Ezra Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cyrus

Ezra 1:1a: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.

Cyrus means "like the sun". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great)
Perhaps the reason that Cyrus was well liked was because he was so generous and full of mercy.

Answer: Jericho

Ezra 2:21 The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and three.
Ezra 2:34 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

These children were returning to their homes after having been held prisoner for so long.

On March 16, 2005 Israel turned the present day Jericho over to Palastine. Israel had captured it in 1967 during the Six-Day War.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho)

Answer: 20

Ezra 3:8: Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.

The Levites were the only tribe to have cities but no tribal land.
(http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Levites)

Answer: writer

Ezra 4:8: Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort.

Shimshai was Rehum's secretary.
(http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/Sh/Shimshai.html)

Answer: Haggai

Ezra 5:1: Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

Haggai is one of the twelve minor prophets. The others are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Zechariah and Malachi. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_prophets)

Answer: Cyrus

Ezra 6:3-4 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; 4 With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.

King Darius also made similar decrees about the temples he made (Ezra 6:1)

Answer: Eleazar

Ezra 7:5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest.

Eleanzar's mother was Elizabeth. (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05373b.htm)

Answer: Jehiel

Ezra 8:9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

Obadiah means "servant of the Yah". He is one of the minor prophets. (http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p56.htm) NB: Yah is another word for "Lord".

Answer: Leave their wives

Ezra 10:3: Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

Ezra knew not only were the people around him guilty of sin, but so was he. It was considered bad to marry outside of the Jewish faith if you were Jewish back then.

The fact that Ezra knew he wasn't perfect, and had weaknesses is what made him such a strong leader.

Answer: children

Ezra 10:44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

Ezra means "God helps". (http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p15.htm)

Ezra is sometimes called the father of the Jews because he was so important in Jewish history. (from the book Sources of Stregth by Jimmy Carter)

I hope you enjoyed the quiz. The next one will be questions about the book of Nehemiah.