These are biblical figures unambiguously identified in contemporary sources according to scholarly consensus. Biblical figures that are identified in artifacts of questionable authenticity, for example the Jehoash Inscription and the bullae of Baruch ben Neriah, or who are mentioned in ancient but non-contemporary documents, such as David and Balaam,Identified in the Tel Dan Stele and the Deir Alla Inscription respectively. are excluded from this list.
Hebrew Bible
Although the first mention of the name 'Israel' in archaeology dates to the 13th century BCE,Davies, Philip R., In Search of Ancient Israel: A Study in Biblical Origins, Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015, p. 48. contemporary information on the Israelites prior to the 9th century BCE is extremely sparse.Kelle, Brad E., Ancient Israel at War 853–586 BC, Osprey Publishing, 2007, pp. 8–9 In the following centuries, a small number of local Hebrew documents, mostly seals and bullae, mention biblical characters. Still, more extensive information is available in the royal inscriptions from neighbouring kingdoms, particularly Babylon, Assyria and Egypt.