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The Feast of the Epiphany Trivia Quiz

The visitation of the Wise Men (Magi) to Bethlehem gave rise to a Christian feast day from which numerous traditions arose. This quiz tests your knowledge of both the biblical event and the art, music, food and elaborations which followed.

A multiple-choice quiz by FatherSteve. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
FatherSteve

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
249,546

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
4378

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

Last 3 plays: Guest 69 (8/10), Guest 90 (8/10), Guest 75 (6/10).

Question 1 of 10

1. How many Wise Men (Magi) visited Joseph, Jesus and Mary in Bethlehem? Hint

Two

The Bible does not say

Three

Four

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which King of Israel wanted to kill the baby who would grow to become the Messiah? Hint

Herod

Quirinius

Caesar Augustus

Flavius Josephus

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Question 3 of 10

3. Who wrote the text of the Epiphany carol "We Three Kings of Orient Are"? Hint

John Henry Hopkins Jr.

Charles Wesley

Phillips Brooks

Father Josef Mohr

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Question 4 of 10

4. The story of the visit of the Wise Men (Magi) appears in the Gospel according to whom? Hint

Mark

Matthew

Luke

John

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which of the following is not a kind of Three Kings Cake? Hint

Kulitch

Galette des Rois

La Rosca de Reyes

Dreik�nigskuchen

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Question 6 of 10

6. Whose poem "The Journey of the Magi" begins "A cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year for a journey, and such a long journey"? Hint

William Butler Yeats

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

O. Henry

T.S. Eliot

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is the origin and meaning of the word "epiphany"? Hint

From the Greek, meaning "before Lent"

From the German, meaning "after Christmas"

From the Latin, meaning "astrologers or magicians"

From the Greek, meaning "to show forth"

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Question 8 of 10

8. What are/were the three traditional names assigned to the Wise Men (Magi)? Hint

Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar

Peter, Paul and James

Huey, Dewey and Louie

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

9. "The Adoration of the Magi" was commissioned in the late 15th Century as an altarpiece for the Augustinian monks of San Donato a Scopeto in Florence. It was unfinished and now hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Who painted it? Hint

Leonardo da Vinci

Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi

Andrea del Verrocchio

Sandro Botticelli

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Question 10 of 10

10. What is myrrh? Hint

A mercurial compound used to treat flesh wounds

The Arabic word for silver

The dried sap of an African tree used anciently in embalming ointments and burned at funerals.

Nutmeg

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How many Wise Men (Magi) visited Joseph, Jesus and Mary in Bethlehem?

Answer: The Bible does not say

The tradition that there were three arises from the three gifts that were given to the Holy Family.

2. Which King of Israel wanted to kill the baby who would grow to become the Messiah?

Answer: Herod

Caesar Augustus was the chief of the Roman state. Quirinius was the Roman governor of Syria. Flavius Josephus was the Jewish historian who chronicled Herod's reign.

3. Who wrote the text of the Epiphany carol "We Three Kings of Orient Are"?

Answer: John Henry Hopkins Jr.

The Rev. John H. Hopkins, an Episcopal priest, wrote the text of this hymn in 1857 for a Christmas pageant at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Phillips Brooks, also an Episcopal priest, wrote the text to "O Little Town of Bethlehem" in 1865. Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley, wrote the text to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" in (about) 1739. Father Josef Mohr wrote the text to "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night") in 1816.

4. The story of the visit of the Wise Men (Magi) appears in the Gospel according to whom?

Answer: Matthew

Mark begins his Gospel with John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. Luke jumps from the Nativity to when Jesus was twelve years old. John begins before the creation of the earth and then recounts Jesus' adult ministry.

5. Which of the following is not a kind of Three Kings Cake?

Answer: Kulitch

La Rosca de Reyes is the Mexican Three Kings Cake. Galette des Rois is the French Three Kings Cake. Dreik�nigskuchen is the German Three Kings Cake. Kulitch is a Russian Easter Cake.

6. Whose poem "The Journey of the Magi" begins "A cold coming we had of it, just the worst time of the year for a journey, and such a long journey"?

Answer: T.S. Eliot

William Butler Yeats wrote a short poem called "The Magi". O. Henry wrote a short story entitled "The Gift of the Magi". Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a Christmas poem named "The Three Kings".

7. What is the origin and meaning of the word "epiphany"?

Answer: From the Greek, meaning "to show forth"

The Greek components are epi- (meaning "on" or "to") and -phainein (meaning "to show").

8. What are/were the three traditional names assigned to the Wise Men (Magi)?

Answer: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar

Huey, Dewey and Louie are Donald Duck's nephews. Peter, Paul and James are all apostles. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were the three young Hebrew men cast into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:1-29). The Bible does not say how many wise men visited the Holy Family - the tradition that there were three arises from the three gifts that were given to them.

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci

Andrea del Verrocchio was Leonardo's master and teacher. Sandro Botticelli painted "The Adoration of the Magi for Santa Maria Novella in (about) 1476. Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi collaborated to produce a round (tondo) painting of "The Adoration of the Magi" in the 1400s.

10. What is myrrh?

Answer: The dried sap of an African tree used anciently in embalming ointments and burned at funerals.

Myrrh comes from the trees Commiphora myrrha and/or Balsamodendron kua. Fiddah is the Arabic word for silver. Common nutmeg is of the species Myristica fragrans. Merbromin or Mercurochrome was a common antiseptic in the United States until it was banned in 1998 because of the fear of mercury poisoning.

Source: Author FatherSteve

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ArleneRimmer before going online.
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