Biblical Baggage Trivia Quiz

Answer: Livestock, silver and gold

At this point Abram is described as "very rich", and he went with all his possessions; certainly he was neither empty-handed, nor did he have only his tent and his wife, as we see that on arrival there was not enough grazing for both his livestock and the "flocks and herds and tents" which his nephew Lot also brought along.

Answer: Some food and a skin of water

Hagar was expelled at Sarah's jealous insistence, and over Abraham's objections because Ishmael was also his son, although not a legitimate one. Some food and a skin of water was the absolute minimum with which to send anyone into the desert. In fact, we read a little further on that God took pity on Hagar and Ishmael and revealed a spring of water to Hagar, by which she and Ishmael were able to survive.

Answer: Gifts, and a double quantity of silver

They also took Benjamin, over Jacob's anxious protests. It was that, or starve. The gifts they took included honey, balm, myrrh, spices and nuts. Since their silver had been secretly returned to them on Joseph's instructions after the first expedition, they had to go back to Egypt with double: to return the money for the first purchase, thereby showing that they were not thieves, and to pay for the second, current purchase.

The silver cup was only put into Benjamin's sack as they departed Egypt for home on the second occasion, so they had not yet received it at this point.

Answer: Clothing, silver and gold

Moses had told the Israelites that as part of God's plan He would cause the Egyptians to look favourably on their parting requests; and that therefore they should ask for gold and silver and clothing, so that every Israelite household had some substantial possessions, and so that they would not come into the Promised Land as paupers.

Answer: A three-year old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine

Hannah fulfilled her vow by giving Samuel up to serve in the house of the Lord; the bull, the flour and the wine were her further gift to the Lord, probably for thanksgiving.

Answer: 200 loaves of bread and two skins of wine, as well as meat, grain and fruit.

1 Samuel 23:13 indicates that David's men numbered 600, and there is nothing in the intervening text to indicate that this number would have changed significantly. Nabal is described as rich, but surly, short-sighted and mean. His intelligent and beautiful wife Abigail recognised the need to appease David before disaster struck their household.

She used her initiative (without consulting Nabal), and personally escorted her gifts to be sure that her message was delivered effectively. When Abigail afterwards told Nabal what she had done, he appears to have died of apoplectic anger, and soon afterwards she married David.

Answer: The head of Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul

Recab and Baanah, sniffing serious changes in the political winds, turned on their leader Ish-Bosheth and murdered him, then set off (carrying the evidence with them) to curry favour with the new King, David. David had them executed for murder.

Answer: All the Temple articles, whether large or small, and all the treasures of the Temple, the king, and his officials.

Nebuchadnezzar had just conquered Jerusalem. As God had previously warned His people, they were taken into exile, to Babylon. As the usual privilege of the victor, Nebuchadnezzar stripped Jerusalem, and the Temple, and the king and his court, of everything of value.

Answer: All the Temple articles, and the Temple treasures, which had been taken away by Nebuchadnezzar.

The edict by which Cyrus released - and encouraged - the exiled Israelites to return to Jerusalem also required that they rebuild the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem. To this purpose (that of the restoration of worship of their God in Jerusalem) all of the Temple articles and treasures were returned to the Israelites.

The description of a detailed accounting being given to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, indicates a satisfactory and complete audit (vv. 8-11).

Answer: A weapon, in case they were attacked while working.

The Canaanite tribes were not best pleased to see the Israelites back again,
and especially not if they were going to re-institute the worship of the God of Israel, who was not very tolerant of Canaanite religious practices.
The danger of attack was such that only half of the people worked, while the other half stood guard, and even those who did work carried materials in one hand and a weapon in the other, while those who were actually working on the wall wore a sword strapped to their belt.