Hermas is one of the many Christians in Rome greeted in the last chapter of Romans. Nothing more is known about him.
Hermes was a Rome-based Christian greeted in the book of Romans. One Catholic tradition states Hermes died as a martyr by being lacerated and hanged.
Hermogenes and Phygellus were two people from Asia who turned away from Paul. He conveyed their rejection to his close friend Timothy while he waited for martyrdom in Rome. Although it is possible these two men rejected Paul to avoid risking the same fate upon themselves (prison and death), Scripture is silent regarding the reasons they abandoned him.
Herod II (Herod Philip I)
Mark 6:17
Herod II is referenced as Philip in some translations. He is also sometimes referenced by modern authors as Herod Philip I. Herod II is the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II. His link to the Bible, however, is through his wife Herodias.
Herod II and Herodias produced a daughter named Salome. Herodias and Herod Antipas then decided to divorce their mates and marry each other. Herod Antipas' decision to marry the wife of Herod II (who was his half-brother) was condemned by John the Baptist as a sin (Matthew 14:1 - 12, Mark 6:14 - 28).
Herod Agrippa I
Acts 12:1 - 5, 19 - 23
Herod Agrippa I was the son of Aristobulus IV (Herod the Great's son) and Berenice. He was made Roman Tetrarch over Galilee and Perea in 39 A.D. and in 41 was declared king of Judea.
The New Testament records that Herod, to please the Jews, had James, the brother of the Apostle John, murdered. This made James the first of the twelve apostles to die as a martyr. Herod followed this up with throwing Peter in prison. This Herod finally met his demise, in 44 A.D., after God sent a death angel to kill him.
Herod Agrippa II
Acts 25:13, 22 - 26, 26:1 - 2, 7, 19, 27 - 32
Herod Agrippa II is the son of Agrippa I and great-grandson to Herod the Great. Rome, upon the death of his uncle, made him tetrarch of Chalcis. Agrippa was later made a king when Emperor Claudius extended his dominion (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19, Chapter 4).
Agrippa, along with his sister Bernice, heard Paul's defense of himself after he had spent two years in a Caesarea prison. Josephus, and other writers, strongly suggests that Agrippa had committed incest with his sister who lived with him (ibid. Book 20, Chapter 7).
Herod Agrippa II died around 92 A.D., ending the Herodian dynasty of rule that had lasted for at least 130 years.
Herod Antipas
Matthew 14:3 - 12
Mark 6:17 - 29
Luke 3:1, 9:7 - 9, 13:31 - 32, 23:6 - 12
Acts 4:27
Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace. After the death of his father, he was made tetrarch of Galilee and Perea around 4 B.C.
After being condemned for unlawfully marrying Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Herod II (some modern authors refer to him as Herod Philip I), Antipas arrests John the Baptist and puts him in prison. He then, because of a promise made to Salome (Herodias' daughter through Herod II) on his birthday, has John beheaded. He later, in 30 A.D., would mock Jesus before his crucifixion.
Herod Archelaus was born in 23 B.C. He was the son of Herod the Great and a woman named Malthace the Samaritan. Archelaus would ultimately become one of Herod's eight known sons he produced through various women.
Archelaus, through Rome, was given the title of Ethnarch (not King) over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea after the death of Herod of Great in 4 B.C. Archelaus was a bad and unstable ruler. His troops, shortly after the death of his father, slaughtered 3,000 men during the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Jerusalem. It was his brutal behavior that caused Mary and Joseph to abandon their plan to live in Bethlehem and instead live in Nazareth (Matthew 2:20 - 23). The Roman Empire removed him from his position of power in 6 A.D. and banished him to Gaul.
Herod Philip II (Philip the Tetrarch)
Luke 3:1
Philip the tetrarch is sometimes referenced as Herod Philip II by modern writers. He was the son of Herod the Great and his fifth wife Cleopatra of Jerusalem. He was born around 26 B.C.
Around 4 B.C., after the death of his father, Rome gave Philip the northeastern part of his dad's kingdom to rule. This region included Batanea, Auranitis and Trachonitis (territory north and east of the Sea of Galilee). He ruled this area until his death in 34 A.D.
Herod the Great was the son of Antipater, the person who started the Herodian dynasty of rule in Palestine. Herod was made tetrarch of Jerusalem and Galilee in 41 B.C. by Mark Antony. One year later, in 40 B.C., the Roman Senate gave him the title of King of Judea ("King of the Jews").
In 37 B.C., after three years battling to gain control of the region, Herod becomes sole ruler of Judea. In 20 B.C., he begins the massive repairs and restoration of Jerusalem's neglected temple. Known for his cruelty, Herod orders the slaughter of male babies, two years old and younger, around Bethlehem in an attempt to kill baby Jesus.
Herod would ultimately marry five women (Doris, Mariamne I, Mariamne II, Malthace and Cleopatra of Jerusalem) and produce at least nine known children. His reign of cruelty ends when he dies around 4 B.C.
Herodias
Matthew 14:3, 6, Mark 6:17, 19, 22
Luke 3:19
Herodias was Herod the Great's granddaughter, as her parents were Aristobulus IV (son of Herod the Great and his second wife Mariamne I) and Berenice.
She was first married to Herod Philip I (also known as Herod II) who was the son of Herod the Great through his third wife Marianme II (she was the daughter of the High Priest Simon, son of Beothus). They produced one daughter named Salome (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, Chapter 5, Section 4).
Herod Antipas, upon seeing his half-brother's wife Herodias, fell in love with her. Both Antipas and Herodias then agreed to divorce their mates and live together. The historian Josephus confirmed this arrangement when he stated that Herodias, "took upon her to confound the laws of our country (Israel), and divorced herself from her husband while he was alive . . ." (ibid.).
John the Baptist condemned the marriage of Antipas and Herodias on the grounds it was both incestuous (Leviticus 18:16) and adulterous (Leviticus 20:21). His condemnation got him thrown in prison by Herod Antipas. Herodias' desire to have John killed came to fruition on Herod's birthday when she used Salome, her daughter, to request the Baptist's head on a platter.
Herodion is one of the many Christians greeted in the book of Romans. Evidence suggests Herodion may have been one of Paul's distant relatives.
Hymenseus (Hymenaeus)
1Timothy 1:20, 2Timothy 2:17 - 18
Hymenseus was an Ephesian Christian the Apostle Paul "turned over to Satan" so that he would repent (1Timothy 1:20, see also 1Corinthians 5:5). Hymenseus had shipwrecked his faith through the rejection of his conscience.
Paul's attempt, unfortunately, to encourage Hymenseus to repent failed. In his last letter to Timothy, written roughly four years after the first one, the apostle warns his friend to beware of Hymenseus' false teachings. He states, "Who have gone astray from the truth, claiming that the resurrection has already taken place, and are destroying the faith of some" (2Timothy 2:18, HBFV). The false doctrine promoted by Hymenseus was starting to take its toll among some in the church of God.
James
Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18, 1Corinthians 15:7
Galatians 1:19, 2:9, 12
This James was the physical and legal half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3, Galatians 1:19) along with Jude, Joses and Simon. He and his brothers were of royal blood since both their mother Mary, and father Joseph, were descendants of King David. James, as well as his brother Jude, wrote New Testament books named after them.
James, Jesus' half-brother, was one of the last people to see him alive before his ascension into heaven (1Corinthians 15:5 - 7). Paul called him an apostle even though he was not one of the original twelve disciples (Galatians 1:19).
Paul, after spending three years in Arabia being taught by Christ, first meets James when he visits Jerusalem (Galatians 1:17 - 19). The second recorded time in which the apostle talks with James is in 49 A.D. during the Jerusalem Conference (Galatians 2:1 - 9). James, considered a leading Christian in the Jerusalem church, presided over the conference. Paul also meets with him at his arrival in Jerusalem that ended his third missionary journey.
James (the Greater)
Matthew 4:21 - 22, 10:2, 17:1,
20:20 - 23, 26:37, 27:56
Mark 1:19 - 20, 29, 3:17, 5:37, 9:2,
10:35 - 41, 13:3, 14:33, 15:40, 16:1
Luke 5:10, 6:14, 8:51, 9:28, 54
John 21:2, Acts 1:13, 12:1 - 2
This James, sometimes referred to as James the Greater to distinguish him from another apostle named James, was the brother of fellow early disciple John. He was the sixth person called and chosen to be one of Jesus' twelve apostles. He, as well as John, Peter and Andrew, were fishermen who often fished together (Luke 5:10, Matthew 4:18).
The New Testament indicates that James was one of the three closest disciples to Christ (Mark 1:29, 5:37). He, as well as Peter and John, were the only witnesses to Jesus' transfiguration (Matthew 17:1).
This James became the first of the twelve apostles to suffer martyrdom when he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa around Passover in 44 A.D. (Acts 12:1 - 2).
When God's builds his New Jerusalem, the gemstone that will be an everlasting memorial to this James' efforts will be a carnelian stone.
James (the Less)
Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, 15:40, 16:1
Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13, 12:17
This James, sometimes referred to as "the Less" (Mark 15:40) to distinguish him from another original apostle named James, was the son of Alphaeus. He was also the brother of both original apostles Judas (also called Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus) and Simon the Canaanite (Simon the Zealot).
Not much is known about this James. Foxe's Book of Martyrs believes he lived to the age of ninety-four at which time he was beaten and stoned to death by Jews.
When God's builds his New Jerusalem, the gemstone that will be an everlasting memorial to this James' efforts will be a topaz.
Jason
Acts 17:5 - 9, Romans 16:21
Jason was a Jewish convert to Christianity living in Thessalonica. He hosted Paul and Silas when they stayed in the city during the apostle's second missionary journey. Evidence suggests Jason may have been one of Paul's distant relatives.
When the Jews in Thessalonica caused a riot due to rejecting the gospel, they stormed Jason's house looking for Paul and Silas. When they could not be found the mob dragged Jason and some brethren in front of the city's rulers. They were soon freed, however, after they posted bail. Jason also sent his greetings, from Corinth, to Roman Christians through the epistle sent to Rome.
Jezebel, mentioned only in the New Testament book of Revelation, was likely not the actual name of the woman being discussed. She was probably labeled with this name because she exhibited some of the characteristics of the original Jezebel found in the Old Testament. For more information please see our article on Jezebel.
This John (also called Jonathan) was a son of Ananus (Annas) the High Priest. The John mentioned in Acts 4 served as High Priest from 36 to 37 A.D. after which he was dismissed from this responsibility. He was reappointed to this religious position at the temple in 44 A.D. Nothing more is stated about him in the New Testament.
John (the Apostle)
Matthew 4:21, 10:2, 17:1
Mark 1:19, 3:17, 5:37, 9:2, 38,
10:35, 41, 13:3, 14:33
Luke 5:10, 6:14, 8:51, 9:28, 49, 54, 22:8
Acts 1:13, 3:1 - 4, 11, 4:13, 19, 8:14, 12:2
Galatians 2:9, Revelation 1:1, 4, 9, 21:2, 8
John was one of the first two disciples called by Jesus. He is the brother of James (James the Greater) who also was one of the first disciples. John and Andrew (another early disciple) were initially followers of John the Baptist (John 1:35 - 40).
Jesus humorously nicknamed John and his brother James "the sons of thunder" in recognition of their sometimes impulsively misplaced behavior (Mark 3:17). He, along with James (the Greater) and Peter were the only three future apostles to witness Jesus' transfiguration (Matthew 17). The New Testament strongly indicates John was the closest disciple to Christ (see John 13:23 - 25).
John wrote five New Testament books during his ministry. He likely died around 100 A.D. after authoring the book of Revelation and canonizing the New Testament shortly thereafter.
When God's builds his eternal New Jerusalem, the gemstone that will be an everlasting memorial to his efforts will either be a jasper or a sapphire.
Please see our listing for Mark.
John the Baptist
Matthew 3, 4, 9:14, 11, 14, 16:14,
17:13, 21:25 - 32
Mark 1:4 - 14, 2:18, 6, 8:28, 11:30 - 32
Luke 1, 3, 5:33, 7, 9:7, 9, 19, 11:1,
16:16, 20:4 - 6
John 1, 3, 4:1, 5:33 - 36, 10:40 - 41
Acts 1:5, 22, 10:37, 11:16, 13:24 - 25,
18:25, 19:3 - 4
John, a Nazarite from the time he was born, was born six months before Jesus. His miraculous birth in 5 B.C. was the beginning of the fulfillment of several Old Testament prophecies (John 1:19 - 23, Matthew 17:10 - 13). The purpose of His ministry, which lasted from 26 to 29 A.D., was to prepare the people for the ministry of Jesus.
After condemning the incestuous marriage of Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17 - 18) he was thrown in prison. Herod, on his birthday, murdered John to fulfill a promise made to his wife's daughter Salome. Please see our article dedicated to John the Baptist for more info.
Joseph
Matthew 1, 2:13, 19,
Luke 1:27, 2, 3:23, 4:22
John 1:45, 6:42
Joseph was the betrothed husband of Mary when she became pregnant with Jesus through the power of God's spirit. He was a just man who died sometime after Jesus' 12th birthday. For more information, see our article dedicated to the life of Joseph.
Joseph (Barsabas, Justus)
Acts 1:21 - 23
This Joseph was also called Barsabas and Justus. He was one of only two men, the other being Matthias, the Jerusalem church considered worthy to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles. After the decision was placed in God's hands, and lots were thrown, it was Matthias and not Joseph that was chosen. Nothing more is known about him.
Joseph of Arimathea
Matthew 27:57 - 60, Mark 15:42 - 47
Luke 23:50 - 56, John 19:38 - 42
Joseph of Arimathea was a rich member of the Sanhedrin who secretly believed in Jesus. After Christ's crucifixion, he got Pontius Pilate to give him the body. Both Joseph and Nicodemus then wrapped Jesus' body in fine linen with a mixture of myrrh and aloes. They then, in fulfillment of prophecy, laid him to rest in Joseph's new tomb (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19).
Joses was one of four half-brothers (same mother, different father) of Jesus Christ. Nothing else is known about him.
The Judas of Acts 9 was the owner of a home on Straight Street in Damascus. Paul (Saul) was miraculously struck down by the Lord and blinded as he traveled to the city determined to arrest those in the synagogues who professed belief in Jesus as mankind's Messiah (Acts 9:1 - 2). After Saul was blinded, he stayed in Judas' home unsure of what would happen next.
Judas (Barsabas)
Acts 15:22, 27, 32
Judas, surnamed Barsabas, was a prophet and one of many Christian leaders in Jerusalem. He was chosen, with others, to deliver the decision of the Jerusalem Conference to Syrian Antioch. The conference, a gathering of apostles and other brethren, settled the controversy of whether circumcision should be required or not for new believers.
Judas (Lebbeus, Thaddeus)
Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18
Luke 6:16, John 14:22, Acts 1:13
This Judas is also referred to as Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:3) or Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18, Matthew 10:3) in the KJV Bible. He was the brother of both James (the Less) and Simon the Canaanite (Simon the Zealot).
Like many of the original apostles, not much is known about him. Foxe's Book of Martyrs states the apostle was crucified at Edessa.
Judas Iscariot
Matthew 10:4, 26:14 - 16, 47 - 50, 27:3 - 10
Mark 3:19, 14:10 - 11, 43 - 45
Luke 6:16, 22:3 - 6, 47 - 49
John 12:4 - 6, 13:2, 29, 17:12, 18:2 - 5
Acts 1:16 - 25
Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' original twelve disciples who ultimately betrayed him to Jewish religious leaders who hated him. Remorseful after his betrayal, he rejected the thirty pieces of silver paid for his services and committed suicide. For more information, please see our article dedicated to Judas.
Jude (Judas)
Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3
Jude is also referred to as Judas in Matthew 13:55. Jude was one of the half-brothers of Jesus. He is the author of the New Testament epistle that bears his name. Nothing more is known about him.
Julia is one of many Christians in Rome greeted in the book of Romans. Although she may have been the wife or sister of Philologus, who is mentioned before her, no Biblical evidence exists that confirms this supposition.
Julius was a Roman Centurion in a band named after Rome's first emperor Augustus. He was selected to accompany Paul, as well as several other prisoners, from Caesarea to Rome. The apostle was being taken to Rome to have Caesar (Emperor Nero) personally hear his case.
Julius, although a soldier, appears to have been a kind man. He willingly allowed Paul, in Sidon, to see his friends and be refreshed.
Junia, whose name means "youthful," is a woman greeted in the last chapter of Romans. According to Paul, she had been a Christian longer than he had. He also mentions that she, at one time, was put in prison for the gospel just like him.
Romans 16 also states Junia was "of note among the apostles" (Romans 16:7). This could either mean her righteous character was highly esteemed among these leaders or that she was considered an apostle whose life was particularly noteworthy. The likely meaning was that she was known among this group of leaders (but not one of them) as possessing a high level of conversion.
Evidence suggests Junia may have been one of Paul's distant relatives.
Justus
Acts 18:7, Colossians 4:11
There are two different people named Justus in the New Testament. The Justus of Acts 18 was a proselyte living in Corinth. He made his home, which was next to the local synagogue, available to Paul as a place to preach from on the Sabbath.
The Justus of Colossians 4, who is also called Jesus, was a Jewish convert to Christianity. He lived in Colosse and was greeted in the book of Colossians. He was considered a fellow worker in spreading the good news of God's kingdom. Paul recognized and commended Justus for being one of the very few Jewish converts who both evangelized and comforted him personally.