Money Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1 Timothy

A more full version, from 1 Timothy 6:9-10, is as follows: "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou, o man of G-d, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." Basically, it's not money itself, but greed and the pursuit of riches above all other things, particularly at the expense of one's own faith and duty to G-d, which is the evil thing here.

Answer: 30

As the verse says, Judas went to the priests and asked how much it would cost for him to hand Jesus over to them, and they gave him the price of 30 pieces of silver. At the Last Supper, Jesus said that one of the disciples would betray him, but did not name any names.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas kissed Jesus, and this was the cue for the priests to arrest him. Judas later attempted to return the money, and committed suicide out of guilt. His name has since become synonymous with betrayal.

Answer: One-tenth

The idea of tithing, or giving one-tenth of your money to a religious organisation, comes from Jacob's practice of offering one-tenth of what he owns to G-d: "And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be G-d's house; and of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give a tenth unto Thee." Genesis 14:20 also mentions Abraham giving one-tenth of his earnings from war to Melchizedek, the King of Salem.

In Malachi 3:8, G-d reminds the people of Israel to pay their dues: "Will a man rob G-d? Yet ye have robbed Me! But ye say, 'Wherein have we robbed Thee?' In tithes and offerings."

Answer: The lender must give them back by sundown.

The KJV version of Exodus 22:26-27 says, "If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment in pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by the time the sun goeth down, for that is his only covering. It is his raiment for his skin. Wherein shall he sleep?" The same chapter also forbids charging interest on a loan to a poor person. Deuteronomy 24:13 has a similar comment, while Deuteronomy 24:6 also forbids taking millstones as security, as it means you will be taking away the loanee's livelihood.

Answer: 17 shekels

G-d tells Jeremiah that his cousin Hanameel - who really needs the money, as it happens - would tell him to buy his field in Anahoth, as Jeremiah had the right of inheritance. Jeremiah 32:9-12 describes the transaction, the weighing out of 17 silver shekels, and how it was witnessed. G-d then tells him to put the deeds in an earthen vessel to keep them safe.

Answer: Matthew

The 'two masters' are G-d and mammon, which means 'material wealth', but the word 'mammon' has also become synonymous with greed for money. In medieval times, Mammon was one of the seven princes of Hell and a demon associated with the sin of greed (the other six being Asmodeus and lust, Beelzebub and gluttony, Satan and wrath, Lucifer and pride, Belphegor and sloth, and Levianthan and envy).

The full quote from Matthew is, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve G-d and mammon."

Answer: Ananias

Ananias and his wife Sapphira have sold a plot of land, but unlike Barnabas - who did the same thing - they only give some of the proceeds to the Apostles. Peter is angry and accuses Ananias of lying to G-d, and tells him that Satan has filled his heart. Ananias then promptly drops dead. Sapphira turns up later and Peter asks how much they sold their land for.

Not knowing what just happened, she lies about the price, and Peter says, "How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the spirit of the L-rd? Behold, the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out." Sapphira then dies too.

Answer: 5 talents for the first servant, 2 for the second and 1 for the third

A talent was worth about 6000 denarii and was also the equivalent weight in silver to about 36kg/80lb. In the Parable of the Talents, a master - which Jesus compares to the Kingdom of Heaven - splits his money between his servants according to their value; the first servants gets 5 talents, the second gets two and the remaining talent is given to the third. Both the first and second servants are able to double their money by trading, but the third servant buries his talent in the ground.

The master praises the first two servants, but is furious with the third for wasting the opportunity, and gives the talent to the first servant. (This is also the parable where the phrase 'wailing and gnashing of teeth' comes from.)

Answer: True

Work hard and earn your money honestly, and it will grow. To be exact, the verse from Proverbs 13:11 says, "Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but he that gathereth by labour shall increase."

Answer: The rich will not take their money with them when they die.

Specifically, Psalm 49 says, "Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased. For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him." This also ties in with the Jewish belief that when you die, you won't be accompanied by riches and material goods, but by Torah and good deeds. For that reason, the kittel (the shroud in which Jewish men are buried) does not have any pockets; death is, after all, the great equaliser.