These prominent women include the Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, Miriam the prophetess, Deborah the Judge, Huldah the prophetess, Abigail (who married David), Rahab, and Esther. A common phenomenon in the Bible is the pivotal role that women take in subverting man-made power structures.
Esther. Her Story: Esther was a brave and strong queen who saved the entire nation of Israel. In the time of the Exile, when the Jews were living under Persian rule, King Xerxes got upset with his queen and decided to search the land for a new queen.
Including the Apocrypha, there are more than 600 unnamed women in the Bible. Many women are identified only in relation to men (wife of, daughter of, sister of, etc.).
In the New Testament Gospels, the frequency of Mary amongst all women who are named (usually numbered 6 or 7 by scholars) is much higher than 25%, while there is only one Salome (the name Salome only appears twice, both in Mark, in reference to the same person), a fact which has puzzled scholars.
According to Rabbinic interpretation, Huldah and Deborah were the principal professed woman prophets in the Nevi'im (Prophets) portion of the Hebrew Bible, although Miriam is referred to as such in the Torah and an unnamed prophetess is mentioned in Isaiah.
Priscilla was a woman of Jewish heritage and one of the earliest known Christian converts who lived in Rome. Her name is a Roman diminutive for Prisca which was her formal name. She is often thought to have been the first example of a female preacher or teacher in early church history.
1 The five prophetesses are Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Noadiah and the unnamed prophet- ess of Isa. 8:3. Rabbinic sources account for seven prophetesses of the Bible among which Huldah is also mentioned: 'Forty eight prophets and seven prophetesses prophesied for Israel' (b. Megillah 14a).
Much of the Old Testament has to do with God working in the lives of men. Sarah, Rachel, Rebekah, Rahab, Ruth, Esther, and Deborah are some of the prominent women in the Old Testament, but this tribute was written in honor of, or in memory of, some beloved wife and mother who will always be unknown.
Ruth the Moabite was an example of unwavering faith and bravery in the Bible. After being widowed early in life, she stuck with her mother-in-law and followed God for all her days, believing he would provide for her.
Esther embodied the virtues of humility, beauty, courage, and intelligence. She used her position for good. As the book of Esther recounts, her people were on the edge of being annihilated, yet Esther selflessly risked her life to save them.
Abigail is a lesser-known heroine in the Bible, a humble woman who was married to a wealthy scoundrel. Abigail combined her wisdom with her wealth to appear before an approaching enemy to plead for the safety of her husband's household.
The first woman according to the biblical creation story in Genesis 2–3, Eve is perhaps the best-known female figure in the Hebrew Bible. Her prominence comes not only from her role in the Garden of Eden story itself, but also from her frequent appearance in Western art, theology, and literature.
One example is the woman in the Bible who prayed for a husband, Abigail. Abigail was married to a man named Nabal, who was rude and hateful. One day, David and his men passed through the area where Nabal lived, asking for food and water.
Esther. The story of Esther is a beautiful example of selflessness! She is married to an angry king, and when her cousin Mordecai tells her that the king's advisor Haman wants to kill all of the Jews, she knows what she has to do as a Jew.
These prominent women include the Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, Miriam the prophetess, Deborah the Judge, Huldah the prophetess, Abigail (who married David), Rahab, and Esther. A common phenomenon in the Bible is the pivotal role that women take in subverting man-made power structures.
Deborah and Jael. Two of these women, Deborah and Jael, are present in the same story, Judges 4-5. We first meet Deborah in Judges 4:4, when she is introduced as a judge and prophet. The judges of the Bible are not by and large jurists, but rather a hybrid of military commander and governor.
All Christian women are called to ministry, and God grants some Christian women the unique ability to teach, but that doesn't mean God is calling them to violate His Word. When a woman discerns a desire to serve the church with her teaching abilities, she should do so within the boundaries created by God's Word.
When she comes into the temple on the day Jesus is there, she sees what others could not. The moment she arrives, she begins praising God and telling about the child to “all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). Anna's speech is not narrated, yet the story is powerful.
Old Testament
To modern feminist authors, Jezebel is one of the most intriguing women in the Scriptures, a bloodstained yet strong-willed, politically astute, and courageous woman. A Phoenician princess who worships Baal, the pagan god of fertility, Jezebel marries King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Lydia of Thyatira (Greek: Λυδία) is a woman mentioned in the New Testament who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Several Christian denominations have designated her a saint.
A notable woman in the church of Cenchreae, she was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans. Paul refers to her both as a "servant" or "deacon" (Greek diakonos) and as a helper or patron of many (Greek prostatis).
Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple who were faithful collaborator with Paul. “They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them” (v. 4).
Mary appears throughout the gospels in stories about Jesus's life, and Jesus always loved her and cared for her deeply. When He died, He asked His disciple John to take care of her (John 19:26–27). Her Strength: Mary loved God, and trusted Him.
His wife Sarah is the only woman in the Old Testament whose age is given. She died at 127 (Genesis 23:1).