There are many that attempt to disparage the Scriptures advocating that the Bible is not historical. Nothing could be further from the truth. An article in Drive Through History is a good place to start your research into the study of this topic. It list those names in the Bible that have been found in the archeological finds.
Historical People Discovered from the Old Testament
- Adramelech, Prince of Assyria
- Ahab, king of Israel
- Ahaz (Jehoahaz), king of Judah
- Artaxerxes I, king of Persia
- Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria
- Azaliah, scribe
- Azariah, grandfather of Ezra
- Baruch, scribe of the prophet Jeremiah
- Balaam, Moabite prophet
- Belshazzar, coregent of Babylon
- Ben-hadad II, king of Aram
- Ben-hadad III, king of Aram
- Cyrus II, king of Persia
- Darius I, king of Persia
- Darius II, king of Persia
- David, king of Israel
- Esarhaddon, king of Assyria
- Evil-merodach/Abel-Marduk, king of Babylon
- Gedaliah son of Ahikam, Persian governor of Judah
- Gemariah, scribe
- Geshem the Arab, king of Kedar
- Hadad-ezer, king of Aram
- Hazael, king of Aram
- Hezekiah, king of Judah
- Hilkiah, high priest
- Hophra (Apries), pharaoh of Egypt
- Hoshea, king of Israel
- Jehoash, king of Israel
- Jehoiachin/Yaukin, king of Judah
- Jehu, king of Israel
- Jehucal (Jucal) son of Shelemiah, court official
- Jerahmeel, prince of Judah
- Jeroboam II, king of Israel
- Jezebel, wife of king Ahab of Israel
- Joash, king of Judah
- Johanan, grandson of the high priest Eliashib
- Josiah, king of Judah
- Jotham, king of Judah
- Manasseh, king of Judah
- Menahem, king of Israel
- Merodach-baladan/Marduk-apla-iddina, king of Babylon
- Mesha, king of Moab
- Meshullam, father of Azaliah the scribe
- Nebo-Sarsekim, Babylonian official
- Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon
- Nebuzaradan, Babylonian official/captain/chief cook
- Nebo-Sarsekim, Chief Eunuch of Babylon
- Necho II, pharaoh of Egypt
- Nergal-sharezer, king of Babylon
- Neriah, father of Baruch the scribe
- Omri, king of Israel
- Osorkon IV/So, Pharaoh of Egypt
- Pekah, king of Israel
- 54. Rezin, king of Aram
- 55. Sanballat, governor of Samaria
- 56. Sargon II, king of Assyria
- 57. Sennacherib, king of Assyria
- 58. Seraiah, court official of Zedekiah
- 59. Shalmaneser V, king of Assyria
- 60. Shaphan, father of Gemariah the scribe
- 61. Sharezer, son of Sennacherib
- 62. Shebna, royal steward of Hezekiah
- 63. Shelemiah, father of Jehucal (Jucal)
- 64. Shoshenq I/Shishak, pharaoh of Egypt
- 65. Taharqa (Tirhakah), pharaoh of Egypt
- 66. Taita/Toi, king of Hamath
- 67. Tattenai, Persian Governor of Eber-Nari
- 68. Tiglath-Pileser III/Pul, king of Assyria
- 69. Uzziah/Azariah, king of Judah
- 70. Xerxes I/Ahasuerus, king of Persia
Historical People Discovered from the New Testament
- Annas, high priest
- Ananias, high priest
- Antonius Felix, procurator of Judea
- Aretas IV, king of Nabateans
- Augustus Caesar, emperor of Rome
- Berenice, Herodian princess
- Caiaphas, high priest
- Claudius Caesar, emperor of Rome
- Drusilla, Herodian princess
- Erastus, public official in Corinth
- The Egyptian (name unknown), rebel
- Gallio, proconsul of Achaia
- Gamaliel the Elder, Rabbi
- Herod the Great
- Herod Antipas
- Herod Agrippa I
- Herod Agrippa II
- Herod Archelaus
- Herod Phillip
- Herodias, Herodian Princess
- James, half-brother of Jesus
- Jesus Christ
- John the Baptist
- Joseph (the carpenter)
- Judas of Galilee, Judean rebel
- Lysanias, was tetrarch of Abila
- Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea
- Porcius Festus, Procurator of Judea
- Quirinius, governor of Syria
- Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus
- Theudas, rebel against Rome
- Tiberius Caesar, emperor of Rome
Other sources of information.