This book is named for its central figure, Job. We know that Job was a man of outstanding righteousness as well as tremendous wealth.
The three friends with whom Job dialogues for most of the book are Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. We know little about these men other than what is revealed in this book. Eliphaz, from the town of Teman in the land of Edom, is apparently the oldest of the three friends and acts as their leader (42:7). Elihu is a fourth counselor and is younger than the other three.
The location of Job's home is stated in the opening verse as the land of Uz. Uz is a large territory east of the Jordan River which includes Edom in the south and the Aramean lands in the north.
