Answer: gold
The Jews had been waiting for Moses to come off the mountain, and in their impatience, many began to fear that he might never return. Aaron, Moses' brother and the Jews' high priest, gathered up all of their jewelry and made them a golden calf to quell their fears. When Moses did come with the ten commandments and saw his people engaged in idolatry and revelry, he destroyed the idol, ground it up and mixed it with water, and then forced the people to drink it.
"When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it." Exodus 32: 19-20 (NIV)
Gold was not eaten only in biblical times. Even today, people sometimes ingest gold foil as part of decadent meals. Gold isn't harmful to people, unless they are one of a small number who are allergic to it. Gold is not digestible by humans, however, so there is no nutritional value in adding it to a meals. Sounds more like mumbo jumbo than gumbo, if you ask me!
From Quiz: Gumbo and Mumbo Jumbo
Answer: Moses
Scripture tells of Moses ascending Mount Sinai to meet with God and receive the Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:28 states Moses was with the LORD for forty days and forty nights and "neither ate bread nor drank water."
Scripture goes on to tell of Moses descending from the mountain with a shining face.
From Quiz: Fasting and the Breaking of Fasts in the Bible
Answer: Abraham
Abraham told Sarah to cook or bake bread because they had three special guests. One of them was even more special than the other two, even though they were special as well. According to Genesis 18, Yahweh (the Lord God) appeared to Abraham in human form! Along with Him were two angels. God was apparently in the form of a human male when He promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a baby, Isaac.
Many Christian theologians believe that whenever someone saw God in the Old Testament, he or she saw the pre-incarnate Word of God, who later became the man, Jesus of Nazareth. This is because Jesus said Himself that nobody ever saw the Father.
As for the incorrect choices, Simeon is the only one who even appears in Genesis. Simeon was Sarah's great-grandson; a son of her grandson, Jacob, and Leah. Jethro appears in Exodus as Zipporah's father. David was a king of Israel, who appears largely (but not totally) in 1 and 2 Samuel.
From Quiz: What Ya Got Cookin'?
Answer: Gideon
According to Judges 6:11, Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide his crop from the Midianites when an angel of the LORD appeared before him. Although Scripture doesn't state why Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, many scholars believe it was to prevent the Midianites from confiscating his wheat. According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, a winepress was usually a square or circular pit carved into rock in which grapes were crushed.
Scripture goes on to tell of the angel proclaiming Gideon as "a mighty man of valor". Despite his initial reluctance, Gideon would lead the Israelites to miraculous military victories over the Midianites.
From Quiz: Wine in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Mount Sinai
Exodus 34:27-28 tells of the LORD proclaiming the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. According to the two verses, Moses was with God for forty days and forty nights and he "neither ate bread nor drank water".
At the time, Moses was leading the Israelites on a forty-year-long journey to Canaan, known as the Promised Land.
From Quiz: Fasting in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Abraham's servant
Genesis 24:12-14 tells of an unnamed servant of Abraham standing by a well and praying to God for a sign informing him about the right woman to pick as a wife for Isaac. According to Scripture, the servant had been sent to Mesopotamia by Abraham to find a wife for his only son. (In the NIV, Mesopotamia is referred to as Aram Naharaim.)
As part of the prayer request, the servant asked God that a sign the woman is the right one for Isaac would be when he asked her for a drink she would oblige and also offer to give his camels some water. Verse 15 goes on to state that before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. The rest, as they say, is history.
While no name is given for Abraham's servant, many theologians believe it was Eliezar. According to Genesis 24, Abraham asked the "oldest servant" of his house to go to go to "my country and to my family" to find a wife for Isaac. In Genesis 15:2, Abraham, who was without children at the time, in a conversation with God, said his servant Eliezar of Damascus was the heir of his household.
From Quiz: Well, Well, Well! -- A Bible Quiz About Wells
Answer: Egypt
Abram and Sarai, who later became known as Abraham and Sarah, went to Egypt to escape a severe famine in Canaan, as per Genesis 12:10. Using the KJV, the NKJV and the NIV, this is the first mention of a famine in the Bible. Much later, Abraham and Sarah would become the parents of Isaac.
From Quiz: Bare Bones Quiz About Famine in the Bible
Answer: Gold dust from a golden calf Moses destroyed
Scripture states Moses was in a rage when he saw the Israelites worshipping a golden calf they made while he was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God. According to Exodus 32:20, Moses took the golden calf and burned it in a fire and then ground the residue into a powder and then scattered the powder on the peoples' water supply. Then he ordered the people to drink the water laced with powder from the golden calf to teach them a lesson, Scripture states.
For more details, see Exodus 32:1-35.
From Quiz: Sink Your Teeth Into a Sweet and Sour Quiz
Answer: Mephibosheth
Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, had a special place in David's heart. According to Scripture Mephibosheth was "lame in both feet," and in Biblical times such a condition would relegate one to being a helpless beggar. However, David and Mephibosheth's father were the best of friends. This, even though Jonathan's father Saul devoted much of his latter life trying to kill David. As a result, David made sure Mephibosheth was taken care of long after Jonathan and Saul had died. 2 Samuel 9:7 states that David restored to Mephibosheth all the land that belonged to his grandfather Saul and he ensured he would "always dine at his table with him."
From Quiz: Come and Dine With Me in the Bible
Answer: Quail
Psalm 105:40 - "They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven."
There are many types of quails, including 'button' quails, and the average size of these is 12.7 cm (5") for a female and 11.4cm (4 1/2") for the male. Quail served with a fruity reduction (a sauce that has been evaporated to condense the flavours) is delicious! I'm not sure that's how the Israelites served it though!
From Quiz: Land of Milk and Honey
Answer: Lot's wife
Lot's wife is the correct answer. One of the best known stories in the Old Testament involves the LORD bringing down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah because of its wickedness, with Lot and his family fleeing. However, Genesis 19:26 states Lot's wife (no name is given) was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back, contrary to the LORD'S command.
The question reminds me of a bit of humorous banter that took place on our FunTrivia team's message board a while back. One member wanted to know if Lot had difficulty putting salt on his food after leaving Sodom and Gomorrah. Another member responded: "Can't understand that, his wife was a pillar of the community."
From Quiz: Are You Worth Your Salt? Try This Quiz
Answer: Eve
"Genesis 3:6, KJV: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Some translations use the words "and then gave to her husband"; this translation is slightly vague, but it is generally accepted Eve was the first to eat.
It is not documented in Genesis 3 that the serpent had anything to do with eating the fruit. Eve told him (it?) that only this tree was forbidden to partake of, and the serpent stated that if she did eat of it, she would be knowledgeable of all good and evil, just like God.
From Quiz: Pass the Pillar of Salt: Meals in the Bible
Answer: Noah
"And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without" (Genesis 9:20-22). While Shem and Japheth tastefully cover their father with a garment, Ham's line is cursed. Why the severity? Some scholars think it was because he mocked his father, and still others have suggested that Ham actually molested him.
From Quiz: Wine in the Word
Answer: dill
"'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.'" Matthew 23:23 (NIV)
Dill is still used commonly today. It isn't just an herb for flavoring, but also has significant health benefits as well. It has 3.5:1 protein to fat ratio. It also a good source of manganese, folate, iron, riboflavin, calcium, B6, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants.
From Quiz: Gumbo and Mumbo Jumbo
Answer: David
David is the correct answer. 2 Samuel 12:15:23 tells of David fervently praying and fasting to save the life of the unnamed infant that was born as a result of an adulterous relationship between him and Bathsheba. And rather than sleep in a bed, Scripture states David slept on the ground.
Previously, David had been told by Nathan the prophet the child would be struck dead as a result of David's adulterous affair and his orchestration of the death of Uriah, Bathsheba's husband. David's fasting and prayer efforts were in vain, with Scripture going on to tell of the death of the baby seven days after he was born.
From Quiz: Fasting and the Breaking of Fasts in the Bible
Answer: Stew
Isaac and Rebekah (Rebecca) had twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau was slightly older than Jacob, but Jacob ended up getting the firstborn blessing because Esau sold his birthright for stew.
Genesis 25:30 states that the stew was red, which is why Esau was renamed "Edom", which means "red". Verse 34 specifies it as lentil stew.
It's interesting to note that while most Bible translations call it stew, the Expanded Bible (EXB) refers to it as both vegetable soup and stew.
From Quiz: What Ya Got Cookin'?
Answer: Those who start early in the morning
Isaiah, in Isaiah 5:11, condemns people who start drinking early in the morning. The verse in the NKJV states, "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine."
In Isaiah 5:8-30, Isaiah announced a series of woes and judgments against Israel due to the disobedience of the people to God.
Isaiah was the son of Amoz and he prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
From Quiz: Wine in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: David
After his son was born as a result of an adulterous affair with Bathsheba, David was rebuked by Nathan the prophet, who told him the baby would "surely die". Shortly after Nathan made his pronouncement, Scripture tells of the baby becoming seriously ill and David fasting and pleading with God for the child's life. According to 2 Samuel 12:17, the unnamed infant died on the seventh day of David's fast.
See 2 Samuel 12:1-23 for complete details.
From Quiz: Fasting in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Hagar
The sixteenth chapter of Genesis tells of Hagar fleeing after her mistress Sarai, who later became known as Sarah, dealt harshly with her. Scripture also tells of an Angel of the LORD finding Hagar by a "spring of water in the wilderness," as per Verse 7 of the NKJV. (While most Bible translations use the words 'spring of water', the Wycliffe Bible says the Angel of the LORD found Hagar by a well.)
In Genesis 16:9-10, the Angel of the LORD instructed Hagar to return to Sarai her mistress and promised "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude."
The chapter goes on to tell of Hagar returning to Sarai and her husband Abram, who later became known as Abraham. Genesis 16:15 states Hagar bore Abraham a son who was called Ishmael.
From Quiz: Well, Well, Well! -- A Bible Quiz About Wells
Answer: Isaac and Rebekah
Issac and Rebekah pretended to be brother and sister to deceive the king of Gerar after they moved to the Philistine town due to a famine. (Ironically, Isaac's parents, Abraham and Sarah had pretended to be brother and sister when they moved to Gerar some time before.) Scripture reports Rebekah was extremely beautiful and Isaac feared if he was known as her husband he would be killed and Rebekah put in the king's harem. The same details basically hold for Abraham and Sarah who had moved to Gerar due to famine a number of years before.
The deception of Isaac and Rebekah is reported in Genesis 26:1-10, while the deception of Abraham and Sarah is contained in Genesis 20:1-1-18. On top of all this, Abraham and Sarah also pretended to be brother and sister in Egypt on another occasion to spare the life of Abraham. That account can be found in Genesis 12:10-20. Scripture states they moved to Egypt to escape a severe famine. In other words, there are three cases in Genesis in which couples pretended to be brothers and sisters to spare the lives of the males. In all three cases, the deceptions were found out, but the lives of Isaac and Abraham were spared.
From Quiz: Bare Bones Quiz About Famine in the Bible
Answer: Moses
After receiving instructions from the LORD, Moses threw a piece of wood into the bitter waters of Marah and it was made drinkable. (The KJV and the NKJV state the LORD showed Moses a tree and he threw it into the waters.)
According to Scripture, the incident took place shortly after the LORD parted the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to make a safe exodus from Egypt. Exodus 15:22 states the people were in the wilderness for three days and were overcome with thirst. To their displeasure, when they found water at Marah they were unable to drink it due to its bitterness.
According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Marah means 'Bitter'.
After drinking the water Moses purified at Marah, Verse 27 tells of the Isrealites making their way to Elim where there were "twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees".
From Quiz: Sink Your Teeth Into a Sweet and Sour Quiz
Answer: Job
According to Scripture, Job had seven sons and three daughters and they loved to dine. Job 1:4, in the NKJV, states this about Job's offspring: "And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them."
Scripture goes on to state that Job was such a righteous man he would offer burnt offerings to God every time his sons held feasts, in case they had sinned.
From Quiz: Come and Dine With Me in the Bible
Answer: Milk
Proverbs 27:27(a) - "You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed you and your family."
Goat's milk cheese can be known as feta in Greece (which also sometimes includes sheep's milk), caprino in Italy and chèvre in France. Traditionally, it's made by allowing the milk to curdle, or curdling the milk with the addition of rennet, then separating the curds (cheese) from the whey (the watery by-product). It's delicious served in salads, stirred into a soufflé or sauce, or as part of a cheese board with dried fruits and nuts.
From Quiz: Land of Milk and Honey
Answer: Esau
Esau stated in Genesis 25, "Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?" and Jacob made him swear to it that the birthright change hands. Jacob would later trick his father, Isaac, into blessing him instead of the firstborn Esau, which essentially was a last will and testament of all of his father's possessions.
From Quiz: Pass the Pillar of Salt: Meals in the Bible
Answer: Lot
Genesis 19:30-36 tells the story: "And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father . . . Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father."
From Quiz: Wine in the Word
Answer: meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic
According to the Bible, the Israelites were dissatisfied with the miraculous food that God provided for them while they wandered the desert: manna, which they would gather daily and grind and mix with water to make loaves of bread that nourished them. All they could think of was the meat, fish, vegetables and fruit that they had while they were slaves in Egypt.
Poor Moses! He had to go before the Lord with his people's complaints. God satisfied their desire for something different to eat and gave them quail.
"The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, 'If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost - also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!'" Numbers 11:4-6 (NIV)
The diet that the Israelites missed from their time in captivity resembles what is today called the Mediterranean diet, with many health benefits due to its combination of fresh and simple foods, with good fats and proteins.
From Quiz: Gumbo and Mumbo Jumbo
Answer: Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, called for a fast when he received word "a great multitude" of soldiers from Moab and Amon were preparing to invade the kingdom. After receiving the news, Scripture states Jehoshaphat declared a fast among all the people and fervently prayed to God for deliverance.
Scripture goes on to tell of the Moabites and the Amonite soldiers suddenly turning against each other in the wilderness of Tekoa with no attack on Judah taking place. Later, the Jews looted the dead bodies and accumulated an abundance of "valuables and precious jewelry". In fact, Scripture states it took the Jews three days to collect the spoil as there was so much.
When the Jews returned to Jerusalem they played stringed instruments, harps and trumpets to express their praise to the LORD.
For further details, see 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.
From Quiz: Fasting and the Breaking of Fasts in the Bible
Answer: Proverbs
The statement, "It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to crave beer" is from Proverbs 31:4. While Solomon, the son of David, is credited with writing most of the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 31 was written by King Lemuel. However, no one knows for certain who exactly King Lemuel was. There is a school of thought Lemuel was a symbolic name for Solomon. Others, however, dispute such a belief.
For the record, Proverbs 31:4, in the NKJV, states: "It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink."
From Quiz: Wine in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Nineveh
Jonah, of course, was the prophet who resisted God's instructions to go to Nineveh to preach to the people and ended up being swallowed by a gigantic fish. According to Scripture, he spent three days in the stomach of the fish before being regurgitated on dry land. Scripture goes on to tell of Jonah going to Nineveh, as per God's original instructions.
While in Nineveh, Jonah's message deeply resonated with the citizens, with Jonah 3:5-10 telling of a vast number of people, including the king, believing in God. The passage also states the Ninevites "proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them."
From Quiz: Fasting in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Abimelech
Abimelech is the correct answer. Genesis 21 tells of a feud between Abimelech and Abraham largely over the fact Abimelech's servants seized a well from Abraham. Verses 25 and 26 tell of Abraham rebuking Abimelech over the actions of his servants with Abimelech responding he was not aware of the situation.
The chapter goes on to tell of Abimelech and Abraham agreeing to live in peace with Abraham calling the well Beersheba, "because the two of them swore an oath there."
From Quiz: Well, Well, Well! -- A Bible Quiz About Wells
Answer: Joseph
Joseph is the correct answer. He assumed the job when the Pharaoh appointed him as the second most powerful man in Egypt. The promotion was given when Joseph interpreted two dreams for the Pharaoh, even though others were unable to do so.
In the first dream, the Pharaoh told Joseph he saw seven fat cows and seven emaciated cows. Then in the second dream, he said he saw seven good heads of grain and seven blighted heads.
Joseph told the Pharaoh the dreams meant Egypt would have seven years of bountiful harvests followed by seven years of famine. Scripture goes on to tell of Joseph advising the Pharaoh to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years, with the food being kept in reserve for seven years of famine.
See Genesis 41:25-28 for details.
From Quiz: Bare Bones Quiz About Famine in the Bible
Answer: Elisha
2 Kings 4:38-41 tells of an undisclosed number of prophets sitting down to eat stew when it was quickly discovered the food was poisonous. Or as Verse 40 states in the NKJV, the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "There is death in the pot."
According to Verse 41, Elisha remedied the deadly situation by adding some flour to the pot and "there was nothing harmful". It seems the problem with the stew was created when one of the prophets gathered some gourds from a wild vine and they were added to the stew, although no one knew exactly what they were adding, as per Verse 39.
From Quiz: Sink Your Teeth Into a Sweet and Sour Quiz
Answer: Belshazzar
According to Daniel 5:5, the fingers on a disembodied hand started writing a message on the wall after King Belshazzar hosted a lavish banquet in which he, his wives and his concubines drank from goblets taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. Scripture states the king's gathering drank the wine from the sacred goblets and "praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone." When the king brought in the prophet Daniel to interpret the writing on the wall, no punches were pulled. Daniel told the king "God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end".
The fifth chapter of Daniel concludes with these two verses from the NKJV Bible: "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old." (The NIV states Belshazzar was king of the Babylonians.)
From Quiz: Come and Dine With Me in the Bible
Answer: Melon
Isaiah 1:8 - "The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege."
Watermelons are depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics, and watermelon seed oil is known as kalahari or ootanga oil. The oil is frequently used in baby oil as it is light and easily absorbed.
From Quiz: Land of Milk and Honey
Answer: Abimelech
Abimelek was one of the most wicked men in the Bible. In fact, according to Judges 9:5, he even killed 70 of his brothers as part of his insatiable desire for power.
By sowing Shechem with salt, it became a barren and uninhabitable desert, according to notes in the NKJV Study Bible.
Scripture states Ambimelek's downfall happened when he went to Thebez and attempted to overtake a tower in which a number of men and women had taken refuge. Abimelek decided to set the tower on fire and, while he was approaching the structure, Scripture states an unnamed woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Judges 9:54-55 states Abimelek requested that his armor-bearer draw his sword and kill him so that no one could claim he was killed by a woman. The servant obliged and Abimelek, who had ruled Israel for three years, died on the battlefield. According to Judges 9:56, his death was divine retribution.
From Quiz: Are You Worth Your Salt? Try This Quiz
Answer: Jesus Christ
Matthew 11:19 - "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners."
From Quiz: Wine in the Word
Answer: Ezra
Ezra 8:21-23 tells of Ezra proclaiming a fast by the river of Ahava so the Jews could humble themselves before God prior to their long journey from Babylon to Jerusalem to build a wall around their beloved city. The passage states Ezra was "ashamed" to request of the Babylonian king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect them against the enemy on the road. The reason for this is Ezra had previously told the king, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him."
After fasting and entreating God, Ezra states in Verse 23 "He answered our prayer."
From Quiz: Fasting and the Breaking of Fasts in the Bible
Answer: Isaiah
Isaiah is the correct answer as per Isaiah 63:1-4. Verse 2 tells of garments being as red as those of one treading the winepress. Then Verses 3 and 4 go on to state: "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. It was for me the day of vengeance; the year for me to redeem had come."
Isaiah was the son of Amoz. He was the writer of a major book of prophecy in the Old Testament bears his name.
From Quiz: Wine in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Ezra
Ezra is the correct answer, as per Ezra 8:21-23. In the passage, Ezra tells of proclaiming a fast "at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions."
Ezra goes on to explain he did not request the king of Babylon to provide an escort of soldiers and horsemen to ensure a safe trip for the Israelites travelling from Babylon to Jerusalem. In other words, he was counting on God for divine protection.
"The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him," Ezra states in Verse 22. The following verse states, "So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer."
From Quiz: Fasting in the Old and New Testaments
Answer: Jacob
Jacob met his future wife Rachel at a well in Padam Aram, according to Genesis 29:1-12. Genesis 28:2 states Jacob was sent to Padan Aram by his father, Isaac, who advised him to see his uncle, Laban, who was the brother of Rebekah, Isaac's wife and Jacob's mother.
While it was love at first sight for Jacob when he met Rachel at a well, he would end up being tricked into marrying her oldest sister Leah. After working for Laban for fourteen years, Jacob would end up marrying Rachel.
From Quiz: Well, Well, Well! -- A Bible Quiz About Wells
