People From the Good Book Trivia Quiz

Answer: St. Joseph

St. Joseph was the husband of the virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. The other options are the Apostles of Jesus who meet him after he is an adult. St. Joseph is the only one who would have held Jesus as a baby. This simple carpenter is one of the most venerated of the saints. As well known as he is, he is rarely mentioned in the Bible and disappears completely after Jesus is 12 years old and visits the temple during Passover (Luke 2:41-51).

This lovely painting titled "St. Joseph" is by Robert la Longe circa 1645-1709.

Answer: St. Stephen

This depiction of St. Stephen shows the rocks which were used to stone him to death. His story can be found in the Acts of the Apostles usually referred to as Acts. The Bible recounts that Stephen was a deacon appointed to provide charity to the poorer members of the community while spreading the word. Acts, chapter 7 tells of his trial for blasphemy and his response to his accusers. He is stoned to death by an angry crowd when he preaches against the Jewish law of the time.

This painting of St. Stephen is from The Demidoff Altarpiece by Carlo Crivelli in 1476.

Answer: Esther

The basic story of Esther is something of a political satire that remains true even today. It is the story about how dangerous it is to give absolute power to someone who might be a fool. Her husband Ahasuerus governed using his mood not wisdom or fairness. He was the tool of anyone who was shrewd enough to exploit his foolishness. She attempted to stop a battle between the Jews and the Persians and is often credited with instituting the Jewish holiday of Purim which celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish population from the Persians who had set out to destroy them. What Ahasuerus did not know was that his wife Esther was Jewish and believed in tolerance between those of differing beliefs.

The lovely painting of Esther entitled "Queen Esther" was done by English painter Edwin Long in 1878.

Answer: False

This image displays St. Thomas not St. Luke. He is the origin of the term "doubting Thomas" and is shown putting his finger in the wounds of Jesus. He is credited with spreading Christian beliefs into India where he was living at the time Mary died. He is said to have been the only apostle to witness her assumption into heaven and his story is doubted by the other apostles. It is not until they visit her tomb and it is empty that they believe him.

This beautiful painting was done by Italian Baroque master Caravaggio around 1601-1602 and was given the apt title "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas".

Answer: Moses

The story of Moses is found in the book of Exodus. It tells how the Egyptian Pharaoh wanted all the Jewish male babies in his kingdom killed in order to control the number of Jews in his country. In an attempt to save his life, Moses' mother hid him in a basket in the Nile river where he was discovered and adopted by the daughter of the Pharaoh.(Exodus 2:1-10) Moses is one of the most important figures in the Judeo/Christian religion. He is said to have parted the Red Sea in order to save the Hebrews from the Pharaoh's army which was following them in order to kill them. His story is one of the longest and most detailed in the Bible and the Torah.

The lovely depiction of this story was done by French painter James Tissot around 1900 and is entitled "Moses Laid Amid the Flags".

Answer: We do not know what happened to Lazarus after his resurrection.

Lazarus is usually described as a close friend of Jesus. When he took ill his sisters sent a message to Jesus requesting he come to them. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus is said to have already been dead for four days. Jesus went to his tomb and had the stone removed. He is said to have called out to Lazarus and raised him from the dead. This is usually listed as one of the great miracles performed by Jesus. After this story in the book of John, Lazarus is rarely mentioned again and we do not know what happened to him or how he died. The story of St. Lazarus can be found in the Gospel of John, chapter 11.

This is an image of "The Raising of Lazarus" by Geertgen Tot Sint Jans around 1480.

Answer: Judas

According to the Gospel of Matthew 26:15, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and turned him over to his accusers. He is usually depicted as giving Jesus a kiss to identify him to the authorities who were looking for him. It is from this action that we derive the term "The Judas Kiss", which refers to any act of treachery or treason. He is said to have hung himself afterward which could insinuate that he went to hell. Stories as to his fate and what he did with the money vary, but he is certainly one of the most well-known traitors in the world.

This haunting painting is the work of Brazilian artist Jose Ferraz de Almeida around 1880 and is titled "Judas' Regret".

Answer: False

There is a lot of theological debate as to the role of Mary Magdalene. She has been said to have been everything from a prostitute to the wife of Jesus. But she is not listed anywhere as being the sister of Jesus. She was a figure in the New Testament, where she is usually portrayed as one of Jesus' most loyal followers. She is said to have been at his crucifixion and to have been the first to witness his rebirth. She is often depicted partially dressed to show that she had been a sinner who had been reborn, and possibly to hint that she had been a seductress. She is usually thought to be one of the most influential women in the Bible. She is mentioned in all four gospels and John 20 and Mark 16:9 both cite her as being the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection.

This painting known as "The Penitent Magdalene" is a 1598 masterpiece by Domenico Tintoretto.

Answer: He gave up his tomb for the burial of Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy merchant is said to have given his own tomb to be used for the burial of Jesus after he was crucified. He is credited with being a disciple of Jesus and with preparing his body after crucifixion. (John 19:38) There are many stories about Joseph of Arimathea and what he did with his life after this point. But most of these were written centuries after his lifetime and the truth of what he actually did will always be a matter of theological debate.

This lovely oil painting was done by Pietro Perugino around 1495 and is a detail of a larger painting known as "Lamentation over the Dead Christ".

Answer: John the Baptist

According to the Bible, John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus Christ. He lived a very holy life in the desert where he ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:14). Jesus is said to have been baptized by his cousin leading to the name of "John the Baptist". John the Baptist was beheaded at the request of Salome, the step-daughter of King Herod. This was over the fact the John the Baptist openly condemned the marriage of Herod to her mother who had been, at one time, the wife of his brother.

This image entitled "John the Baptist" is of a 16th century painting by Bartolomeo Veneto; the whereabouts of this painting are not known.