5 Bible Villains That Could Make the Jump to the Movie Screen

The Bible is rife with heroes and villains, just like you'd find at the movie theater, playing out roles and stories that teach the lessons of God.

Heroes are often the focus of biblical stories, but there usually is a villain acting as the foil to the hero or heroine's deeds.

SPECIAL: Prayer Changes Your Brain in 4 Amazing Ways

Here are five villains in the Bible that would make excellent bad guys on the movie screen:

1. Herodias – This villainess was guilty of numerous acts that defied the teachings of God. She married Herod II then "falsely divorced him" to marry his brother, Herod Antipas, according to ListVerse. But bigamy was the least of her crimes, which escalated when she targeted Saint John the Baptist. She offered her daughter, Salome, to her husband if he would arrest St. John.

Herodias convinced Salome to give herself to Herod Antipas and to ask for the death of St. John, which she did. Though Salome is often the focus of this story of evil, it was actually Herodias who orchestrated St. John's death.

2. Nebuchadnezzar – This Babylonian king was famous for his pride, and Akorra.com elaborated, "His pride, in fact, was so legendary that some passages in the prophetic books of the Bible have been alternately interpreted as referencing Nebuchadnezzar and Lucifer."

As king, Nebuchadnezzar sent the Israelites into exile and destroyed their temple. "His pride at his conquests and accomplishments were so severe that he was specifically humbled by God when he went insane and lived in the wilderness for seven years before regaining his sanity and praising God," according to Akorra.com.

ALERT: When Do You Think Christ Is Returning? Vote Now

3. Cain – The brother to Abel, Cain's name has lived through the centuries as an example of jealousy, hatred, and sibling rivalry. He also has the distinction of being the first recorded murderer in history, and God put the "mark of Cain" upon him after he murdered Abel.

4. Herod the Great – This king, upon being informed that the Christ child would be born to become the King of the Jews, ordered all male children in the kingdom be killed. His jealousy led him to this dire step, an effort to protect his throne.

5. Judas Iscariot – He sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver after serving as one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Judas Iscariot was so guilty for his actions that he hung himself, but even his own horror at what he had done to betray Jesus doesn’t stop him from making most lists of Bible villains.

"Because of his betrayal, Judas's name has become synonymous with treachery, so that calling someone a 'Judas' immediately identifies that person as a traitor," writes Akorra.com. "Scholars differ on what Judas’s motive may have been, whether it was simply for the money or for some nobler cause. However, regardless of his intent, his betrayal of the man many considered to be a prophet and, later, the very son of God makes him one of the Bible's most infamous villains. Not even his remorseful suicide has earned him a reprieve."

SPECIAL: Can Prayer Heal You? Dr. Crandall Discovered the Truth

Related Stories:

• 5 Women of the Bible That Deserve Their Own Hollywood Movie

• 5 Lesser-Known Heroes of the Bible That Would Make a Good Hollywood Movie