Methuselah
Genesis 5:21 - 27, 1Chronicles 1:3
Methuselah lived from 3282 to 2313 B.C., a total of 969 years, which makes him the oldest human in history! Methuselah died the same year as Noah's flood.
Micah, one of the Minor Prophets, wrote his book from 740 to 711 B.C. He gave prophecies concerning the lack of justice and oppression in the world.
Michal
1Samuel 14:49, 18:20 - 28, 19:11 - 17, 25:44, etc.
Michal was the youngest daughter of Israel's King Saul. She was given to David as a wife after he killed two hundred Philistines and produced the same number of foreskins as proof. Scripture indicates she died without bearing any children.
Miriam
Exodus 15:20 - 21, Numbers 12:1 - 15, 26:59, Deuteronomy 24:9, etc.
Miriam was a prophetess as well as the sister of Moses and Aaron. She led a song of triumphant after the Red Sea closed on the Egyptian army and killed them (Exodus 15). Her jealousy of Moses led to her being stricken with leprosy, which her brother had to pray to God to heal (Numbers 12). She died in the last year the children of Israel wandered the wilderness before going into the Promised Land.
Moab
Genesis 19:36 - 37, 36:35, Exodus 15;15, Numbers 21:11 - 29, etc.
Moab was the son of Lot, born from an incestuous liason with his older daughter. God commanded the children of Israel not to bother the Moabites as they traveled to the Promised Land. Please see our dedicated article on Moab for more information and to discover where these people lived at the time of Moses.
Mordecai
Esther 2:5 - 22, 3:2 - 6, 4:1 - 17, 5:9 - 14, etc.
Mordecai was the uncle of Queen Esther. He helped Esther save the Jewish people from total destruction at the hands of the hated Haman. Please see our article on the life of Queen Esther for more fascinating information!
Moses
Exodus 2:10 - 21, 3:1 - 15, 4:1 - 30, 5:1 - 22, 6:1 - 30, etc.
Moses is one of the central figures in the entirety of the Old Testament. He was a Levite who, when born in 1525 B.C., was hid in a small basket to avoid being killed. He was found and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter (Exodus 2). Moses is educated and learns how to govern in the court of Pharaoh. At the age of forty he sees an Egyptian beating up on a Hebrew and kills him. His act is revenge is discovered and he flees to Midian.
At the age of about eighty he sees a miraculous vision of a burning bush and receives his calling to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. With his brother Aaron, he travels back to Egypt and demands that God's people be set free. After a series of plagues the Israelites leave Egypt in 1445 B.C. Please see our article on Moses for more information.
Nahum, one of the Minor Prophets, wrote his book in 711 B.C. He gave prophecies concerning the judgment of Nineveh and offered comforting words to Israel.
Naomi
Ruth 1:2 - 22, 2:1 - 22, 3:1, 4:3 - 17
Naomi was the mother-in-law of Ruth. Ruth decides, after Naomi loses both her husband and sons, to accompany her to Bethlehem. Naomi, after Ruth marries Boaz and produces a son named Obed, stays with the family and nurses the newborn.
Nathan
2Samuel 12, 1Kings 1, 1Chronicles 17
Nathan was an Old Testament prophet during the reigns of Kings David and Solomon. He reproved David for his adultery with Bathsheba (2Samuel 12) and educated Solomon in his youth. Nathan is also the name of one of David's sons through Bathsheba who is in the genealogy of Jesus' mother Mary (Luke 3:31).
Nebuchadnezzar
2Kings 24:1 - 11, 25:1 - 22, 1Chronicles 6:15, 2Chronicles 36:6 - 13, etc.
Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest of all the Babylonian kings, extended his power over the known world. He also conquered Jerusalem in 597 B.C. and took Judah's king, Ezekiel, Daniel and many others captive. In 586 B.C. he destroys Jerusalem and completely burns its temple. God, after the king revels in his own glory and honor, causes him to have the mind of a beast for seven years in order to humble his proud heart (Daniel 4:30 - 34).
Nehemiah
Ezra 2:2, Nehemiah 1:1, 3:16, 7:7, 8:9, etc.
Nehemiah was a prophet who, as captive of the Persian empire, was given permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it (Nehemiah 1 - 2). He became the Governor of Judah and helped Ezra canonize the Old Testament.
Nimrod
Genesis 10:8 - 9, 1Chronicles 1:10, Micah 5:6
Nimrod was the grandson of Ham, one of Noah's three sons who survived the flood. His name means "rebellion." The Bible states he was "a mighty hunter before (meaning against or in opposition to) the Lord." (Genesis 10:9). He began the city of Babel (leading to the kingdom of Babylon) and built the city of Nineveh in the land of Assyria.
The Jewish historian Josephus states it was Nimrod who built the famous tower of Babel! Please see Josephus' account of the tower and Nimrod's hostile attitude toward God for more information.
Noah
Genesis 5:29 - 32, 6:8 - 22, 7:1 - 23, 8:1 - 20, 9:1 - 29, etc.
Noah was commanded to build a giant ark to save endangered animals and his immediately family from a flood to come upon the entire world. He was 600 years old when the great flood occurred (Genesis 7:6). God, after the deluge, gave him the sign of a rainbow as a promise to never again kill all mankind through water (Genesis 9). Learn more about Noah's fascinating life with our article dedicated to discussing how God used him to save humanity!
Please also see our chart showing Noah's descendants after the flood!
Obadiah
1Kings 18, 1Chronicles 7:3, 8:38, 9:16, 44, 12:9,
Obadiah, one of the Old Testament's Minor Prophets, wrote his book in 590 B.C. He gave prophecies concerning the Day of the Lord, Edom's destruction and Israel's restoration.