An 'Alex Trebek' Old Testament Quiz -- #2

Answer: Who is Ishmael?

Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaiden. Hagar and Sarah were often at loggerheads and Abraham came to the point where he ordered Hagar and their son Ismael to leave his house.

According to Genesis 25:13-16, Ishmael was the father of twelve sons. They were Nebajoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. Ishmael is generally regarded as the father of the Arab nation.

Answer: Who is Manasseh?

Manasseh was one of two sons of Joseph and Asenath in the Old Testament. The other son was Ephraim. According to Genesis 41:51, Joseph called the name of his firstborn Manasseh, "for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house."

Meanwhile, Verse 52 states he called his second son Ephraim, "for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."

Answer: Who are Nadab and Abihu?

Nadab and Abihu were both struck dead in a case of divine retribution while serving as priests. According to Leviticus 10:1-7, the two sons of Aaron were struck dead after offering "profane fire before the LORD" in the tabernacle of meeting.

Nadab and Abihu were replaced as priests by Eleazar and Ithamar, two other sons of Aaron.

Answer: Who is Michal?

Michal was the daughter of King Saul and the first wife of David. 1 Samuel 18:17-30 tells of Saul requesting David produce one hundred Philistine foreskins to win Michal's hand. The truth of the matter is Saul didn't want David as a son-in-law, he wanted him dead. So by requesting David produce one hundred Philistine foreskins, Saul was expecting him to be killed attempting to achieve the goal.

However, David surprised, and no doubt disappointed, Saul by producing two hundred Philistine foreskins to win Michal's hand.

Answer: Who is Adonijah?

Adonijah sought to replace his father David as king when he was elderly and in failing health. However, it wasn't a bloody coupe attempt like the one staged by Adonijah's brother Absalom.

1 Kings 1:5-27 tells of Absalom receiving support from Joab, commander of the army, and Abiathar, the priest, to achieve his goal. However, Adonijah was thwarted in his bid to become king by Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, and Nathan the prophet. As a result, Solomon became king instead of Adonijah.

Answer: Who is Elimelech?

Elimelech was the husband of Naomi and the father-in-law of Ruth and Orpah. According the Book of Ruth, Elimelch and Naomi had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who were married to Ruth and Orpah, two Moabite women.

The Book of Ruth tells of Elimelech and his two sons dying and Naomi, Ruth and Oraph becoming widows.

Answer: Who is Jehu?

Jehu was king of Israel and the killer of Jezebel, generally regarded as the most wicked woman in the Bible. 2 Kings 9 tells of Elisha calling on an unnamed son of the prophets to anoint Jehu with oil, indicating he is the new king. The chapter goes on to tell of Jezebel being trampled by a horse Jehu was riding after she was thrown out of a window by some of her assistants.

2 Kings 10 goes on to tell of Jehu killing no less than seventy sons of Ahab, Jezebel's evil husband. After this, Jehu rounded up worshippers of Baal and killed them as well. According to 2 Kings 10:36, Jehu ruled over Israel twenty-eight years.

Answer: Who is Elisha?

Elisha performed a number of miracles but the most unusual one has to be when he commanded an ax head to float on the Jordan River. According to 2 Kings 6:1-7, the incident happened when Elisha and sons of prophets were cutting trees along the Jordan River for the purpose of constructing a new dwelling. Unexpectedly, one of the ax heads fell into the water and the unnamed person who was wielding the ax was deeply worried as he had borrowed it.

The passage states the man pointed out where the ax head fell and Elisha "cut off a stick, and threw it in there and he made the iron float." The man then reached out and retrieved the ax head.

Answer: Who is Daniel?

When a disembodied hand started writing on a wall at a gala banquet hosted by King Belshazzar of Babylon, no one could decipher the message. Even when the king called in wise men, they could not render an interpretation. However, things changed dramatically when Daniel, also known as Belteshazzar, was called to interpret the writing.

Daniel told Belshazzar the message was filled with doom and gloom as the king was about to die and his kingdom fall into the hands of someone else. Sure enough, shortly after Daniel made his announcement, Scripture states Belshazzar died and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.

See Daniel 5:1-31 for details.

Answer: Who is Amos?

Amos is the correct answer. He was the writer of the book that bears his name and is part of the Minor Prophet section of the Old Testament. (In the Hebrew Bible, the Minor Prophet section is known as the Twelve Prophets.)

According to Amos 1:1, Amos was a sheepbreeder from Tekoa and he prophesied in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and Jeroboam, king of Israel.