Ruth
Biblical, exact dates uncertain, Moab (modern-day Israel)
Ruth was a woman from Moab who married a son of Naomi, from the town of Judah. Ruth’s husband died during a time of famine, leaving her a widow. She traveled to Bethlehem with Naomi, who helped to marry her to Boaz, a wealthy landowner. The story is related in the Old Testament Book of Ruth, which concludes by revealing that Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz are ancestors of King David and Jesus Christ.

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld. Ruth in Boaz’s Field, 1828. National Gallery, London