People, Places, and Things

The people and places index will help introduce you to the people, places, and things you encounter when reading the Bible each week. You’ll also find links to them within the weekly passage of scripture for each lesson.

Anna

Person
Luke

nna, a devout and elderly prophetess in the Gospel of Luke, faithfully worshiped in the temple and joyfully proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah upon recognizing Him at His presentation.

Bethlehem

Place
Luke

Bethlehem in the first century was a small, humble town in Judea known as the city of David, historically and prophetically significant as the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah, which Luke highlights to show Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament promises through His birth in this modest setting.

Caesar Augustus

Person
Luke

In Luke’s Gospel, Caesar Augustus, Rome’s first emperor and bringer of the Pax Romana, is mentioned in connection with the census that brings Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, highlighting how the emperor’s decree unknowingly fulfills God’s plan and contrasting Augustus’s claim to peace with the true peace brought by Jesus.

Days of Perification

Thing
Luke

In Luke 2, the days of purification reflect the First Century Jewish law requiring a mother’s ritual purification and the presentation of the firstborn male at the temple, demonstrating faithful observance of Mosaic customs.

Elizabeth

Person
Luke

Elizabeth, the righteous and faithful wife of Zechariah, is the mother of John the Baptist, whose miraculous late-in-life pregnancy testifies to God’s power and faithfulness in preparing the way for Jesus.

Gabriel

Person
Luke

Gabriel in Luke 1 is the angelic messenger who stands in God’s presence, sent by God to announce and fulfill the divine plan of salvation through the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.

Galilee

Place
Luke

Galilee in the first century was a diverse, politically marginal region in northern Israel under Herod Antipas, known for its rural Jewish communities, mixed populations, and as the primary area of Jesus’ ministry emphasizing compassion and inclusion.

Herod Antipas

Person
Luke

Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea in the First Century, known for his political rule under Roman authority, his role in the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist, and his involvement in the trial of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament.

Herod the Great

Person
Luke

Herod the Great was the Roman-appointed king of Judea known for his grand building projects and ruthless rule, including the infamous massacre of infants in Bethlehem.

Jerusalem

Place
Luke

In the first century, Jerusalem was the religious and cultural heart of Judaism, the political flashpoint of Roman-occupied Judea, and the pivotal stage for events that shaped both Jewish and Christian history.

Joseph (Father of Jesus)

Person
Luke

Joseph was righteous man from the house of David who traveled to Bethlehem with Mary, his pledged wife, and took care of Jesus as his earthly father after Jesus’ birth.

Judea

Place
Luke

Judea is the central setting of God’s redemptive story in the Bible, serving as the heart of Jewish worship, prophecy, and history, and the place where key events of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection unfolded.