Under Heaven Trivia Quiz

Answer: The burning bush

Built in the 6th century AD, Saint Catherine's became the oldest and longest-lasting monastery in Christianity, remaining a place of pilgrimage for those who seek to venture into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula following in Moses' footsteps. Both the Torah and the New Testament discuss this spot (though not the monastery, naturally) as being on Mount Horeb, which is also believed to be Mount Sinai, the site at which Moses spoke to God through the burning bush (and was told to lead the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan) and the peak from which he would claim the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were listed.

Saint Catherine's Monastery was constructed on commission by the Roman Emperor Justinian I, who sought to construct a chapel to enclose the site of the burning bush. The relics there have led it to become one of the oldest libraries in the world with one of the rarest collections of Christian artifacts and manuscripts, rivalling only the Vatican Archives.

Answer: Twelve

Seen in this image is Mytikas, the highest peak of Olympus. Though many different mountains in Greece have taken the name of Olympus, as different villages referred to their highest peak, and the home of the gods (to them), in this way, the true Mount Olympus, Greece's highest mountain, is in Thessaly near the border with Macedonia.

It was said that the twelve Olympian Gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus) took Olympus as their seat because it was the closest to the heavens and thus created the perfect connection point between Heaven and Earth. The village below, Pieria, is where Zeus kept his nine Muses.

Answer: Yatra

Mount Kailash, also known as Mount Meru, is seen as one of the sacred peaks not only in Hinduism, but also Jainism and Buddhism. Sitting near the border junction between China, Nepal, and India, it's a very pronounced peak, and one that's quite noticeable amongst its range. Visitors who seek to travel to it on a journey of pilgrimage (or a yatra, as it's considered a journey to a site of Hindu significance) generally pass on a fifty kilometre trail around the mountain and never to its summit.

Part of the reason for the lack of ascent is the prohibition, at least on the Chinese government's part, as it's considered one of the most sacred peaks in the country. In Hindu faith, Kailash is the home of Shiva and believed to be the location at which he meditates before the stairway leading to the heavens. In the Buddhist faith, Kailash is considered the father of the world.

Answer: The condor

A citadel constructed atop a steep plateau in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, high in the Andes, Machu Picchu has been declared a new Wonder of the World, but in the 15th century, it was home to a hard-working civilization, acting as their safe haven for just over a hundred years.

Incan mythology had many notable gods, and a good amount of their significance was tied to life in the Andes. Inti, the sun god, was of great importance not only to Peruvians, but to many outlying countries (Argentina keeps the sun on their flag to symbolize this). Those in Machu Picchu lived closest to Inti, using the sun and their natural environment to support agriculture even at that altitude.

And then there's the matter of sacrifices. At Machu Picchu, much was sacrificed at the Altar of the Condor up to and including humans, though these people were often prisoners accused of theft. Condors, considered sacred, were believed to have been responsible for the rain, heading into the clouds and allowing them to provide sustenance for their crops. The remains of some of these sacrifices have since been found by archaeologists at the site.

Answer: Noah's Ark

The highest peak in Turkiye, though most accessible from Yerevan, Armenia, Mount Ararat towers over the surrounding mountains. Though 'the mountains of Ararat' were indicated in Genesis 8:4 in the Old Testament, Mount Ararat itself wasn't named as such until the Middle Ages, leaving a bit of a blind spot in terms of where, exactly, the landing spot of Noah's Ark could've been. This being said, Ararat would have been the first spot of land to be encountered when the waters of the great flood receded.

Early in the Middle Ages, Pagan beliefs held Ararat in high regard. When Christianity rooted in the region, these beliefs were superseded and Pagan worship in the region was lost to time.

Answer: Hawaii

The Hawaiian islands are settled on and around volcanoes, and it's due in part to their volatility and what they provide that they are so revered. The five tallest peaks-- Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (both depicted), Haleakala, Hualalai, and Kilauea-- were traditionally considered to be prohibited areas, only accessible to the nobility of the Hawaiian Islands but, in the modern era, they are (perhaps somewhat controversially) also destinations for scientists. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, for instance, are home to astronomical observatories that provide nearly unparalleled views of outer space.

Most of these volcanoes are considered the homes of Hawaiian deities. Pele, for instance, is said to inhabit the crater on Kilauea. The Ali'i formed trails up to the summits of these mountains in order to ascend and provide offerings to appease these figures.

Answer: Jerusalem

Found next to the Old City of Jerusalem, Mount Olivet (or the Mount of Olives) is rich in history. While it was originally a place of agriculture, having olive farms lined along its inclines, the needs of the area changed with the growth of the holy city. Eventually, the area was more known for its necropolis, constructed between the 7th and 9th century BCE and meant to house the the Jewish kings, the rich and the elite of the era.

The Mount of Olives appears repeatedly in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as a site visited by David, King Solomon, and Jesus himself. It's for these reasons, amongst others, that the Mount of Olives is a highly-revered burial site. Aside from the historical Silwan Necropolis, the Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery is the largest Jewish resting place on Earth.

Answer: The rain

Huashan Mountain, or Mount Hua, is one of the many sacred peaks to be found in China. Found east of Xi'an, it stands next to the Yellow Sea and is famous for its steepness-- not that it's a deterrent for visitors. Locals scale the dangerous hike up the side of the mountain on a regular basis. Though a cable car was added in the 1990s, the long, arduous, and potentially deadly stairways up the sides of the mountain still exist for those following pilgrimage.

Daoists still see the five peaks of the mountain as important to their beliefs. It is said that, at one time, the mountain connected followers to the spirits of the underworld, and temples were erected at its base to house mediums who would communicate to those souls on the precipice. It might be due to this closeness to the other side that apothecaries and herbalists used to scour the mountain for ingredients that could help imbibers gain immortality.

The mountain itself is said to have been selected as a home by Xiyue Dadi, who still controls the rain and the clouds from the highest peak. Huashan was created by another deity, however-- specifically Juling Shen, who used an axe to cleave a path through the valley, in turn forming the sharp cliffs here. It might come as no surprise that Juling Shen is considered the God of the Yellow River.

Answer: Fasted for forty days

Overlooking Clew Bay in the northwest of Ireland, Croagh Patrick is also known as 'The Reek', another word for 'Stack', which 'Croagh' translates to. It's said that Saint Patrick, amongst other key parts of his life in Ireland (leading to his becoming the patron saint of the country), ascended to the top of this peak and remained there until God allowed the Irish to be saved from the apocalypse. This has been celebrated, since, on Reek Sunday-- the last Sunday in July-- with an annual pilgrimage that's taken place since pagan times to celebrate Lughnasadh.

In the modern era, the mountain is capped by St. Patrick's Oratory, a building that has been present, in many iterations, for more than fifteen hundred years, predating the region's eventual adoption of Christianity.

Answer: Monasteries

It is said, at least by the Greeks, that Poseidon was fought, in the times of myth and legend, by a giant known as Athos who, in their battle, hurled a rock at the God. When it landed in the Aegean Sea, it became Mount Athos.

The mountain's religious history persists past the myths, though. It's said that the Virgin Mary sailed through the region, disembarking at Mount Athos to bless the land and consecrate it for its beauty. The significance of this was not lost to the devout and inevitably secluded monastic order that took its home here, constructing several monasteries amongst the cliffs of the mountain (twenty in total). As it was blessed by the Mother of God, all other women were prohibited from stepping foot on the peninsula, a restriction that has been contested periodically in the modern era.