Patriarchs (Bible) Patriarchs (Bible) The patriarchs ( "Avot" or "Abot", singular "Ab" or Aramaic: אבא "Abba") of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites. These three figures are referred to collectively as the patriarchs, and the period in which they lived is known as the patriarchal age. They play significant roles in Hebrew scripture during and following their lifetimes. They are used as a significant marker by God in revelations and promises, and continue to play important roles in the Abrahamic faiths. More widely, the term patriarchs
Patriarch patriarchal blessings, as Jacob did to his twelve sons according to the Old Testament. Patriarchs are typically assigned in each stake and possess the title for life. Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), and the Church of the East are termed patriarchs (and in certain cases also "popes"). The word is derived from Greek πατριάρχης ("patriarchēs"), meaning "chief or father of a family", a compound of πατριά ("patria"), meaning "family", and ἄρχειν ("archein"), meaning "to rule". Originally, a "patriarch" was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater