A Bible Who Am I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sons of Jacob

Asher was one of the sons Jacob fathered with Zilpah, who was Leah's handmaid, given to Leah by her father, Laban. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and allowed Zilpah to bear Jacob's children when she (Leah) failed to conceive after bearing four sons. Asher was the eighth son fathered by Jacob and became founder of the tribe which occupied the fertile land in the western part of Galilee.

Answer: Minor Prophets

There are books named for twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament and Hosea is the first of them to appear. His timeline coincides with that of king Jeroboam and the division of the Kingdom of Israel. Hosea is known for taking Gomer, a promiscuous woman, as his wife on the direction of God with his marriage providing a metaphor for the failure of the Israelites to remain faithful to God.

The phrase 'reap the whirlwind' comes from the book of Hosea.

Answer: Rulers of Judah

The thirteenth King of Judah, Hezekiah was born in 741 BCE or thereabouts. He is mentioned in several books of the Bible - in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, with a passing mention in Proverbs and in the books of the minor prophets. Hezekiah was active in restoring the worship of Yaweh (God) as the only God, and in restoring the temple of Solomon which his father, Ahaz had allowed to be used for idolatrous purposes.

Hezekiah is described as a righteous king and prophets, including Isaiah and Micah, made prominent prophecies during his reign.

Answer: Sons of Jacob

Like his younger brother, Asher, Gad was fathered by Jacob with Zilpah, making him the seventh born son of Jacob. The tribe of Gad settled to the east of the Jordan river and was one of the tribes which supported the supplanting of King Saul by King David as ruler of a united Israel.

Answer: Minor Prophets

The book of Obadiah is the shortest in the Bible, with only twenty-one verses in one chapter. Little is known of Obadiah himself, and his chapter is solely about his prediction of the fall of Edom. Edom is the nation founded by Esau, the elder brother of Jacob who had supplanted him throughout much of his life.

The kingdom of Edom was in the mountains and somewhat separate from Judah, although still under Jerusalem's control. Obadiah prophesies the downfall of Edom due to their failure to support Judah, which included siding with Babylon in the attack on Jerusalem.

Answer: Rulers of Judah

Rehoboam was the son and successor of Solomon, but did not inherit his father's wisdom. Rehoboam was the king responsible for the splitting of the kingdom and the secession of the northern part of the region, making him the final king of a united Israel and the first king of Judah. Rehoboam initially raised an army to fight against the north, now led by the similarly named Jeroboam, but was dissuaded from pursuing outright war.

His reign lasted for seventeen years with Israel and Judah in a state of hostility throughout this period.

Answer: Sons of Jacob

Zebulun was the tenth son fathered by Jacob and the sixth, and final one, to whom Leah gave birth. The allocation of land his tribe was given ranged from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Sea of Galilee in the east. Access to the ports meant the tribe was prosperous and was symbolised by a ship. Zebulun's tribe was one of those dispersed and/or assimilated when the Assyrians conquered the region in 721 BCE in an event known as the Ten Lost Tribes.

Answer: Minor Prophets

Zephaniah's book is the ninth of those classified as minor prophets in which he describes himself as the son of Cushi and the great great grandson of king Hezekiah. His timeline crosses that of king Josiah, son of king Amon, who also crops up in this quiz. Zephaniah's prophecy is that God will allow Judah to fall to the Babylonians but will also save those who have adhered to His teachings.

Answer: Rulers of Judah

The story of Uzziah, who is also referred to as Azariah, Azarias and Ozias, appears in the Bible in 2 Chronicles. He was the tenth king of Judah, ruling for 52 years according to some sources, or 42 in others. By all accounts, Judah was at the height of its powers during his reign and expanded its borders. Uzziah's downfall came when his pride led him to usurp the duties of the priests and burn incense in the temple. An earthquake occurred, showing God's wrath, and Uzziah was struck with leprosy in punishment.

Answer: Sons of Jacob

Levi was the third son born by Leah, Jacob's first wife, after Reuben and Simeon. Levi himself is recorded in Genesis as being the great-grandfather of Aaron, Moses and Miriam, all of whom were destined to become important in their own right. The Tribe of Levi had the important role of being in charge of religious and political matters and, as such, received taxes known as a tithe.

Answer: Minor Prophets

Haggai's book is the tenth of the twelve classified as being by the minor prophets. His emphasis is on the need to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem, and he also predicts the coming of a Messiah. It is probable that Haggai did not himself write the two chapters of the book bearing his name, with a close associate being more likely.

The four prophecies of the book each bear a precise date, all in 520 BCE.

Answer: Rulers of Judah

Amon is mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles as a wicked king. It was a case of 'like father, like son' as Amon's father Manasseh had rebuilt the pagan places of worship destroyed by his predecessor, Hezekiah. Amon also worshipped pagan gods, including Baal and Molech. Unlike his father, Amon failed to acknowledge God at all and was assassinated after only two years as king and at the age of around twenty-four. Amon's son, Josiah, succeeded him at the age of eight becoming the sixteenth king of Judah.

He turned Judah away from idolatry and re-established the worship of Yaweh.

Answer: Sons of Jacob

Issachar is the fifth son born to Leah and the ninth fathered by Jacob. His tribe was allocated land running from the river Jordan to Mount Carmel when Joshua divided up Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel i.e. the sons of Jacob. Members of Issachar's tribe were renowned as religious scholars and adept at converting others to their faith.

The sons excluded from the quiz were the better known ones such as the two eldest, Reuben and Simeon, and the two youngest, Joseph and Benjamin. The other three omissions were Dan, Napthali and Judah.

Answer: Minor Prophets

While not being the last question of the quiz, Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament - something those of us who play quizzes regularly are likely to know and answer when participating in such quizzes. Malachi is not believed to be a person - the name means 'my messenger'.

The Book of Malachi reinforces the prophecy of the approaching day of judgement and the need to remain faithful to the true God, Yahweh. Scholars have dated it to the first half of the fifth century BCE.

Answer: Rulers of Judah

Jotham was the son and successor of Uzziah, making him the eleventh king of Judah. As mentioned previously, Uzziah was a leper for the final years of his life and it is generally accepted that Jotham ruled jointly with his father. Although Jotham himself was a godly man, he allowed his subjects to worship as they pleased and his son, Ahaz, who deposed his father with the support of the Assyrians, is classed as one of the wicked kings of Judah.

The kings of Judah are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, whether they were good or evil.