Biblical Fauna Trivia Quiz

Answer: ant

Proverbs 6:6 says, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise" (KJV). The ant was the epitome of industriousness and used an example for lazy individuals.

Answer: No

Although domestic cats were an important part of Egyptian culture, they were apparently not known by other ancient societies outside of Egypt. Wild cats, especially lions, are mentioned. The apocryphal book of Baruch (6:21) mentions a cat, but this is not a part of the Protestant Christian Bible and even Biblical scholars believe that the word use is a mistranslation of something else.

Answer: rabbits

Chapter 11 of the Biblical book of Leviticus deals with the rules for determining what animals would be deemed to be clean or unclean. In general, cud-chewing animals with split hooves can be eaten (cows, goats and sheep). Since the rabbit (coney) chews a cud but does not have a split hooves, it would be on the unclean list. Also salt and freshwater fish with fins and scales may be eaten, so sea bass is a clean animal. Chickens, turkeys and pheasants are on the clean list.

Insects, with the exception of locusts, crickets and grasshoppers, are cited as unclean.

Answer: serpents

Frogs, lice, gnats, and locusts were all part of the ten plagues found in Exodus Chapters 7 - 11. Although serpents sometimes plagued people in the Bible, they were never mentioned as being part of the Exodus plagues.

Answer: hippopotamus

A consensus among Biblical scholars point to the behemoth as a large, land-dwelling creature, thereby eliminating whales and butterflies. Further along in the 40th chapter of Job, the creature is described as eating grass (eliminating carnivorous animals like the lion), having strong bones, lying in the shade in marshy areas and being able to drink up a river.

The closest animal here that fits the criteria on Job is a hippo.

Answer: birds

What is actually meant is "turtledoves" and that's how this is translated in some Bibles. Turtledoves were recommended as part of a ritual sacrifice especially for poor people who couldn't afford a lamb, goat or ox.

Answer: quail

When the Israelites complained of hunger to Moses, God sent flocks of quail to feed the people (Exodus 16 and Numbers 11). Why they had to eat wild birds when they probably had flocks of other animals they brought with them out of Egypt is a mystery.

Answer: pigs

This parable is found in Luke 15:11-32. The state of the errant son was so low and desperate that he agreed to feed swine, an animal considered unclean by the Hebrews, and would have even eaten their slop. Fortunately, he finally came to his senses and returned to his forgiving father.

Answer: horses

Deuteronomy 17:16 advises the Hebrews not to multiply horses since it would lure them back to Egypt to trade. God wanted the Hebrews to break all connections with Egypt and not go back for any reason.

Answer: yes

They are mentioned in several places including the books of Leviticus, Job, Isiah and Micah. Never in a complementary way, though.