Old or New Testament or Apocrypha? Quiz

Answer: Old Testament

The "First Book of Chronicles" is an Old Testament book that can be found between "The Second Book of Kings" and "The Second Book of Chronicles". It is somewhat lacking in narrative interest, the first nine chapters consisting largely of a genealogical list of names from Adam down to the time of Saul, and subsequently the reign of his successor David.

As such, it overlaps with the two earlier books of Samuel, which contain most of the better-known stories about David, such his battle with Goliath and seduction of Bathsheba.

Answer: Old Testament

"Exodus" is the second book of the Old Testament, coming after "Genesis" and before "Leviticus". It tells how the Israelites are freed from slavery in Egypt and follow Moses into their "promised land" of Canaan. As such, it contains many of the best-known Old Testament stories, such as the ten plagues with which God curses the Egyptians before Pharoah can be persuaded to free the Israelites, the parting of the Red Sea to allow them to escape to safety, and the presentation to Moses of God's Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

Answer: Old Testament

The book of "Job" is an Old Testament book, found between "Esther" and "Psalms". It tells of a wealthy, God-fearing man named Job, who is the unfortunate subject of an argument between God and Satan. Satan claims that Job is only pious because he is blessed with wealth and a happy family life, and that if these were taken away, he would curse God.

In order to prove Satan wrong, God allows Satan to destroy Job's wealth and kill his sons and daughters. Despite this, Job argues that as God gave him these things, it is God's right to take them away. In dialogues with his wife and then three friends, he continues to defend God's actions, proving Satan wrong. At the end of the book, his wealth is restored, and he is blessed with further offspring.

Answer: Old Testament

The book of "Jonah" is one of the shortest Old Testament books and can be found towards the end of the collection, bundled up along with various other so-called "minor prophets" such as Obadiah, Habakkuk and Haggai. Nevertheless, it includes one of the best-known Biblical stories, in which Jonah tries to evade God's request for him to go to preach in Nineveh by escaping in a ship, only to be thrown into the sea and swallowed by an enormous fish.

This quirky narrative is of course particularly attractive to children and has been retold many times in storybook form. Most of these versions omit the second part of the story, in which Jonah (having eventually made his way to Nineveh) becomes displeased with God again and sits under a tree in a sulk, until God causes the tree to wither and die.

Answer: Apocrypha

The "Book of Judith" is included in the traditional Catholic Bible but assigned to the apocrypha in most Protestant texts. Despite its position outside the main Biblical canon, the story of Judith has inspired numerous works of art, including paintings, operas and plays.

The book tells how Judith, a Jewish widow, uses her feminine wiles to seduce the Assyrian general Holofernes, who is leading an army against her people. Having gained entrance to his tent, she then decapitates him with his own sword while he is incapacitated through drink. She then returns to her hometown with the head in a bag and shows it as evidence that God is on her side and has not abandoned the people of Israel. Demoralised by the death of their leader, the Assyrian troops flee in disarray and Judith is hailed as the deliverer of Israel.

Answer: New Testament

The "Epistle to the Colossians" is the twelfth book of the New Testament and takes the form of a letter supposedly written by the apostle Paul and his companion Timothy to the inhabitants of the city of Colossae, in Asia Minor. The epistle suggests that the Christians in Colossae were being assailed by false teachings which claimed that Jesus was not actually God (a key issue of Christian belief, having been stated several times by Jesus himself). Paul therefore stresses Jesus' divinity, and suggests ways in which the people of Colossae can resist false doctrines through their behaviour and activities.

Answer: New Testament

The "Gospel According to Saint Matthew" is the first of the four Gospel narratives that come at the start of the New Testament. Modern Biblical scholars now reject the traditional attribution of the book to the Apostle Matthew but believe it to have been written down by an anonymous writer sometime between AD 80 and 90.

It contains some material drawn from the earlier Gospel of Mark, as well as other oral traditions generally known as the "Q Source" (which can also be found in Luke's Gospel), plus some detail unique to the "Matthew" author.

Answer: New Testament

The "Book of Revelation" is the 27th and last book of the New Testament. At one time it was believed to have been written by the same author of John's Gospel, but scholars now doubt this.

It is the only book of prophecy in the New Testament and is very different in tone from the other 26 books, consisting of a series of prophetic visions relating to the end of the world, leading to Christ's Second Coming and the ultimate founding of a "new heaven and a new earth".

Answer: Apocrypha

The "First Book of Maccabees" is a historical narrative set during the second century BC, at a time when Judea was part of the Greek Seleucid Empire. The Greek ruler Antiochus IV forbade several important Jewish religious practices, which led to the Maccabean Revolt led by Judas Maccabeus.

The successful revolt led to the recapture of Jerusalem by the Jews, and the rededication of the Second Temple. The Jewish festival of Hanukkah marks this crucial event in Jewish history, although the two Books of Maccabees are not considered part of the official Hebrew Scriptures either.

Answer: Apocrypha

The "Book of Tobit" is believed to date from the second or third century BC. It tells how Tobit, a devout Israelite, is blinded in a somewhat unusual fashion, when bird droppings fall into his eyes. God then sends the angel Raphael to accompany Tobias, Tobit's son, on a journey to Ecbatana. On the way, Tobias is attacked by a fish, which he then kills, having been told by Raphael that parts of the fish have the powers to drive out demons and to heal blindness.

Arriving in Ecbatana, he uses the fish's heart and liver to drive away a demon that has been troubling a relative of his named Sarah, whom he then marries. The two of them return to Tobit and use the fish's gall bladder to cure his blindness.