A Quick Look at Queens and Women with Power Quiz

Answer: Tahpenes

Tahpenes is the correct answer. However, her name appears in passing reference in the Old Testament. 1 Kings 11:19 states the Pharaoh gave the unnamed sister of Tahpenes as a wife to Hadad, a son of the king of Edom who fled to Egypt after being defeated in battle by the Israelites.

Scripture goes on to state the unnamed sister of Queen Tahpenes was the mother of Genubath and she weaned the infant in the Pharaoh's house. Hadad would go on to become a major adversary of Solomon.

Answer: Vashti

Vashti was deposed as queen after she refused a request of Ahasuerus, king of Persia, to parade before a gathering of officials to show her beauty. According to Esther 1:10-12, "the heart of the king was merry with wine" when he requested Vashti to appear before the officials he was entertaining. Vashti, however, refused to fulfill the king's request with Scripture stating he "was furious, and his anger burned within him." Shortly afterwards, Vashti would be deposed as queen. After this incident, there is no further mention of Vashti in Scripture.

There are different interpretations of the account pertaining to Vashti, but some scholars believe she refused the king's request because he wanted her to appear naked before the gathering, wearing only her crown.

Esther 1:11 simply states the king requested Esther to make the appearance "wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold."

One thing is certain, however. Vashti was not afraid to take a stand regardless of the consequences. According to Wikipedia, Harriet Beecher Stowe called Vashti's disobedience the "first stand for woman's rights."

Answer: Esther

Esther, who was originally known as Hadassah, was an orphan who ascended to become queen of Persia, replacing Vashti when she was deposed.

According to Esther 2:15, Esther was the daughter of Abihail but no name is given for her mother. No information is given about the cause of their deaths. Esther 1:11 states she was adopted by Mordecai, a cousin, after her parents died. The verse also states Esther was "lovely and beautiful".

Answer: Deborah

In addition to being a judge of Israel, Deborah was also a prophetess. It was under her dynamic leadership the Israelites scored a spectacular military victory over the Canaanites. Although the military was led by Barak, Deborah was also instrumental in leading the Israelites to victory in battle.

In fact, Barak had refused to lead the Israelites into battle against Sisera and the Canaanites unless Deborah accompanied him.

In Judges 4:8, Barak is quoted as telling Deborah: "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!"

Verse 9 tells of Deborah's response: "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman."

Sure enough, Scripture goes on to tell of the Israelites trouncing Sisera and his army in a one-sided battle.

Answer: Athalia

Wicked. Evil. Vile. Despicable. Disgusting. Those are just some of the words that come to mind when one thinks about Athalia, queen of Judah. According to Scripture, Athalia became queen when her son Ahaziah, king of Judah, was assassinated. To cement her hold on power, she killed her grandchildren so there would be no one in line to replace her son.

An account of Athaliah's repulsive actions can be found in the 11th chapter of 2 Kings as well as the 22nd and 23rd chapters of 2 Chronicles. Being the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Kings 8:18), it appears she came about her sickening ways honestly.

Athaliah ruled for six turbulent years, with her reign coming to an abrupt end when she was killed in an insurrection. 2 Kings 11:20 states "all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm" when the news was announced the wicked queen had been killed.

Answer: Jezebel

Jezebel is often regarded as the most wicked person in the Bible -- and that's a mouthful. The reason she tops the list of wickedness is the fact she was a vehement opponent of the prophets of God having many of them killed. In fact, 1 Kings 18:4 states Jezebel "massacred the prophets of the LORD." On top of this, Jezebel and her evil husband, Ahab, king of Israel, promoted the worshiping of false gods in Israel.

Jezebel is also known for her fierce opposition to Elijah, a major prophet of God in the Old Testament.

Answer: Bathsheba

Bathsheba is the correct answer. She was the wife of David and the mother of Solomon. According to Scripture, Bathsheba played a key role in helping her son become king. The first chapter of 1 Kings tells of Adonijah, the son of David and Haggith, attempting to become king when David was elderly and in failing health.

However, Bathsheba and Nathan, a prophet of God, joined forces to ensure Solomon became king over Adonijah. The chapter concludes with details about Solomon replacing David as king.

Answer: Drusilla

Drusilla, a Jewish woman, was the powerful wife of Felix, as per Acts 24:24. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, appeared before Felix, before being sent to Rome to appear before Caesar.

According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, Felix ruled Judea "in a mean, cruel and profligate manner" with his time in office being full of troubles and seditions.

Power came naturally to Drusilla as she was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I. She lost her life in AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted.

Answer: Herodias

Herodias, the wife of Herod, detested John the Baptist because he denounced her marriage. Scripture states John denounced the marriage because she left her first husband and married his half brother, as per Mark 6:18. Verse 19 goes on to state Herodias "held it against" John the Baptist and "wanted to kill him."

Herodias would eventually be successful in having John killed when she pulled strings behind the scene.

For details, see Mark 6:14-29.

Answer: Candace

Acts 8:26-40 tells of Philip converting an unnamed Ethiopian eunuch to Christianity. According to the passage, the man was "of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury."

This is the only mention of Candace in the Christian Bible.

According to Biblegateway.com, tradition has it the eunuch preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Candace and she, too, embraced Christianity.