#old testament

• Absalom — A biblical figure from the Old Testament, the third son of King David, famous for his exceptional beauty, his long, thick hair, and the bloody rebellion he led against his father, meeting a tragic end when his hair caught in the branches of an oak tree; (figuratively) a rebellious or disobedient son.
• Adonai — A Hebrew name used in the Old Testament (Torah) to designate the supreme divinity, literally translated as 'my Lord' or 'my Master'. This liturgical and theological term is traditionally used by Jewish communities as a pious and respectful substitute to avoid pronouncing the sacred Tetragrammaton (YHWH), whose name is considered ineffable.
• Haggai — The name of one of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the canonical biblical book that bears his name. His prophetic message, delivered around 520 BC, focused on urging the Jewish people returned from the Babylonian exile to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, recognized as a central figure in the post-exilic period of Judaism.
• Ahijah — The name of a Hebrew prophet from Shiloh, mentioned in the Old Testament (First Book of Kings), who played a crucial political and religious role during the reign of King Solomon. He prophesied the division of the United Kingdom of Israel and the rise of Jeroboam as king over the ten northern tribes, serving as a symbol of the authoritative divine messenger penalizing deviations from monotheistic faith.
• Amalekite — Pertaining to or a member of the ancient nomadic Amalekite tribe mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as a persistent and fierce enemy of the Israelites during the Exodus and Judges period; historically inhabiting the Negev and Sinai deserts.
• Amalekites — An ancient nomadic people or confederation of warlike tribes in the Ancient Near East, repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament as fierce enemies of Israel; they famously attacked the Israelites at Rephidim and were later decimated under Saul and David.
• Amos — The name of a Hebrew prophet from the 8th century BC, originating from the small town of Tekoa, considered the author of the eponymous biblical book in the Old Testament. His theological message focused heavily on social justice, condemnation of elite corruption, and a call for absolute morality; his name is also used historically as a masculine given name of Hebrew origin meaning 'burden-bearer'.
• Anagignoskomena — A theological term used in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition to designate biblical books that are 'good for reading' (known in the West as deuterocanonical, or apocrypha in a Protestant sense), which are not part of the strict Hebrew canon of the Old Testament but are structurally preserved in the Bible due to their outstanding moral, historical, and didactic value. These writings are recommended for the edification of the faithful, although they are not used as a primary dogmatic basis for formulating core doctrines.
• Burnt offering — An ancient ritual sacrifice, specifically found in the old Jewish tradition (Old Testament) and other early religious cults, consisting of the complete and structural destruction by fire of a sacrificed animal on the altar, as an offering brought to the divinity; holocaust. The term expresses the believer's total renunciation in favor of the sacred, as the meat is not consumed by humans.
• Athaliah — Queen of the Kingdom of Judah in the 9th century BC, daughter of King Ahab of Israel and Queen Jezebel, and wife of King Jehoram of Judah. According to Biblical accounts in the Old Testament, after the death of her son Ahaziah, she usurped the throne and ordered the execution of all royal heirs to secure her power, being the only woman to rule as an authoritarian sovereign over Judah before being overthrown and executed during a coup led by the high priest Jehoiada.