15 Most Famous Women in the Bible

15 Most Famous Women in the Bible

The Bible is the most widely read book in the world. It contains teachings on how to walk and live in a Christian manner. Among the Biblical characters, we have stories of women who stood in their faith and are now used as examples for encouraging and inspiring many in their Christian walk. The stories of these women in the bible are resounding and relatable to many worldwide.

From the first woman in existence, Eve to matriarchs in faith like Sarah and Rebekah to the trailblazers like Deborah and Rebekah to the resilience and determination of Ruth and  Esther and to Mary, the mother of Jesus who experienced the miracle of her lifetime, the Bible is indeed the sounding board of many Christians. Let’s delve into the stories of the 15 most famous women in the Bible.

1. Eve

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Eve was the first woman to walk on the face of the earth. She was also the first woman to be mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Genesis. Eve was created by God by taking her from the rib of Adam, to be Adam’s companion.

Eve is held accountable for the great fall of humanity after eating the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. The serpent lied to her and she ate the fruit from the Tree of Life and gave it to her husband, Adam as well. This was contrary to the instructions that God had given Adam. Both  Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. 

2. Sarah

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Sarah was the wife of Abraham also known as the Father of Faith. Sarah was known for her great hospitality and beauty. In an interaction with King Abimelech, Abraham referred to Sarah as his sister because of her beauty and didn’t want to be executed by the King for marrying her.

Sarah’s story is one where she waited for so long for her child that God had promised. When Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah 90 years,  God promised them a child. While Sarah laughed at this promise because of their old age, it came to pass. They had a son and named him Isaac.

3. Deborah

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Deborah was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites and the fourth Judge of Israel. Deborah was the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. The Bible states that she rendered her judgments beneath a date palm tree between Ramah in Benjamin and Bethel in the land of Ephraim.

In the book of Judges, Deborah told Barak, an Israelite general, that God commanded him to lead an attack against the forces of Jabin king of Canaan and his military commander Sisera. The Biblical account of Deborah ends with the statement that after the battle, there was peace in the land for 40 years.

4. Ruth

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Ruth is the person after whom the Book of Ruth in the Bible is named. She was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite. After the death of all the male members of her family, which included her husband, her father-in-law, and her brother-in-law, she stays with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and moves to Judah with her.

In Judah, Ruth wins the love and protection of a wealthy relative, Boaz, because of her kindness to him. Ruth became Boaz’s wife and bore him a son, Obed, who became the father of Jesse, the father of King David. She is the great-grandmother of David.

5. Esther 

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Esther is the person after whom the Book of Esther in the Bible is named. In it, Ahasuerus, the king of the Achaemenid Empire, seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Esther is chosen to fulfil this role due to her beauty.  Read more on the most beautiful queens in history. 

One of Ahasuerus’ men, Haman, is offended by Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, due to his refusal to prostrate himself before Haman. Consequently, Haman plots to have all the Jewish subjects of Persia killed, and convinces Ahasuerus to permit him to do so. However, Esther foils the plan by revealing Haman’s eradication plans to Ahasuerus, who then has Haman executed and grants permission to the Jews to kill their enemies instead, as royal edicts.

6. Hannah

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Hannah is one of the wives of Elkanah as mentioned in the First Book of Samuel. She had a co-wife named Peninah who continuously mocks her since Hannah didn’t bear any children while Peninah had a handful of children.

Hannah goes to the temple and prays to the Lord to grant her a son whom she would offer back to the House of the Lord. The Lord grants her request and she gives birth to Samuel who after she weaned him took him to the Temple under the care of the priest Eli.

7. Rahab

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Rahab was a prostitute in profession. According to the book of Joshua, Joshua, as a final preparation, sent out two spies to investigate the military strength of Jericho. The spies stayed in Rahab’s house, which was built into the city wall. The soldiers sent to capture the spies asked Rahab to bring out the spies. Instead, she hid them under bundles of flax on the roof. 

After escaping, the spies promised to spare Rahab and her family after taking the city. When the city of Jericho fell, Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies and were incorporated among the Jewish people. In the New Testament, Rahab of the Book of Joshua is mentioned as an example of a person of faith and of good works.

8. Rebekah

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Rebekah was the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. Rebecca was extremely uncomfortable during her pregnancy and went to inquire of God why she was suffering so. Thinking that she was carrying one baby who was troubling her, she received the prophecy that she was carrying twins who were fighting in her womb and would continue to fight all their lives. 

The prophecy also said that the older would serve the younger. True to the prophecy, Rebekah bore Esau and Jacob who were constantly fighting all their lives. When the time for Isaac to bless his offspring came, Rebekah and Jacob devised a plan to cheat Esau out of his birthright as the firstborn. Jacob took the blessings of the firstborn which were meant for Esau. 

9. Jezebel

Jezebel, according to the Book of Kings, alongside her husband King Ahab, instituted the worship of Baal in Israel. In addition, she violently purged the prophets of Yahweh from Israel. On hearing this, Elijah a prophet of God called for a conquest at Mount Carmel between the prophets of Baal and Yahweh to establish the one true God.

They each called fire from their deity to burn their sacrifice and while Baal didn’t show up for his prophets, God showed up for Elijah with fire for the sacrifice. Elijah then executed the prophets of Baal and when Jezebel heard of this, she called for a man-hunt to capture Elijah and kill him. Elijah escaped and lived in the wilderness for several years. 

Years later after her husband King Ahab died and there was a new king named Jehu who ordered Jezebel’s eunuch servants to throw her from the window. Her blood splattered on the wall and horses, and Jehu’s horse trampled her corpse.

 10. Rachel 

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Rachel was one of Jacob’s wives. The Bible describes her as the favorite of the two wives of Jacob, as he worked for fourteen years under her father Laban so he could get her to be his wife. Rachel’s co-wife was her older sister Leah.

Rachel was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of Jacob’s favorite sons and also in addition to their brothers, they were part of the twelve tribes of Israel.

11. Mary

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Mary is well known as the mother of Jesus. She was also the wife of Joseph, the carpenter. The New Testament describes Mary as a young virgin who was chosen by God to conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit. 

After giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, she raised him in the city of Nazareth in Galilee and was in Jerusalem at his crucifixion and with the apostles after his ascension. Mary is considered by millions of Christian faithful to be the holiest and greatest saint.  Read more facts about Jesus’ Death. 

12. Elizabeth

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Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist and the wife of Zechariah. She was also the aunt of Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to the Bible, she was past normal child-bearing age when she conceived and gave birth to John the Baptist. 

After the angel told Mary the mother of Jesus that she would conceive, Angel Gabriel also informed her of her relative Elizabeth who had begun her sixth month of pregnancy, and Mary travelled to visit Elizabeth. 

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to John the Baptist. 

13. Lydia 

Lydia is a woman mentioned in the New Testament who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. She is also simply known as The Woman of Purple. 

The book of Acts narrates her story as follows, A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshipped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.’’ These encounters take place in what is now Europe, Lydia is considered the first European Christian convert.

14. Martha

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Martha is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus resurrecting her brother, Lazarus.

In the account of the raising of Lazarus, When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord”, Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 

15. Priscilla 

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Priscilla was a woman of Jewish heritage and one of the earliest known Christian converts who lived in Rome.  Priscilla and her husband Aquila are described in the New Testament as providing a presence that strengthened the early Christian churches. Paul was generous in his recognition and acknowledgement of his indebtedness to them.  Read more facts about St. Paul. 

Together, they are credited with instructing Apollos, a major evangelist of the first century, and explaining to him the way of God more accurately. Some Biblical scholars have suggested that Priscilla was the author of the Book of Hebrews, which is the only book in the New Testament with author anonymity. The scholars suggest that Priscilla was the author, but that her name was omitted either to suppress its female authorship or to protect the letter itself from suppression. 

In conclusion, we can borrow and learn a lot from these famous women in the bible. From the anchoring of their faith in God as seen by Martha and Hannah, to the kindness exhibited by Ruth and the resilience of Esther to the leadership of Deborah, these women have inspired many generations after them. Their stories continue to outlive them and even encourage many women and men alike in their Christian journey.  Read more fascinating facts about the Bible.