Which Biblical Characters Were Real Historical People?

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All of them just about! 😃

I think however many of the characters in Jesus’ parables where made up.
 
I didn’t include Jesus in the poll because I just assume everyone would accept that Jesus was real!
 
Adam & Eve - real historical persons
the Serpent - represents Satan, who is a real person
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah - real historical persons

Each of the above were specifically mentioned by Jesus.

the Good Samaritan - could be considered a figure representing numerous different persons in similar situations; my opinion is that the story also describes a real event

The sower in parable of the sower - the sower is a figure representing Jesus

Lazarus in “Lazarus and the Rich Man” - could be considered a figure representing numerous different persons in similar situations; my opinion is that the story also describes a real event
 
Ron_Conte said:
Adam & Eve - real historical persons
the Serpent - represents Satan, who is a real person
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah - real historical persons

Each of the above were specifically mentioned by Jesus.

the Good Samaritan - could be considered a figure representing numerous different persons in similar situations; my opinion is that the story also describes a real event

The sower in parable of the sower - the sower is a figure representing Jesus

Lazarus in “Lazarus and the Rich Man” - could be considered a figure representing numerous different persons in similar situations; my opinion is that the story also describes a real event
Click to expand...
what about the prodigal son? I forgot to put that one in there
 
Neil_Anthony said:
what about the prodigal son? I forgot to put that one in there
Click to expand...
The prodigal son, in my view, represents the Protestant Churches returning to unity with the Catholic Church. It also represents any individual sinner who returns to God or to the Church.

Christ in his Divine mind knows all persons and events, and his Divine mind teaches his human mind. So almost any parable or figure could possibly be based on a real event, such as a real individual son who left his family during a famine. But we need not hold that all figures are based on historical events in order to say that Scripture is inerrant. The truths of Scripture are conveyed by both literal and figurative expression.
 
Adam, Eve: Real, even if who they actually were or in what epoch they had lived is mostly forgotten by man.
The Serpent: IMHO Real, though could also be more of a figure for Evil/Satan.
Noah: Most likely real; parallels to the Deluge story in other cultures may be garbled memories of Noah and his kin.
Abraham: Real.
Moses: Real.
Jonah: Real.
The Good Samaritan: Not necessarily a historically real person (Jesus is more making a point here than actually relating a true story), though elements could be derived from real events or personal experience.
The Sower: Jesus used the familiar (to His audience) and general figure of the sower in his farm, so it’s safe to say that there were hundreds, even thousands of sowers who actually existed :D. The sower sowing the seeds of the Word is more of a figure for Jesus.
Lazarus in “Lazarus and the Rich Man”: Not necessarily a real person, even if he did have a name – a variant of Eleazar, “God has helped” – and a rather developed character; we might as well say Frodo Baggins is a historical figure simply because he has a name and a personality. Jesus may have been basing this account (or also the other more detailed parables) on real events, but even so, the truths of the Bible can also be conveyed through figures of speech, as others had pointed out.
 
The one I was hoping to see on your poll was Job. I have always been ambivalent about that one. I was curious as to how that would turn out. Maybe in v. 2.0.
 
Adam, Eve: Representatives of the first humans and characters in the early myths of creation.

The Serpent: A character in a symbolic myth. Never identified with satan in the story.

Noah: A character in the story of a legendary event.

Abraham: Probably real.

Moses: Probably real.

Jonah: A character in a fictional teaching story.

The Good Samaritan: A character in a fictional teaching story.

The Sower: A character in a fictional teaching story.

Lazarus in “Lazarus and the Rich Man”: A character in a fictional teaching story.
 
Everyone but the serpent. The serpent is lucifer so is therefore not a historical creature.
 
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