predecessors

Our ancient Hebrew predecessors understood God in their own way.

He was a very severe, and often unfair, critic of his predecessors.

Like their predecessors, they gave three raps, with the iron hammer.

Did any of my predecessors have any knowledge of what you have told me now?

A place where astronomers conjecture away the guesses of their predecessors.

These remarks were not less favourably received by Mr Dorrit than their predecessors.

In every way its action was similar to that of its two predecessors.

She had her predecessors, but she owed to them little, if anything.

Neither they nor their predecessors had any true conception of language or of the history of philosophy.

Other translations say "predecessors" which makes more sense.