Biblical Whodunit

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. A man is lying dead in a tent, apparently killed by the tent peg driven through his head using the hammer lying nearby. There are no signs of a struggle; the man was likely killed in his sleep. His appearance is similar to that reported for a great commander whose army was recently reported destroyed in battle, and he is dressed as a warrior. Objects in the tent imply a woman lives in it. Who killed him? Miriam Jael Deborah Abigail

2. Royal attendants called the police late this afternoon after finding the king of Moab dead in his roof chamber. There is no one else in the chamber. The murder weapon, a sword, is found still stuck in the late king's stomach; in fact, it has been driven in very deep, past the hilt. The position of the sword in the body reveals the obvious fact (obvious to seasoned detectives, and perhaps to seasoned mystery readers as well) that the killer was left-handed. Several witnesses among the attendants report seeing such a man whispering with the king before the king ordered all except the whispering man to leave the king's presence. Who killed him? Samson Othniel The 'butler', Jehu Ehud

3. A large man is lying on his back in a valley, dead. He is wearing bronze armor, and has a scabbard for a sword. He does not, however, have a sword or a head. The mountains before and behind him show the signs of having been used as camps by two great armies for some time. The ground in the valley itself shows the telltale signs of one of the armies having charged the other en masse. However, the dead bodies one might expect from a counter-attack to such a hard-to-miss charge are nowhere to be found in the valley. The second army must have broken and run for their lives, leaving the dead man behind. Who cut off his head? David Jonathan King Jehoshaphat Balaam

4. A man's barley field is blazing with fire. All the signs of arson are present. Witnesses report seeing men dressed as servants carrying fire-making tools past the field in question shortly before the fire was noticed. The owner of the barley field is a hot-blooded, quick-tempered man. Who is responsible for the fire (whose idea was it)? A man who had never cut his hair until then All the men older than 20 years of age in the village A prince living nearby The men themselves, who were servants who had been mistreated by their master, the field's owner

5. We are going to attack a city and destroy it soon. The spies who just came from there were helped by a local, and they agreed that we would not kill anybody in her house. Since we are not going to knock on each house's door and ask 'Excuse me, whose house is this?' before we sack it, the spies told the local to change her house's appearance in a certain manner. Who should we NOT kill? Those in the house with... Blood on the doorposts and a large "R" on the door Seven separate fires on the roof A red rope hanging out of a window A blue flag flying on the roof

6. A dead man is found hanging from a tree. The cause of death appears to be several spears in his chest, though there are numerous other wounds. There are signs of struggle. Police have ruled out suicide. Who killed him? A man with very long hair King David A son of Eleazar A son of Zeruiah

7. A disaster has struck. A huge building has collapsed, leaving thousands dead, many of whom are great leaders of their people. Relatives of the deceased say that their loved ones had gone there for a great party. Who is responsible for all these deaths? A blind man The architects of the building, who didn't heed an old bald man's advice Friends of a lame man Several lepers who usually beg at the gates of the capital city

8. What did David do when Rechab and Baanah told him they had killed Ish-bosheth, son of the late king Saul? Gave them 20 pieces of silver each Told them to go after Joab next Appointed them commanders of hundreds in his army Had them killed

9. The king's spear was taken from beside his head by an intruder, who also took a jug. The king is still alive (and sleeping soundly, too, as is the entire army around him). Who REFUSED to kill the king? Joab Samson Othniel David

10. Several witnesses reported coming upon a dead man lying beside a particular tall building, but when police arrived on the scene, all they found was an irregular dent in the ground that might have been caused by a falling person. What happened? The witnesses had seen an illusion The man had just journeyed from far away and had been taking a nap The man had been brought back to life and carried away The man had been taken away and buried