This post contains very good information by Lawrence Mykytiuk who is Emeritus Professor of Library Science and former Associate Professor of History (courtesy) at Purdue University. He holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Semitic Studies and is the author of Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200–539 B.C.E. (2004). His five publications at BAR that identify people in Bible times are linked in the list below. The tables from the first two articles were extracted below with their citations.
- New Testament Religious Figures Confirmed
- New Testament Political Figures Confirmed
- Archaeology Confirms 3 More Bible People
- Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible
- Archaeology Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible
The table and text below were extracted from a very good article by Lawrence Mykytiuk at BAR, published in September/October 2017 and titled New Testament Political Figures Confirmed.
His articles cover people in the New Testament who are documented outside of the New Testament and other Christian sources.
The writings of Flavius Josephus (37/38–c. 100 C.E.), especially his books Antiquities of the Jews and War of the Jews, provide sufficient and in many cases abundant first-century C.E. documentation for 22 of the 23 New Testament political figures listed below.
New Testament Political Figures Confirmed by Historical Texts and Archaeology
| Name | Who was he or she? | When did he rule? | Where in the New Testament? | Sample of evidence in historical writings | Evidence in inscriptions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Emperors | ||||||
| 1 | Augustus | Roman Emperor | 31 B.C.E.–14 C.E. | Luke 2:1 | Numerous | Numerous |
| 2 | Tiberius | Roman Emperor | 14–37 C.E. | Luke 3:1 | Numerous | Numerous |
| 3 | Claudius | Roman Emperor | 41–54 C.E. | Acts 11:28; Acts 18:2 | Numerous | Numerous |
| 4 | Nero | Roman Emperor | 54–68 C.E. | Acts 25-26; 28:19 | Numerous | Numerous |
| Herodian Family | ||||||
| 5 | Herod I, the Great | Rome’s King of the Jews over all of Palestine. | 37–4 B.C.E. | Matthew 2:1; Luke 1:5 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 6 | Herod Archelaus | Oldest son of Herod the Great. Ethnarch of Judea, Samaria and Idumea. | 4 B.C.E.–6 C.E. | Matthew 2:22 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 7 | Herod Antipas | Son of Herod the Great; second husband of Herodias. Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (Transjordan). He ordered the execution of John the Baptist. | 4 B.C.E.–39 C.E. | Luke 3:1; Luke 13:31–32; Luke 23:7–12; Mark 6:14; Mark 6:16–28; Mark 8:15 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 8 | Herod Philip | Son of Herod the Great but not a ruler; Herodias’s uncle and first husband; father of their daughter Salome. | Matthew 14:3–4; Mark 6:17–18; Luke 3:19 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | (No coins because he was not a ruler) | |
| 9 | Herodias | Granddaughter of Herod the Great; niece and wife of Herod Philip, mother of his daughter Salome; then Herod Antipas’s wife. She brought about the order to execute John the Baptist. | Matthew 14:2–11; Mark 6:17–28; Luke 3:19–20 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | (No coins because she was not a ruler) | |
| 10 | Salome | Herodias’s daughter. Her dance led to the execution of John the Baptist. Grandniece and later wife of Philip the Tetrarch. | Matthew 14:3–12; Mark 6:17–29 | Josephus, Antiquities | Coins of her second husband, Aristobulus, king of Chalcis | |
| 11 | Philip the Tetrarch | Son of Herod the Great. Tetrarch of Trachonitis, Iturea and other northern portions of Palestine. Eventually husband of his grandniece Salome. | 4 B.C.E.–34 C.E. | Luke 3:1 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 12 | Herod Agrippa I | Grandson of Herod the Great; brother of Herodias. King of Trachonitis, Batanea, gradually all of Palestine. Executed James the son of Zebedee and imprisoned Peter. | 37–44 C.E. | Acts 12:1–6, Acts 18–23 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 13 | Herod Agrippa II | Son of Herod Agrippa I. Initially Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, then also over parts of Galilee and Perea, Chalcis and northern territories. Festus appointed him to hear Paul’s defense. | 50–c. 93 C.E. | Acts 25:13-26:32 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 14 | Berenice/Bernice | Sister and companion of Herod Agrippa II, rumored lovers. Attended Paul’s trial before Festus. | Acts 25:13, Acts 23; Acts 26:30 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Inscription of King Herod Agrippa II in Beirut | |
| 15 | Drusilla | Sister of Herodias and Herod Agrippa I; Jewish wife of Roman governor Felix. | Acts 24:24 | Josephus, Antiquities | (No coins; not a ruler) | |
| Roman Legate and Governors | ||||||
| 16 | Publius Sulpicius Quirinius ( = Cyrenius) | Roman imperial legate brought in to govern Syria-Cilicia after Herod Archelaus’s rule led to rebellion. | 6–9 C.E. and possibly earlier | Luke 2:2 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | The Lapis Venetus inscription discovered in Beirut |
| 17 | Pontius Pilate | Roman prefect of Judea who conducted Jesus’ trial and ordered his crucifixion. | 26–36 C.E. | Matthew 27:11–26; Mark 15:1–15; Luke 3:1; Luke 23:1–24; John 18:28–19:22 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars; Tacitus, Annals; Philo, De Legatione ad Gaium | Pilate Stone discovered at Caesarea Maritima; coins |
| 18 | Lucius Junius Gallio | Roman proconsul of Achaia who convened and dismissed the trial of Paul in Corinth. | c. 51–55 C.E. | Acts 18:12–17 | Seneca, Letters; Tacitus, Annals | Stone inscription discovered in Delphi, Greece |
| 19 | Marcus Antonius Felix | Roman procurator of Judea who held initial hearings in the trial of the apostle Paul. | 52–c. 59 C.E. | Acts 23; Acts 24 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Coins |
| 20 | Porcius Festus | Roman procurator of Judea who conducted a hearing in the trial of Paul, during which Paul appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome. | 59–62 C.E. | Acts 24:27–25:27;Acts 26:24–32 | Josephus, Antiquities | Coins |
| Independent Political Figures | ||||||
| 21 | Aretas IV | Arabian king of Nabatea. Father of Herod Antipas’s first wife, before Herodias. | 9 B.C.E.–40 C.E. | 2 Corinthians 11:32 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | Inscriptions at Petra, etc.; coins |
| 22 | The unnamed Egyptian leader | His Jerusalem-area insurrection was suppressed by Roman procurator Felix. | Acts 21:38 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | (No coins because he was not a ruler) | |
| 23 | Judas of Galilee | Led a rebellion against the census of Roman imperial legate Quirinius. | Acts 5:37 | Josephus, Antiquities and Wars | (No coins because he was not a ruler) | |
MLA Citation – Mykytiuk, Lawrence. “New Testament Political Figures Confirmed,” Biblical Archaeology Review 43.5 (2017): 50–59,65.
The table below was extracted from the excellent article by Lawrence Mykytiuk at BAR published in the Summer 2021 titled New Testament Religious Figures Confirmed
New Testament Religious Figures Confirmed by Historical Texts
All of the figures in the New Testament who have been documented outside of it were either political or religious figures.
| Name | Who Was He? | When Did He Flourish? | Where in the New Testament? | Evidence in Historical Writings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus | Jewish preacher, healer, and teacher, called Christ; crucified by order of Pilate; then said to have risen | c. 27–30 C.E. | All NT books except Third John, but most often in the four Gospels | Tacitus, Annals; Josephus, Antiquities; Lucian of Samosata, Passing of Peregrinus; Celsus, On the True Doctrine (via Origen, Against Celsus); etc. |
| 2 | Gamaliel the Elder | Renowned Pharisee who rescued the apostles from the Sanhedrin | c. 20–c. 50 C.E. | Acts 5:34-39; Acts 22:3 | Josephus, Life, and often in the Mishnah |
| 3 | John the Baptist | Righteous Jewish religious leader who preached virtue and piety; beheaded by Herod Antipas | c. 26–29/30 C.E. | Matthew 3:1-15; Matthew 11:2-18; Mark 1:1-9; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 1:5-23; Luke 7:18-33; John 1:6-8, John 1:19-37; John 3:23-34; Acts 1:5; Acts 13:24-25; etc. | Josephus, Antiquities |
| 4 | James, brother of Jesus | aka James the Just (not the son of Zebedee); brother of Jesus; a leader of the Jerusalem church; martyr | c. 30–62 C.E. | Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; Acts 15:13; Acts 21:18; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:9, Galatians 2:12 | Josephus, Antiquities [The James Ossuary was not cited as it is unprovenanced.] |
| 5 | Annas, son of Seth | High priest and founder of a dynasty of high priests; first to interrogate Jesus | High priest 6–15 C.E. | Luke 3:2; John 18:13, John 18:19-24; Acts 4:6 | Josephus, Antiquities |
| 6 | Caiaphas | High priest during Jesus’s trial | High priest 18–36/37 C.E. | Matthew 26:3, Matthew 26:57; Luke 3:2; John 11:49; John 18:13-28; Acts 4:6 | Josephus, Antiquities |
| 7 | Ananias, son of Nebedaios | High priest during Paul’s trial | High priest 53–59 C.E. | Acts 23:2; Acts 24:1 | Josephus, Antiquities and War |
MLA Citation – Mykytiuk, Lawrence. “New Testament Religious Figures Confirmed,” Biblical Archaeology Review 47.2 (2021): 38–47.
