The Bible

Question 1

Massive creature mentioned in Job
“Can it be drawn out with a hook?”

Answer 1

LEVIATHAN

Question 2

Massive creature
Word of Hebrew origin
Possibly refers to a hippo
“Can draw up a river in its mouth”

Answer 2

BEHEMOTH

Question 3

Appears in Gospel of John
Brother of Mary & Martha
Dead for 4 days, raised by Jesus
Subject of the King James Bible’s shortest verse: “Jesus wept.”

Answer 3

LAZARUS

Question 4

Beggar
Sores licked by a dog
Dies and is brought to “Abraham’s bosom”
Unrelated to another Bible character of the same name

Answer 4

LAZARUS

Question 5

“Wisdom” book of the Old Testament
Tradition says it was written by Solomon
Sometimes read at Sukkot
“…all is vanity.”
“A living dog is better than a dead lion.”
“There is no new thing under the sun.”
“…to eat, to drink, & be merry.”
“The race is not to the swift,”
“Cast thy bread upon the waters…”
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose.”
“He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it.”
Source of most lyrics for Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
Source of titles for Hemingway (“The Sun Also Rises”), Wharton (“House of Mirth”), & Grisham (“A Time to Kill”)

Answer 5

ECCLESIASTES

Question 6

Eight (or so) sayings by Jesus in his “Sermon on the Mount” from book of Matthew (though they also appear in Luke)
Name means “blessings”
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
etc.

Answer 6

BEATITUDES

Question 7

Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT, for theirs is the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
…those who MOURN … shall be COMFORTED
…the MEEK …will INHERIT THE EARTH
…those who HUNGER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS …will be SATISFIED
…the MERCIFUL …shall be shown MERCY
…the PURE IN HEART …will SEE GOD
…the PEACEMAKERS …will be called SONS OF GOOD
…those who are PERSECUTED … KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Answer 7

BEATITUDES

Question 8

Unnamed in actual Bible
Stepdaughter of Herod
Performs “Dance of the 7 Veils”
In return, she asks for head of Jokanaan (John the Baptist) which Herod delivers
Subject of a one-act tragedy by Wilde (with illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley), a Richard Strauss opera, & a Rita Hayworth film

Answer 8

SALOME

Question 9

Oldest Biblical character at 969 years old
Father of Lamech, grandfather of Noah
Played by Anthony Hopkins in “Noah” (2014 film)
Also a 6L bottle of wine/champagne

Answer 9

METHUSELAH

Question 10

Character in the Book of Daniel
Throws Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego into “fiery furnace” though they survive
Dreams interpreted by Daniel
Also a 15L bottle of wine

Answer 10

NEBUCHADNEZZAR

Question 11

Bible book that includes:
Creation
Fall of Man
Cain & Abel

Answer 11

GENESIS

Question 12

Bible book that includes:
Noah & the flood
The Binding of Isaac
Jacob & Esau

Answer 12

GENESIS

Question 13

Bible book that includes:
Joseph & his coat
Sodom & Gomorrah
Tower of Babel

Answer 13

GENESIS

Question 14

3 friends of Daniel thrown into the “fiery furnace” by Nebuchadnezzar

Answer 14

SHADRACH
MESHACH
ABEDNEGO

Question 15

What Noah built the ark from in some translations - despite the animal name, it probably means cypress

Answer 15

GOPHER WOOD

Question 16

Also called “Makeda” or “Bilqis”
Likely meant Ethiopia or Yemen
Meets King Solomon & converts to Judaism
Played in 1959 by Gina Lollobrigida

Answer 16

QUEEN OF SHEBA

Question 17

His epistle is the penultimate book of the New Testament
Immediately precedes Revelation
Warns against “false teachers”
Short - only 1 chapter

Answer 17

JUDE

Question 18

Saint who took Jesus’ body after the crucifixion, wrapped it, and laid it in his own tomb
Feast day March 17
Patron of undertakers
Supposedly took the Holy Grail to England (Glastonbury)

Answer 18

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA

Question 19

Criminal who was freed by Pilate on Passover in Jesus’ place, by crowd vote
Title character played by Anthony Quinn in 1961 film

Answer 19

BARRABAS

Question 20

Roman governor or prefect in Judea, AD 26-36
Appears in all 4 gospels, Acts, & 1 Timothy
“Washed his hands” of Jesus
Released Barrabas instead based on crowd vote

Answer 20

PONTIUS PILATE

Question 21

Biblical character who said
“Art thou the king of the Jews?”
“What is truth?”
“I find no fault in him at all.”

Answer 21

PONTIUS PILATE

Question 22

One of the 4 gospels
Written by a tax collector whose name means “Gift of God”
Includes the Sermon on the Mount (and thus the Beatitudes)

Answer 22

MATTHEW

Question 23

One of the 4 gospels
Written by a man whose name comes from a God of war and who is symbolized by a winged lion
Shortest & possibly earliest written gospel
Author’s body was supposedly moved to Venice

Answer 23

MARK

Question 24

One of the 4 gospels
Written by a “beloved physician” whose name means “light”
Longest gospel, & the only one to mention Caesar Augustus
Likely authored by the same person as Acts; both are dedicated to “Theophilus”
Includes much of Jesus’ early life, often read at Christmas (as in A Charlie Brown Christmas)

Answer 24

LUKE

Question 25

One of the 4 gospels
Written by a man whose name means “God is merciful”
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 1:1 (KJV)
The only non-synoptic gospel
Includes the miracles of the wedding at Cana and the raising of Lazarus of Bethany

Answer 25

JOHN

Question 26

8-letter adjective to describe the gospels of Matthew, Mark, & Luke due to the way the overall stories line up
John is not, as its content and structure vary so much from the others

Answer 26

SYNOPTIC