'Patriarchs' in the Bible

Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

The patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. But God was with him,

To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.