks Cain so that no one kills him, despite his crime.
• Cain goes east of Eden and builds a city, naming it after his son Enoch.
• Seth is later born, carrying forward the chosen line.

Noah (~3000–2500 BCE, flood narrative)

• Described as a righteous man in a corrupt generation.
• God warns of a flood; Noah builds an ark.
• Survives flood with his family and animals.
• Offers sacrifice; God makes covenant marked by a rainbow.
• Becomes drunk after planting a vineyard; Ham sees his nakedness.
• Noah curses Canaan (Ham’s son), blessing Shem and Japheth.
• His sons become ancestors of nations.

Abraham (~2000 BCE)

• Called by God from Ur to Canaan.
• Covenant: promised descendants and land.
• Tested by famine, goes to Egypt.
• Father of Ishmael (by Hagar) and Isaac (by Sarah).
• Nearly sacrifices Isaac as test of faith.
• Meets Melchizedek, mysterious priest-king of Salem.
• Remembered as father of faith and patriarch of Israel.

Sarah (~2000 BCE)

• Wife of Abraham.
• Offers her servant Hagar to Abraham, resulting in Ishmael.
• Bears Isaac in old age after God’s promise.
• Her laughter at the promise leads to Isaac’s name (“he laughs”).

Hagar (~2000 BCE)

• Egyptian servant of Sarah.
• Mother of Ishmael.
• Twice cast into the wilderness, rescued by angel of the Lord.
• The well Beer-lahai-roi becomes part of her story.

Lot (~1900 BCE)

• Nephew of Abraham.
• Chooses fertile plain near Sodom.
• Hosts angels; townspeople demand them, Lot offers daughters in desperation.
• Fleeing the city, his wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt.
• Afterward, his daughters bear Moab and Ammon, ancestors of neighboring nations.

Isaac (~1900 BCE)

• Son of Abraham and Sarah.
• Nearly sacrificed on Mount Moriah.
• Marries Rebekah, who bears twins Esau and Jacob.
• Passes on Abraham’s covenant line through Jacob.

Esau (~1900 BCE)

• Elder twin, sells birthright for stew.
• Loses blessing to Jacob through deception.
• Becomes ancestor of Edomites.
• Later reconciles with Jacob.

Jacob (Israel) (~1850 BCE)

• Younger twin, favored by Rebekah.
• Tricks Esau out of blessing.
• Dream of ladder to heaven at Bethel.
• Works for Laban; marries Leah and Rachel.
• Father of twelve sons, founders of Israel’s tribes.
• Wrestles with divine being; renamed Israel (“he struggles with God”).

Joseph (~1800 BCE)

• Favorite son, given ornamented tunic (often called “coat of many colors”).
• Betrayed by brothers, sold to Egypt.
• Imprisoned, interprets dreams.
• Rises to power under Pharaoh.
• Reconciles with brothers, saves family from famine.
• Israelite migration to Egypt sets stage for Exodus.

Moses (~1300 BCE)

• Born under Pharaoh’s decree, hidden in basket on Nile.
• Raised in Pharaoh’s court.
• Flees to Midian after killing Egyptian.
• God calls him from burning bush.
• Leads Exodus after plagues and Red Sea crossing.
• Receives Ten Commandments at Sinai.
• Israel worships golden calf; punished with wilderness wandering.
• Dies on Mount Nebo, not entering Promised Land.

Aaron (~1300 BCE)

• Brother of Moses, first high priest.
• Acts as spokesman to Pharaoh.
• Involved in golden calf incident.
• His sons continue the priestly line.

Joshua (~1200 BCE)

• Successor of Moses.
• Leads conquest of Canaan.
• Battle of Jericho won through faith and ritual.
• Divides land among tribes.

Judges (~1200–1050 BCE)

• Israel enters cycle of sin, oppression, deliverance.
• Deborah: prophetess, leads Israel in battle.
• Gideon: defeats Midianites with only 300 men.
• Samson: Nazarite with great strength, betrayed by Delilah.
• Samuel: last judge, also prophet; anoints Saul and David.

Saul (~1050–1010 BCE)

• First king of Israel.
• Successful in early wars but disobeys God.
• Rejected, tormented by evil spirit.
• Dies in battle with Philistines.

David (~1010–970 BCE)

• Young shepherd, defeats Goliath.
• Becomes king after Saul.
• Unites tribes, makes Jerusalem capital.
• Covenant that his line will endure.
• Commits adultery with Bathsheba; repents after judgment.
• Credited with many Psalms.

Solomon (~970–931 BCE)

• Son of David and Bathsheba.
• Asks for wisdom, becomes renowned.
• Builds Temple in Jerusalem.
• Later turns to idolatry under influence of foreign wives.
• After his death, kingdom splits: Israel (north) and Judah (south).

Elijah (~850 BCE)

• Prophet under Ahab and Jezebel.
• Confronts prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel.
• Performs miracles (widow’s son raised, oil multiplied).
• Taken to heaven in a whirlwind.

Elisha (~840 BCE)

• Successor to Elijah.
• Performs miracles: heals Naaman, multiplies loaves, raises dead.

Isaiah (~740–700 BCE)

• Prophet in Judah, spanning reigns of several kings.
• Vision of God in Temple (“Holy, holy, holy”).
• Warns of judgment, proclaims hope and coming Messiah.
• (Scholarly note: book likely compiled from multiple prophetic voices).

Jeremiah (~626–586 BCE)

• “Weeping prophet.”
• Warns Judah of Babylon’s conquest.
• Imprisoned, persecuted.
• Witnesses destruction of Jerusalem (586 BCE).
• Writes Lamentations.

Ezekiel (~593–571 BCE)

• Prophet in exile.
• Visions of wheels within wheels, valley of dry bones.
• Emphasizes God’s holiness and promise of restoration.

Daniel (~600–530 BCE, set; written ~165 BCE)

• Taken to Babylon as youth.
• Interprets dreams for kings.
• Thrown into lions’ den, miraculously saved.
• Apocalyptic visions of future kingdoms.
• (Historical note: written later, ~2nd c. BCE, though set in exile period).

Ezra & Nehemiah (~450 BCE)

• Ezra: priest, reintroduces Torah.
• Nehemiah: governor, rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls.
• Together renew covenant after exile.

John the Baptist (~c. 5 BCE–30 CE)

• Prophet in wilderness.
• Preaches repentance, baptizes Jesus.
• Declares Jesus “Lamb of God.”
• Executed by Herod.

Jesus (~4 BCE–30 CE)

• Born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth.
• Baptized by John, begins ministry at ~30.
• Performs miracles, teaches in parables.
• Crucified under Pontius Pilate (~30 CE).
• Resurrection central to Christian faith.

The Apostles (1st century CE)

• Twelve chosen disciples.
• Peter, James, John lead early church.
• Spread Gospel through preaching and miracles.
• Many martyred.

Paul (~5–64 CE)

• Saul of Tarsus, persecutor of Christians.
• Converts after vision on Damascus road.
• Becomes missionary to Gentiles.
• Writes letters shaping NT theology.
• Executed in Rome (~64 CE).