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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 65 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Bible People
Zaccheus. Zaccheus made a plan to see Jesus! See the tale in Luke 19 onwards.
Zacharias was the father of John the Baptist, husband of Elizabeth. See Luke Chapter 1.
Zadok was a priest, a descendant of Aaron. Find him in 2 Samuel 15:24 onwards.
Zerubabbel led the first group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem. His story is told in Ezra Chapters 2-5.
Vashti. Esther's story is one of great courage as well as loyalty to her people, the Jews, and well worth reading in the book of Esther.
The witch of Endor was the woman with a 'familiar spirit' that Saul consulted. I Samuel 28:7
Most of us remember the wife of Lot looking back at the destruction of evil, and being turned into a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26) She is never named in the Bible.
We find the widow of Zeraphath gathering sticks to cook her last meal, as she and her son had nothing left to eat, when Elijah found her. See I Kings 17:8 onwards.
Uriah. Uriah's story of love, intrigue and murder can be found in 2 Samuel 11.
Uzziah was a king of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 15:1-7) He was also called Azzariah.
Uzzah was the son of Abinadab. He was the unfortunate young man who tried to steady the Ark, and he died. (2 Samuel 6:3-8)
Ur was the place where Abraham grew up. It's usually referred to as Ur of the Chaldees (Chaldeans). Genesis 11:26-28
Tamar. Tamar's story is told in Genesis 38.
Terah was the father of Abraham. Genesis 11:27
Tabitha was a disciple at Joppa, also called Dorcas. Acts 9:36
Thomas was a disciple. He was sometimes called doubting Thomas as he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw with his own eyes. John 20:27
Samson. The story of Samson's weaknesses and his ultimate triumph, at death, are told in Judges, from chapter 13.
Samuel was a judge, a prophet and a priest. His story is told in I Samuel 1-28.
Sennacherib was a king of Assyria. 2 Kings 18:13
Shadrach was one of the three young Jewish men who, with Daniel, defied King Nebuchadnezzar's orders to bow to the idol he had made of himself. Daniel 3:16-18
Rahab. Rahab bargained their lives for the lives of herself and her family. Read this story in Joshua 2.
Ruth was the widowed daughter-in-law who chose to stay with Naomi, her mother-in-law, and vowed '...your people will be my people, and your God will be my God..' Ruth 1:16
Rachel was the beloved wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Her story begins in Genesis 29.
Rebeccah was the 'lady at the well' that became the wife of Isaac. Read her life story in Genesis 24.
Potiphar. The story of Potiphar starts in Genesis 37:36.
Philip was a deacon in charge of food distribution. When he left Jerusalem to spread the Gospel, he concentrated on Samaria.
Patmos was a barren island situated in the Aegean Sea to which the Apostle John was banished.
Perez was one of the twin sons of Tamar, fathered by Jacob. His brother was Zerah. Genesis 38 tells you the story.
Obed. We find Obed's ancestry in Ruth 4:21-22 and his place in Joseph's family tree in Matthew 1:5-6.
Onesimus was a slave of Philemon, converted under the preaching of Paul. Colossians 4:9
Othniel was a judge of Israel for forty years. Judges 3:7
Og was the king of Bashan, defeated at the battle of Edrei by Moses. Numbers 21:33
Naaman. Naaman considered himself snubbed when Elisha sent a messenger to him telling him to go and wash seven times in the Jordan, but once his servants persuaded him to do it, it worked! Read the story in II Kings chapter 5 onwards.
Nahum was one of the twelve minor prophets of Judah. See the Book of Nahum.
Sure, we all met Noah in Sunday school. If not, he was the believing man of God who built the ark. Genesis chapters 5-9 tell an amazing story of the faith of man and the faithfulness of God.
Nicodemus was a Jewish ruler who 'came to Jesus by night'. John 3:1-2
Zechariah. Zechariah was the husband of Elisabeth. The couple was old and didn't have any children. Zechariah was a priest and was working in the temple when an angel appeared to him and told him that he would have a son. He did not believe and as a result was made dumb (or mute) until the birth of his son, John the Baptist. (Luke Chapter 1)
Zephaniah was a minor prophet; his message is recorded in the Old Testament and named after him.
There are two Bible characters with the name Zedekiah. One was the last king of Judah while the other was a false prophet. (2 Kings 24-25; 1 Kings 22:2; Chronicles 18)
Zebedee (the gift of God) was the father of James and John. (Matthew 4:21-22)
| Consider the names Xerxes (NIV) and Ahasuerus (KJV). True or false: Do these names refer to the same person, a Persian king in the Book of Esther? | Bible People From A to Z
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True. King Ahasuerus, king of ancient Persia, was possibly Xerxes I, who reigned from 486 to 465 B.C. He was the son of Darius 1 and Atossa, who was the daughter of Cyrus the Great. He was succeeded by his son Artaxerxes I.
The name Xerxes, being Greek, is not found in the King James version of the Bible but is mentioned 30 times in the NIV.
(Ezra 4:6, Esther 1-10 and Daniel 9:1)
Vashti. Preceding the divorce of Queen Vashti, the king held a banquet for the princes, nobles and servants, while Vashti held one for the women. On the seventh day of the banquet, after drinking wine and making merry, the king sent for Vashti so he could show off her beauty. Vashti refused to appear before the king, who in turn became angry. His advisor Memucen suggested that he divorce Vashti and find another queen lest word of Vashti's disobedience spread and other wives begin to act similarly. The king took his advice.
Uriah. Uriah the Hittite was a devoted soldier in King David's army. He was married to Bathsheba. David slept with Bathsheba while Uriah was at war and she became pregnant. In an attempt to cover his sin, David tried to make Uriah quit war and go home to be with his wife. Uriah refused to go home to his wife out of loyalty to his soldiers. David then had Uriah sent to the front line of the battle, where he was killed. (2 Samuel 11)
Uri (whose name means "my light") was the son of Hur and the father of Bezalal. There are other Uris. (Exodus 32:1)
Uzziah, also known as Azariah, was a king of Judah for 52 years. He went into the temple to offer incense, a job for priests only. As a result, he was punished with a skin disease. (2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 26)
| In Acts Chapter 9, the story is told of a Christian woman named Dorcas who made clothes for poor people. By what other name was Dorcas known? | Bible People From A to Z
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Tabitha. The Bible mentions that Dorcas was a follower of Jesus. She was noted for helping the poor. When she got sick and died, the disciples sent for Peter. He came and prayed for Dorcas and she rose from the dead. (Acts 9:36-41)
Tamar (meaning date palm) was a daughter of King David.
Tiffany and Teisha aren't mentioned in the Bible.
| The first king of Israel was a Benjaminite. He was taller than any other Israelite and very handsome. What was the name of this king? | Bible People From A to Z
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Saul. The Israelites wanted to be like other nations, having a king to rule over them. At the time their leader was Samuel the prophet. The leaders of Israel approached Samuel making their request for a king. Through God's guidance, Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. (1 Samuel 8 and 9)
There are several Simons mentioned in the Bible. The name's best known use is as the original name of Peter.
Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve, born when Adam was 130 years old.
Shem is mentioned as the eldest son of Noah's three.
| When Abraham was old, he sent his servant in search of a wife for his son Isaac. His servant prayed to God for guidance and was able to find Isaac's future wife in Harran. What was her name? | Bible People From A to Z
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Rebekah. After Sarah's death, Abraham called his servant who was in charge of his estate and made him swear to go back to his homeland and find a wife for his son Isaac. He didn't want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman. His servant embarked upon the project, taking gifts. With God's help, Rebekah, who was the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, was identified as the potential wife for Isaac. Isaac made Rebekah his wife and was comforted after his mother's death. (Genesis Chapter 24)
Rachael was a daughter of Laban and favourite wife of Jacob.
Rahab was the Jericho prostitute who hid two of Joshua's spies at her house. In return, when Jericho was captured, Rahab and her family were saved. (Joshua 2 and 6)
Rhoda was the servant girl who answered the door when Peter was released from prison.(Acts 12:12-16)
| According to 1 Kings Chapter 10, which queen, when she heard of Solomon's wisdom, visited and brought him gifts? | Bible People From A to Z
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Queen of Sheba. The Bible records that the Queen of Sheba visited and communed with Solomon. He answered all of her questions. She was impressed with his wisdom and blessed him with gifts of gold, spices, and precious stones. (1 Kings Ch 10)
Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, king of Israel. She worshiped Baal and Asherah. She had many of God's prophets killed. Eventually, she had a violent death, being thrown from an upstairs window after which dogs ate most of her body. (2 Kings 9)
Queen Esther was known for her courage, beauty and patriotism. Through her, the destruction of the Jews was averted. This story can be found in the book of Esther.
Queen Candace was Queen of the Ethiopians, baptised by Phillip the Evangelist. (Acts 18:27)
Potiphar. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph was taken to Egypt, where he was bought by Potiphar. Potiphar soon made Joseph head of his estate. Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of rape because he denied her advances. Instead of being executed, however, Joseph was sent to prison, where he became known for interpreting dreams. It was this gift that facilitated his release some time later.
Several Pharaohs were mentioned in the Old Testament, including the one in the time of Moses, who was forced to let the children of Israel go. (Exodus)
Philemon, after whom a New Testament book is named, was a Christian friend of Paul. He lived in Colossae.
Pilate was the Roman governor who released Barabbas and sentenced Jesus to be crucified.
Obed. Obed was the son of Ruth and Boaz, father of Jesse and grandfather of King David.
There are two biblical characters with this name; one was King Ahab's steward and the other was a minor prophet. An Old Testament book is named after the latter. (1 Kings 12 and Obadiah)
Onesimus was Philemon's slave who had run away. Paul was instrumental in his return. (Colossians 4 and Philemon)
Othniel was the first judge in Israel. (Joshua 15 and Judges 3)
Laban. Laban was the son of Bethuel and brother of Rebekah, Isaac's wife. He lived in Harran and accepted his nephew Jacob into his household when Jacob had to leave home, having cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob loved and wanted to marry Rachel. Laban agreed that Jacob should work as an indentured servant for seven years as payment for Rachel; however, he tricked him into marrying Leah instead. Jacob was made to work another seven years as payment for Rachel's hand in marriage. (Genesis 29)
Lamech was a descendant of Cain. (Genesis 4:17-18)
Lot was Abraham's nephew, who chose to live in the fertile plain of Sodom.(Genesis).
King Lemuel is mentioned in Proverbs 31.
Keturah . After the death of Sarah, Abraham married Keturah, who bore him six sons (Genesis 25:1-6). Abraham gave the sons of his concubines gifts and sent them away from his son Isaac. They are said to represent the Arab tribes east and south of Canaan. Abraham was thus the "Father of Many Nations."
| After the death of Moses, this character was entrusted with leadership of the Israelites and led them into the promised land. He's known for this quote: "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."(KJV)
To which biblical character do these facts pertain? | Bible People From A to Z
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Joshua. The name Joshua means "Yahweh/God is salvation". Before Moses' death, he sent 12 spies to survey Canaan and provide a report. Of the 12 spies, only two returned with a favorable report, Joshua and Caleb. These two men had faith that, with God's help, they would possess the land of Canaan. As such, of all the Israelites who migrated from Egypt, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who lived to occupy Canaan. Joshua succeeded Moses as leader of Israel. He led them into the land of Canaan and divided it up amongst the 12 tribes. He admonished them to love and obey God using himself and family as examples. (Exodus 17:9 , Numbers 13-14 and Joshua)
Jesus is the Christian Messiah. He has over 100 names and titles in the Bible, for example, Son of God (Mark 1:1), Son of David (Matthew 15:24), King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16), Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6, which Christians teach refers to Jesus) and Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Accounts of his birth, life on earth, crucifixion and resurrection are recorded in the Gospels.
Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. (Genesis)
Joel, son of Pethuel, was a prophet after whom an Old Testament book is named.
Ishmael. Ishmael was the first son of Abraham. His mother was Sarah's maidservant, Hagar. Sarah was unable to bear children at the time so she allowed Abraham to have a child with Hagar. When Hagar became pregnant, Sarah treated her badly so she ran away. An angel told her to return and promised that her son Ishmael would be the founder of a nation. Years later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, Abraham's second son. One day, Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac so she asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away, which he did. Ishmael later married an Egyptian woman and had 12 sons. (Genesis 16 and 17)
Isaac was the son God promised to Abraham and Sarah. He was the father of the twins Esau and Jacob.
The latter was renamed Israel. He had 12 sons from whence we get the 12 tribes of Israel.
Issachar, being a son of Jacob/Israel, was the leader of one of the Israelite tribes.
Felix. Felix was the Roman Governor who kept Paul in prison for two years, hoping for a bribe. (Acts 23:24; 24:1-27)
Eve. As recorded in the second chapter of Genesis, God thought it was not good for Adam to be without a companion. He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and performed an operation on him, removing one of his ribs. From this rib, he made a beautiful companion for Adam, Eve. The couple lived in the Garden of Eden initially but were later banished due to disobedience. (Genesis 2:18 - 3:24)
Elisabeth was the wife of the priest Zacharias and mother of John the Baptist. (Luke chapter 1)
Esther was the beautiful queen who replaced Queen Vashti. The story of Esther is recorded in an Old Testament book named after her.
Eunice was the mother of Timothy. (Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5)
| In the book of Numbers, of the 12 spies sent by Moses to assess the promised land, only two returned with favorable reports. One was named Joshua, but who was the other optimistic spy? | Bible People From A to Z
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Caleb. Caleb and Joshua were the only spies who believed that God was able to help the Israelites conquer the promised Land. The other spies reported that there were giants in the land. This report stirred fear amongst the Israelites although God had proven himself when he delivered them from the Egyptians. (Numbers 13:1-14, 9)
Cornelius was a Roman Captain stationed in Caesarea. He was a prayerful man and was noted for alms giving. (Acts 10)
Caiaphas was a High Priest in Jerusalem. He and his father-in-law, Annas, claimed that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy and, as such, sent him before Pilate for sentencing. (Matthew 26:3)
Cain was the first-born son of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 4:1-2)
| According to the Bible, God created the first man from the dust of the earth.
Who was this first man? | Bible People From A to Z
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Adam. The word Adam is Hebrew in origin. It means "man." Adam was the proper name for the first man God created. The story of Adam's creation can be found from Genesis 1:27 to chapter 5. In addition, in 1 Corinthians 15:45 we read "And so it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul." (KJV)
Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 4:1-2)
Aaron was the son of Amram and brother of Moses and Miriam. He was the spokesperson for Moses when they pleaded with the Egyptian king Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go. (Exodus 4:14; chapters 5 - 12)
Abraham was the son of Terah and husband of Sarah. He was known for his obedience to God in that he was willing to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, upon God's request. (Genesis 22:1-13)
| "Well, I'm not so sure about this but the Lord told me to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and heal Saul, the very same Saul who has killed so many of Christ's followers. So, yeah I'm more than a little nervous but I know that God has it all under control so I'm going... Prayers please."
Who might have updated their Facebook status with this posting? | Bible People's Facebook Status
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Ananias. Ananias might have posted this after he was told by God to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and heal him. He protested to God but God told him to go because he had a plan for Saul's life.
Saul had been going from Jerusalem to Damascus to capture the Christians he could find. On the way there, a light came down from Heaven and Jesus asked him why he was persecuting him. He then told Saul to go to the city and he'd be told what to do from there. After this, Saul got up but was blinded by the light so the men with him helped him to the city.
Ananias went to the house and did as the Lord had told him. Saul was healed and filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time.
This can all be found in Acts 9.
| "I've just received the most vivid vision I've ever seen! It's all about the end times. I'll probably be gone for a while typing it all up along with the seven letters God told me to write to Churches in the province of Asia. More info later."
Who might have posted this from the island of Patmos? | Bible People's Facebook Status
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John. John might have posted this after receiving the vision which he described in depth in the book of Revelation. The letters to the seven churches can be found in Revelation 2-3. His description of the vision can be found in Revelation 4-22.
| "I can't believe this! Here I was thinking I would go into Nineveh, tell them to repent, they'd refuse and then they would receive the judgement they deserve. But no, why would that happen? They repented and God let them live! After all they did to God's chosen people, didn't they deserve to die? How could God let them live? I'm SO mad at God right now!"
Who might have posted this on their wall? | Bible People's Facebook Status
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Jonah. Jonah might have posted this after God sent him to Nineveh to tell the people there to repent or they would be destroyed. After he ran from the situation and went through some bizarre situations (including being swallowed by a whale and being puked out after three days in its stomach) as God had to pull him back on the right track, he arrived in Nineveh and started telling them to repent. They listened to him and the king ordered that everyone fast and wear sackcloth. When God saw what they did, he had compassion on them and didn't destroy them.
When Jonah heard that God had had compassion on them, he was angered at God and even asked God to take his life because Jonah thought it was better to be dead than to live. God then told him that he had no right to be angry. This can all be found in the book of Jonah in the Old Testament.
| "Oh my goodness! My donkey just spoke to me! She was acting weird and kept turning when I didn't tell her to turn so I beat her and then she asked me, I mean literally asked me why I was beating her! I may have to join the circus with this act!"
Who might have posted this on Facebook? | Bible People's Facebook Status
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Balaam. In Numbers 22 Balak, the king of Moab, saw that the Israelites had settled next to him and were too numerous for him to defeat and drive away. He decided to have Balaam curse them because he thought this would make him able to defeat them. He sent men with money for Balaam asking him to curse Israel for him. Balaam told the men to stay with him. So they stayed and that night the Lord told him not to do it, so he refused the offer and sent the men back to the king. The king then sent another bunch of men to Balaam and he told them to stay the night while he asked God what to do. God told him to go but only to do what he was told to do.
The next morning Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the men. The angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose Balaam. When Balaam's donkey saw the angel, she turned off the road and Balaam beat her and got her back onto the road. This happened three times and then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and she asked Balaam why he'd beaten her three times. Balaam said that she'd made a fool of him and he would have killed her if he'd had a sword. The donkey told him that she was his own donkey and asked him if she was in the habit of doing such things. He said no and then the Lord opened his eyes so he could see the angel of the Lord in the path with his sword drawn. When Balaam saw the angel he fell facedown on the ground. The angel asked him why he'd beaten the donkey and said that if the donkey hadn't turned, he would have killed him but spared the donkey.
Balaam might have posted this on Facebook after the donkey spoke to him.
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