25 New Testament Place Names -- 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Antioch

Members of the early church were first called Christians at Antioch, as per Acts 11:26. Previously, people who believed in a resurrected Jesus Christ referred to themselves 'The Way'. According to notes in the NKJV Bible, the term Christian was originally used to ridicule believers. Later, however, members of the early church would begin to refer to themselves as Christians. Antioch was situated near Antakya, in present day Turkey.

Acts 11:25-26, in the NIV Bible, reports: "Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."

Answer: Bethany

The correct answer is Bethany. Scripture states Jesus ascended into heaven while His disciples looked on. Luke 24:50-53, in the NKJV Bible, reports: "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God." Bethany was a small community, just outside Jerusalem.

Answer: Cana

The correct answer is Cana. Verses 7 and 8 in the second chapter of John tell of Jesus instructing people to fill a number of jars with water and then to draw some out and give a sample to the master of the banquet. After tasting the liquid, the master expresses surprise at how fine the wine is.

In verse 10, the master compliments the bridegroom, stating "everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Cana was west of the Sea of Galilee and about 10 miles north of Nazareth.

Answer: Damascus

Damascus is the correct answer. Acts 9:3-6, in the NKJV Bible, states: "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'" Damascus is in southwestern Syria and, according to Wikipedia, it is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.

Answer: Emmaus

The correct answer is Emmaus, about seven miles northwest of Jerusalem. (In the Greek units of the day, the distance is given as 60 stadia.) Scripture states at first the two did not recognize Jesus, and only realized who it was after He broke bread with them. In Luke 24:30-31, it states after they recognized Jesus, He disappeared from their sight.

Answer: False

There is absolutely no indication as to the identity of the foreign country the Prodigal Son went to. The only clue is that it was a non-Jewish land as the young man ended up feeding the pigs and eating their food as he was so hungry. Jews, of course, would not be raising pigs as pork is forbidden from their diet. Bear in mind the account of the Prodigal Son is a parable, meaning it's possible the event didn't happen at all.

However, some evangelical Christians believe parables such as the the one about the Rich Man and Lazarus are based on real events.

Answer: Gerasenes

Yes, Gerasenes is the correct answer. Scripture records the demons begged Jesus for permission to leave Legion and go into a nearby herd of pigs. When Jesus granted permission to the evil spirits to go into the pigs, the herd went wild and rushed down a steep bank into the lake.

The number of pigs that drowned is estimated at 2,000 in Mark 5:13. According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Gerasenes is east of the Sea of Galilee.

Answer: Hermon

According to Wikipedia, the New King James Study Bible and Christiananswers.net, many theologians believe the transfiguration took place on a spur of Mount Hermon. According to the 17th chapter of Matthew, Jesus took Pater, James and John to a high mountain where He was transfigured while Moses and Elijah also appeared. Matthew 17:5, in the NKJV states, "...a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!'"

The modern name of Mount Hermon is Jebel-esh-Sheikh, "the chief mountain." It straddles the border between Lebanon and Syria and rises about 9,200 feet above sea level, according to Wikipedia.

Answer: Italy

Yes, Italy is the correct answer. Notes in the NIV Study Bible state Claudius served as Emperor of Rome from 41 to 54 AD. All Jews were ordered deported during his reign. Priscilla and Aquila met up with Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, in Corinth. Paul's books 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians are addressed to followers of Christ in Corinth.

Acts 18:1-2, in the NIV Bible, tell of Paul meeting up with Priscilla and Aquila: "After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them."

Answer: Jordan River

The correct answer is the Jordan River. Matthew 3:13-17, in the NKJV Bible, reports things this way: "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?' But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

Answer: Kidron

The correct answer is Kidron. Details about David crossing the Kidron Valley while fleeing from his son Absalom are found in 2 Samuel 15:13-37. Verses 13-14, in the NIV Bible, state: "A messenger came and told David, 'The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.' Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, 'Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword." The story continues where in verse 23, Scripture states: "The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the wilderness."

Meanwhile, the account on Jesus crossing the Kidron Valley is found in John 18:1. In the NIV Bible, it states: "When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it." A short while later, Jesus would be betrayed by Judas, turned over to the authorities and crucified, only to rise from the dead, according to Scripture.

Answer: Lystra

Paul met Timothy in Lystra. Verse 2 says the brothers all spoke well of Timothy so Paul opted to take him on a missionary journey. Verses 4 and 5 go on to state: "As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers."

Answer: Magdala

Yes, the correct answer is Magdala. Many theologians believe the name Magdalene suggests her home town is Magdala, a community on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Tiberias and Capernaum. Notes in the NIV Study Bible, for example, suggest Magdala is her home town.

Answer: Nain

Nain is the correct answer. Incidentally, this is the only place in the entire Bible where Nain is mentioned. Luke 7:11-15, in the NKJV Bible, reports: "Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother." According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Nain is about ten miles south of Nazareth.

Answer: Olives, Mount of

According to Scripture, it was on the Mount of Olives when Peter confidently stated he would never deny Jesus.

Matthew 26:30-35, in the NKJV, states:
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus said to them, 'All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
'I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.'
Peter answered and said to Him, 'Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.'
Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.'
Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!'
And so said all the disciples."

Chapter 26 goes on to report the arrest of Jesus and concludes with a rooster crowing three times after Peter denied to others he knew Christ.

Answer: Patmos

Verse 9 states: "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." What follows this verse is Scripture that has captivated and perplexed Christians for centuries. Patmos is in the Aegean Sea and is part of Greece.

Answer: False

False. Nowhere in Scripture does it say the temptation of Jesus by Satan took place on Quarantania. In fact, the place name Quarantania does not appear in the KJV, the NKJV or the NIV. However, Web sites such as Wikipedia and Christiananswers.net state Quarantania is traditionally identified with the Mount of Temptation.

According to Christiananswers.net, there isn't a place name in the New Testament that starts with the letter 'Q'.

Answer: Rome

Rome, of course is the correct answer. The 27th and 28th chapters of Acts tell of Paul's eventful trip of Rome. The trip was marked with a shipwreck off the coast of Malta. There is no report about how Paul fared when he appeared before Caesar. It is believed his appearance before the Roman strongman had not taken place when Luke wrote the book of Acts.

Answer: Sea of Galilee

The correct answer is the Sea of Galilee. I love the account in Mark 6:53-56 telling of what happened after Jesus and the disciples reached Gennesaret on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The account reads: "When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well."

Answer: Tarsus

Yes, Saul, or Paul, came from Tarsus, a city in present-day Turkey. In much of the 22nd chapter of Acts, Paul tells of his life before he became a Christian and after he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Tarsus is in present day south-central Turkey.

In some circles today, the apostle to the Gentiles is known as 'Paul of Tarsus,' however, nowhere in the NIV Bible does it state Paul refers to himself as "Paul of Tarsus". In Acts 21:39, while addressing a crowd in Jerusalem, he states "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city." In Acts 22:3, Paul makes much the same statement. However, a drama by George Barber Paley in 1855 titled "Saul of Tarsus" changed things somewhat, with his birthplace being linked to his name. There's also a popular song titled "Saul of Tarsus" as well.

Answer: True

True. There is no mention of Uz in the New Testament. In fact, according to Christiananswers.net, there isn't a place name in the New Testament that starts with the letter 'U'. Uz is the land Job lived in after the flood, as per Job 1:1.

Answer: Vineyard

The correct word is 'vineyard'. The passage is called the Parable of the Laborers in the NKJV and the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in the NIV. It is found in Matthew 20:1-16 and ends with this gem: "So the last will be first and the first will be last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

According to Christiananswers.net, there isn't a place name in the New Testament that starts with the letter 'V'.

Answer: False

Well, well, well... I hope I didn't trick you with this one. The well was named after Jacob and not his son Joseph. However, Joseph does figure into the story about Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well.

John 4:5-6, in the NKJV, states: "So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour."

According to Christiananswers.net, there isn't a place name in the New Testament that starts with the letter 'W'.

Answer: Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia is the correct answer. According to Wikipedia, the six republics and autonomous provinces that made up the country were: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia, including the autonomous provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo.

Answer: Zion

In the New Testament, Zion is used sometimes to denote the Church of God (Hebrews 12:22), and sometimes the heavenly city (Revelation 14:1).

In the NIV Bible, the place name Zion appears more than 160 times in the Old Testament, but only seven times in the New Testament.