We all know that names like John, Matthew, and Paul can be found in the Bible, but what about the name of some beloved cartoon characters or a well-known billionaire? Churchgoers of any denomination are probably familiar with the long genealogies that are read at Christmas services, which are among the many that are found throughout the Bible. With so many names, we are bound to find some unexpected ones!
10. Chloe
A name that would strike most as being purely American, “Chloe” has deep scriptural roots. In the opening chapter of the First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul urges his audience to maintain their Christian unity and stop forming rival factions based on which apostle had baptized them. Though Paul was not in Greece when he wrote this letter, he learned the intel on the Corinthians from informants “of the house of Chloe” (1 Cor. 1:11). House churches were common in early Christianity when the new religion was outlawed throughout the Roman Empire and persecution was fierce. House churches allowed Christians to meet in secret at a nondescript location. It is likely that Chloe was a wealthier Christian Corinthian with a house big enough to double as a church.
9. Susanna
This is a name that we typically do not expect to find alongside names such as Jehoshaphat, Zerubbabel, and Eliakim. Before the name was popularized in the old American folk song, “Oh! Susanna,” it was recorded in the New Testament. In the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we are introduced to some female followers of Jesus. In addition to the Twelve Disciples, these women were instrumental in facilitating the ministry of Jesus by providing necessary financial and material support. The named women include Susanna, Joanna, and the more well-known Mary Magdalene. Not much is known about Susanna’s life, and other than this brief mention in the Gospel of Luke, Susanna does not appear anywhere else in the Bible.
8. Delilah
Another biblical name that has been popularized through music is Delilah. Mostly recognized from the Plain White T’s 2006 hit single, “Hey There Delilah,” this name can also be found in the Book of Judges! Delilah is the woman who persuaded Samson, the last Judge of Israel, to reveal the secret of his great physical strength. In the 16th chapter of the Book of Judges, Delilah is tasked by the leaders of the Philistines with the objective of weakening Samson so they could have an advantage over the Israelites. Samson, who had fallen in love with Delilah, initially lies to her about the source of his strength, but after being continually pestered for the truth, Samson reveals that it is his locks of hair that gives him his strength. Armed with his knowledge, Delilah has Samson’s head shaven in his sleep. The Philistines would go on to imprison Samson, who would eventually die during his escape from prison after his hair grew back and his strength returned.
7. Phoebe
Before there was Phoebe Buffay from Friends, there was Phoebe from the Letter to the Romans. The last chapter of Saint Paul’s rather long epistle to the Christians in Rome contains a litany of people that Paul personally greets. Before he mentions anyone else, Paul commends the actions of one Phoebe, a minister of the church in the Greek city of Cenchreae. She is described as a benefactor to Paul and many other Christians, which emphasizes the important role that many women in early Christianity had in providing for the material needs of the Church.
6. Jair
The name Jair might ring a bell for some of us, as it is the first name of the current President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro. President Bolsonaro is known for his roller coaster of a presidential campaign when he was stabbed in the abdomen at a campaign rally in Minas Gerais and lost nearly 40% of his blood. He has also made international headlines for some controversial comments, such as when he threatened to punch a journalist after being asked about corruption allegations. While this Jair is fairly well-known, there is another whose story can be found in the Bible.
Like Jair Bolsonaro, the Jair of the Bible was also a political leader, albeit without the stabbing incident or the fiery temperament. The 10th chapter of the Book of Judges describes him as one of the “judges” who ruled Israel for a long tenure of 22 years. Being one of the “minor judges,” we do not know much about him, other than the fact that he had a wealthy and influential family that was charged with ruling over 30 Israelite cities.
5. Cornelius
One of the fancier names of the English language is older than we might think. In the 10th chapter of the Book of Acts, Saint Peter meets and baptizes Cornelius, a Roman centurion whose household would become the first Gentile converts to Christianity. In this chapter, Cornelius sees a vision of an angel ordering him to find Peter and bring him to Caesarea, where Cornelius was living at the time. Around the same time, Peter sees a rather obscure vision that would eventually encourage him to broaden his missionary efforts beyond the Jewish community to include Gentiles. Peter is eventually brought to Caesarea, where he would preach to the house of Cornelius and baptize them.
4. Phineas
Watching Phineas and Ferb was probably the first time many of us encountered the name “Phineas,” but did you know the ancient Israelites recorded that same name thousands of years ago? In the sixth chapter of the Book of Exodus, a genealogy is listed, but this time for Moses and Aaron, the two Israelite leaders who were instrumental in guiding the freed Hebrew people away from Egypt. At one point, the genealogy reaches Aaron and mentions his descendants, one of which is his grandson Phineas, who would be among the first of the priestly class that would descend from Aaron and play a crucial role in the religious services of the Temple of Jerusalem.
3. Candace
Why not another character from Phineas and Ferb? What is interesting about the name Candace is that it is not a name so much as it is a political title. In the eighth chapter of the Book of Acts, we learn about the missionary activity of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven deacons who were ordained in the sixth chapter of Acts. At one point, Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch who was a royal official of the court of the Candace, which was the title of the queen of the Nubians of Ethiopia. Philip hears the eunuch reading a passage from the Old Testament out loud and notices that he is having trouble understanding it. Philip would eventually baptize the eunuch after explaining the scripture passage and relating it to the life and purpose of Jesus. The eunuch, whose name we do not know, would then travel back to Ethiopia as one of Africa’s first Christians!
2. Elon
Elon Musk seems to have his fingerprints on everything. PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity can all thank our generation’s Thomas Edison in some way for their existence. While the billionaire Elon may have all the attention right now, there was another Elon who was famous enough to have is name written in the Bible. In the 12th chapter of the Book of Judges, we encounter a list of minor judges. One of these judges, Elon, ruled Israel for a decade and was eventually succeeded by Abdon. Not much is known about his life, other than his political leadership and that he was of the Tribe of Zebulun.
1. Barack
You might be surprised to find out that the first name of the 44th President of the United States can be found in the Bible. In the fourth chapter of the Book of Judges (again?), the prophetess Deborah summons a man named Barack (in some translations it is spelled “Barac” or “Barak”) to raise an army against Jabin, a Canaanite king whose forces were occupying the land of the Israelites. Barack obeys Deborah’s request and raises an army, which would eventually defeat the forces of Jabin, who would later be killed himself.
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Eat the Scroll 