Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index This list of names for the Biblical nameless compiles names given in Jewish or Christian mythology for characters who are unnamed in the Bible itself. Table of contents 1 Hebrew Bible 1.1 Cain's wife 1.2 Noah's wife 1.3 Potiphar's wife 1.4 Pharaoh's magicians 1.5 Job's wife 1.6 Jephthah's daughter 1.7 The Witch of Endor 2 New Testament 2.8 The Magi 2.9 The Nativity shepherds 2.10 Herodias' daughter 2.11 Syrophoenician woman 2.12 Hæmorrhaging woman 2.13 Damned rich man 2.14 Pontius Pilate's wife 2.15 Thieves crucified with Christ 2.16 Soldier who pierced Jesus with a spear 2.17 Man who offered Jesus vinegar 2.18 Guard(s) at Jesus' tomb 2.19 Cleopas's companion on the road to Emmaus Hebrew Bible Cain's wife Name: Awan Source: the apocryphal Book of Jubilees Appears in the Bible at: Genesis 4:7 The Book of Jubilees provides names for a host of unnamed Biblical characters, including wives for most of the antediluvian patriarchs. The last in the series is Noah's wife, to whom it gives the name of Emzara. Other Jewish traditional sources contain many different names for Noah's wife. A literal reading of Genesis leads readers to wonder where Cain got his wife. The Book of Jubilees says that Awan was Adam and Eve's first daughter. Their second daughter Azura married Seth. Noah's wife See note at Cain's wife, above. Potiphar's wife Name: Zuleika Source: Jewish folklore Appears in the Bible at: Genesis 39:12 Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph in Egypt. Pharaoh's magicians Names: Jannes and Jambres Source: 2 Timothy 3:8 Appears in the Bible at: Exodus 7 The names of Jannes and Jambres, or Jannes and Mambres, were well known through the ancient world as magicians. In this instance, nameless characters from the Hebrew Bible are given names in the New Testament. Job's wife Names: Sitis, Dinah Source: Jewish folklore Appears in the Bible at: Book of Job Jewish folklore says that Sitis, or Sitidos, was Job's first wife, who died during his trials. After his temptation was over, the same sources say that Job remarried Dinah, Jacob's daughter who appears in Genesis. Jephthah's daughter Name: Seila Source: Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum Appears in the Bible at Judges 11 The Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum falsely ascribes itself to the Jewish author Philo. It in fact did not surface until the sixteenth century; see Works of Philo. The Witch of Endor Name: Sedecla Source: Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum Appears in the Bible at: 1 Samuel 28 New Testament The Magi Names: Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar Source: European folklore Names: Hor, Basanater, and Karsudan Source: The Book of Adam, an apocryphal Ethiopian text Names: Larvandad, Hormisdas, and Gushnasaph Source: Syrian Christian folklore Appear in the Bible at: Matthew 2 The Gospel is not clear that there were in fact three Magi; only that there were more than one Magus, and three gifts. Nevertheless, the number of Magi is usually extrapolated from the gifts, and as such the Three Wise Men are a staple of Christian Nativity scenes. While the European names have gotten the most publicity, other faith traditions have widely different versions. The Nativity shepherds Names: Asher, Zebulun, Justus, Nicodemus, Joseph, Barshabba, and José Source: The Syrian Book of the Bee Appear in the Bible at Luke 2 The Book of the Bee was written by Bishop Shelemon in the Aramaic language in the thirteenth century. Herodias' daughter Name: Salomé Source: The Jewish Antiquities of Josephus Appears in the Bible at: Matthew 14 Syrophoenician woman Name: Justa Source: Third century pseudo-Clementine homily Appears in the Bible at: Matthew 15, Mark 7 According to the same source, her daughter was Berenice. Hæmorrhaging woman Name: Berenice Source: The apocryphal Acts of Pilate Name: ''Veronica Source: Latin translation of the Acts of Pilate Appears in the Bible at: Matthew 9:20-22 Veronica is apparently a Latin variant on Berenice. According to the Acts, Veronica or Berenice obtained some of Jesus' blood on a cloth at the Crucifixion. Folklore identifies her with the woman who was healed of a bleeding discharge in the Gospel. Damned rich man Name: Nineveh Source: Coptic folklore Name: Phineas Source: Pseudo-Cyprian, De pascha computus Name: Dives Source: European Christian folklore Appears in the Bible at: Luke 16 Dives is simply Latin for "rich," and as such may not count as a proper name. The tale of the blessed Lazarus and the damned rich man is widely recognised under the title of Dives and Lazarus, which may have resulted in this word being taken for a proper name. Pontius Pilate's wife Name: Claudia, Procla, or Perpetua Source: European folklore Appears in the Bible at: Matthew 27:19 Thieves crucified with Christ Names: Zoatham and Canna Source: Old Latin Gospel text Names: Dismas and Gestas Source: Acts of Pilate Appears in the Bible at: Luke 23 Dismas is revered as a saint under that name by Roman Catholics. Soldier who pierced Jesus with a spear Name: Longinus Source: Acts of Pilate Appears in the Bible at: John 19:34 The Spear of Longinus, also known as the Spear of Destiny, is supposedly preserved as a relic, and various magical powers are ascribed to it. Man who offered Jesus vinegar Name: Stephaton Source: Codex Egberti, tenth century Appears in the Bible at: Matthew 27:48 Guard(s) at Jesus' tomb Name: Petronius Source: Apocryphal Gospel of Peter Names: Issachar, Gad, Matthias, Barnabas, Simon Source: The Book of the Bee Appears in the Bible at: Matthew 27:62-66 The Gospel text is unclear as to whether there was one guard, or more than one. It seems unlikely that large numbers of Jewish soldiers were enlisted in the Roman army under Pontius Pilate's command. Cleopas's companion on the road to Emmaus Names: Nathanael, Nicodemus, Simon, or Luke Source: European folklore Appears in the Bible at: Luke 24:18 Some have surmised that it was indeed the author of the Gospel of Luke who is this nameless Biblical character. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.