Deuterocanonical Books Bible Trivia

1. Where is The History of Susannah and the Two Elders set?

From Quiz O Susannah

Answer: Babylon

Babylon, capital of the Babylonian empire and the most cosmopolitan city of its time, was the place of exile of the Jewish upper classes deported from Jerusalem by Nebuchadrezzar (known as Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible). Thus, this work of pious historical fiction is set during the period of the Babylonian Captivity. Jerusalem was the capital of the Davidic kingdom and, after the division of Judah and Israel, of Judah. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. Rages (or Rhages) was a city in Media where much of the action of the deuterocanonical book of Tobias (or Tobit) takes place.

From Quiz The Beautiful Book of Sirach

Answer: A wisdom book like "Proverbs"

The book of "Sirach", also known as "Ecclesiasticus", is a wisdom book similar to "Proverbs". A scribe in Jerusalem named Ben Sira wrote the original book to preserve the wisdom his father Joshua ben Sirach had taught him. The original work was written in Hebrew around 175 BCE and was later translated into Greek in Alexandria, Egypt by an unnamed grandson of Ben Sira around 132 BCE. The book's composition is organized by a set of principles taken from the sacred Hebrew scripture which gives directions on how to be a righteous member of society. The text may also have been an apologetic to show ways in which the Jewish faith was in line with the Hellenistic ethics of the day. It is easy to forget that Greek culture had a heavy influence on the Middle East for several centuries before the time of Christ's birth. By the time Christ was born, the Romans were in control and often emulated the Greeks.

From Quiz Wake the Dead

Answer: Funeral rites are important.

There are a variety of reasons why a body may not be buried or cremated properly after death. In some religions and cultures, it is believed that a person's soul is negatively affected if the appropriate funeral rites are not performed. In some stories and folktales, another person assumes responsibility for the unburied body and performs death rites. In return, the soul of the unburied body joins the person as a companion while travelling. The companion helps out or sometimes even saves the other's life as a reward for performing a proper burial. This thankful spirit is the 'grateful dead' and the story of Tobit is an example of this kind of tale.

From Quiz A Pick of the Apocrypha

Answer: Sirach

"Sirach" is the shortened name of the book "The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach". "Sirach" is also known as "Ben Sira" or "Book of Ecclesiastus" (don't confuse this with "Ecclesiastes" in the Old Testament). The original Hebrew author was a Jerusalem scribe called Ben Sira. He was inspired by his father, Jesus son of Eleazor, son of Sirach, also known as Joshua son of Sirach. This Jesus (Joshua) lived many centuries after Joshua of the Old Testament, and about two centuries before Jesus Christ of the New Testament. The Hebrew version was translated into Greek by the grandson of Ben Sira. This translator wrote a prologue explaining how to understand the Greek text. The translator tells us where he is in history by writing, "When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Euergetes". Ptolemy Euergetes reigned from 170 BC to 116 BC. "Sirach" has 51 chapters. Chapter 21 begins, "Have you sinned, my child? Do so no more, but ask forgiveness for your past sins. Flee from sin as from a snake; for if you approach sin, it will bite you".

From Quiz The Other "Book of Tobit" Quiz

Answer: Tobias is the son of Tobit.

"The book of the words of Tobit, son of Tobiel..." (1:1) and later: "Furthermore, when I came to the age of a man, I married Anna of mine own kindred, and of her I begat Tobias." (1:9) Tobit provides first person narration for the first two chapters. Beginning in the third chapter, the book switches to third person narration when it talks about Tobias and his future wife.

From Quiz Deuterocanonical Books/Apocrypha

Answer: useful & good to read

He did not regard these books as Scripture, but as "useful and good for reading". He accepted the view of Jerome denying their canonicity and placed them at the end of the Old Testament with the superscription "Apocrypha".

From Quiz The Book of Tobit

Answer: Aramaic

Portions of the Aramaic were found as part of the discovery in the Qumran caves, but the full book exists only in a Greek version. The book is included in the Bible by the Catholics and Orthodox, but not by Protestants and Jews.

From Quiz The Beautiful Book of Sirach

Answer: Many Jews at the time no longer understood Hebrew.

After Alexander the Great conquered the Middle East in the 4th century BCE, the area became heavily influenced by the Greek Hellenistic culture. During this time, the Hebrew language declined in favor of the prominent Greek, even in the heart of Palestine. So the Septuagint was commissioned so all Jews could access the sacred scripture in a language they could understand. The Septuagint was a huge accomplishment as the first large scale translation of a written work. The Septuagint was widely distributed and was the gold standard translation around the time of Christ, much like the King James Version has been the gold standard Christian Bible translation for the English language. In the 4th century, Saint Jerome led the effort to translate the Septuagint into the Latin Vulgate which became the official scripture for the early Catholic Church. Both the Septuagint and the Vulgate included all of the deuterocanonical works. At the counsel of Rome in 382 CE, the Catholic Church defined which books were part of the New Testament canon still used today by all Christians. In 1546 CE, in an effort to refute Martin Luther, the Council of Trent officially confirmed the deuterocanonical works as sacred scripture along with the rest of the Old Testament canon.

From Quiz I Maccabees

Answer: Hanukkah

Leviticus 16:29 mandates the establishment of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. The origins of Passover are to be found in the Book of Exodus, and the origins of Purim are found in Esther. Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights commemorating the rededication of the second temple at the time of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. In 1 Macc. 4:59, Judas Maccabeus and his brothers institute the holiday: "Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev" (NRSV).

From Quiz A Pick of the Apocrypha

Answer: Judith

"Judith" was written about 100 BC when the Maccabees ruled over Samaria and Judea (called the Hasmonean Dynasty). It takes the form of history, but it mixes the names of nations, rulers, and places in a symbolic way. In chapter one, it begins, "It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar who ruled over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh". Nebuchadnezzar was a Babylonian (not Assyrian) king who died in 562 BC. The author isn't reporting precise history. He is giving theological significance to ancient events. In chapter 6, we read Holofernes saying, "What god is there except Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his forces and destroy them from the face of the earth". The people of Israel cried out to the Lord and were preparing for war. They were under siege and being deprived of water by the Assyrian forces. Some wanted to surrender to Holofernes, but a rich, beautiful widow called Judith was against surrendering. After praying to the Lord, Judith bathed, put away her sackcloth, dressed beautifully, and went with her maid into the Assyrian camp. She offered to show Holofernes an easy way to "capture all of the hill country" without losing any men. Spoiler alert. For three days, Judith was a guest of Holofernes. On the fourth day, he wanted to take advantage of her. He held a banquet and became drunk. Alone in his tent, and with Holofernes unconscious from the effects of alcohol, she used his sword to behead him. The maid placed his head in a food bag, and they escaped back to Israel. The Assyrians later fled in panic.

From Quiz The Other "Book of Tobit" Quiz

Answer: Tobit accuses his wife of theft.

"And my wife Anna did take women's work to do. And when she had sent them home to the owners, they paid her wages, and gave also besides a kid. And when it was in my house, and began to cry, I said unto her, "From whence is this kid? Is it not stolen? Render it to the owners; for it is not lawful to eat anything that is stolen." But she replied unto me. "It was given for a gift more than the wages." However, I did not believe her, but bade her render it to the owners and I was abashed at her. But she replied upon me, "Where are thine alms and thy righteous deeds? Behold, thou and all thy works are known." Then I being grieved did weep, and in my sorrow prayed." (2:11-3:1) Tobit doesn't seem to give much in the way of "benefit of the doubt" to his wife who was doing her part to support the family. It is interesting that Tobit, who describes himself in the early part of the tale as performing several acts of charity, doesn't have any to show to his wife.

From Quiz Deuterocanonical Books/Apocrypha

Answer: Tobit

The book of Tobit is the life story of Tobit beginning with his early life, marriage, and praising of God.

From Quiz The Book of Judith

Answer: They would not go with him to war

They turned his envoys away, refusing to take him seriously. In the book, Nebuchadnezzer seeks vengeance on all of the nations who refuse to come out to go to war with him (1:11).

From Quiz The Book of Tobit

Answer: Nineveh

Tobit was deported to the city when Assyria took Israel captive. He later warned his son to leave the city because God would destroy it.

From Quiz Deuterocanonical Books (Apocrypha)

Answer: Hidden

The term "Apocrypha" comes from a Greek word meaning "hidden," and it was coined by St. Jerome in the 5th century, who, when making his translation into the Latin for the Vulgate, noticed that the Masoretic text did not include all of the books of the Septuagint. He was reluctant to translate these texts, but under pressure, he included some of them. Catholics use the term "Apocrypha" differently than the Protestants, to refer to books entirely outside of the Catholic canon; the Protestants in turn call those extraneous books "Pseudoepigrapha," which means "false inscription."

From Quiz O Susannah

Answer: In the garden on the grounds of her home

"Joakim was a very rich man and had a garden by his house... At midday...Susanna would take a walk in her husband's garden." (Dan. 13: 4 and 7) To be able to afford a garden (an orchard in the Douay-Rheims translation) on his grounds in a major city, Joakim must have been wealthy indeed, especially considering he was a foreigner. Bearing this point in mind, the elders' plot seems not only wicked but stupid. Why deliberately alienate a rich and influential member of the community? But then, at no time throughout the story are the elders depicted as bright.

From Quiz II Maccabees

Answer: Greek

While historical and stylistic evidence indicates I Maccabees was originally written in Hebrew, the style of II Maccabees suggests it was first written in Koine Greek, according to both the Jewish Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Britannica. Jerome, who translated the Scriptures into Latin, in his "Preface to The Books of Samuel and Kings" writes, "The first book of Maccabees I have found to be Hebrew, the second is Greek, as can be proved from the very style."

From Quiz I Maccabees

Answer: Antiochus IV

Antiochus IV Epiphanes was a Greek king of the Seleucid Empire who ruled from 175 to 164 BC. He persecuted the Jews of Samaria and Judea, which culminated in the rebellion of the Maccabees. 1 Maccabees covers this revolt, which occurred from 175 to 134 BC.

From Quiz Wake the Dead

Answer: The Law of Moses commanded it.

According to the Law of Moses, Jews had to visit Jerusalem to celebrate particular festivals and religious observances. Tobit's faithfulness to religious observances is a key feature of this book. As his story progresses, we see him fulfilling other Jewish obligations, even in the face of immense adversity. He continued to abide by Jewish food restrictions, even though members of his family ate the local food regardless. Tobit earned the respect of Emperor Shalmaneser for sticking to his beliefs.

From Quiz A Pick of the Apocrypha

Answer: Susanna

"Susanna" also known as "Susanna and the Elders" is one of the four additions to the Greek version of "Daniel". It is not included in the Hebrew Bible. The first chapter begins, "There was a man living in Babylon whose name was Joakim. He married the daughter of Hilkiah, named Susanna, a very beautiful woman, and one who feared the Lord". Susanna's beauty attracted two elders who had been appointed as judges. They did not disclose their lustful intentions to one another until they met by accident and confessed how they felt. They attempted to seduce Susanna by blackmailing her into consenting, but she said, "I choose not to do it; I will fall into your hands rather than sin in the sight of the Lord". Spoiler alert. The elders shouted against Susanna and accused her of adultery with another man in her garden after she had sent the maids on an errand. She was put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Susanna prayed and the Lord heard her cry. He stirred up the holy spirit in Daniel who shouted, "I want no part in shedding this woman's blood". During her trial, nobody had cross-witnessed the elders as was required in the laws of Deuteronomy 19. Now Daniel separated them for questioning. One elder said that he saw Susanna committing adultery under a mastic tree; the other said it was under an evergreen tree. Susanna was acquitted. The elders were sentenced to death "in accordance with the law of Moses".

From Quiz The Other "Book of Tobit" Quiz

Answer: Her husbands have been killed by a demon.

"It came to pass the same day, that in Ecbatane, a city of Media, Sara, the daughter of Raguel, was also reproached by her father's maids. Because that she had been married to seven husbands, when Asmodeus the evil spirit had been killed before they had lain with her. "Dost thou not know," said they, "that thou hast strangled thine husbands? Thou hast hard already seven, husbands, neither has thou named after any of them." (3:7-8) I don't know how I would view this if I were an outsider who didn't know all of the facts. Would I think it was her fault, as the maids did? I do know that I would feel leery if I were her possible eighth husband.

From Quiz Deuterocanonical Books/Apocrypha

Answer: They will be taken into exile

This book consists mainly of a lengthy condemnation of idolatry. Its contents include "the helplessness of idols" and "the foolishness of worshipping idols".

From Quiz The Book of Judith

Answer: The Jews sinned against God

"But if they are not a guilty nation," said Achior, "then your lordship should keep his distance; otherwise their Lord and God will shield them" (5:21).

From Quiz The Book of Tobit

Answer: He buried the dead

As one of Tobit's many charitable acts, he secretly buried his fellow Israelites when they were killed and thrown outside Nineveh's walls. When the king learned of this, Tobit was forced to go into hiding to save his own life. Charity was very important to Tobit, who repeatedly emphasized almsgiving.

From Quiz Deuterocanonical Books (Apocrypha)

Answer: Tobit

Tobit's son Tobiah, with the help of the angel Raphael, marries Sarah and drives the demon from her bridal chamber by burning a fish's heart and liver with incense.

From Quiz O Susannah

Answer: Blame

When they are introduced, the reader is left in no doubt that they are bad guys: "Two elderly men had been selected from the people, that year, to act as judges. Of such the Lord had said, 'Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as guides to the people.'" (Dan. 13:5) Jewish tradition identifies these wicked men with two false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah, whom Jeremiah denounced: "This is what Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I shall hand them over now to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon who will put them to death before your very eyes." (Jer. 29:21) Whether the elders in the tale of Susannah are based on historical persons or not, they are certainly liars and pretty unsavory types.

From Quiz II Maccabees

Answer: Jason of Cyrene

"All this, detailed by Jason of Cyrene in five volumes, we will try to condense into a single book " (II Maccabees 2:23, NABRE). This longer work is no longer in existence. A Hellenistic Jew, Jason of Cyrene most likely lived around 100 B.C.

From Quiz I Maccabees

Answer: Mattathias ben Johanan

The liberation of the Jewish people at this time of persecution came through Mattathias's sons Judas Maccabeus, Simon Thassi, Eleazar Avaran, John Gaddi, and Jonathan Apphus. Consequently, Mattathias ben Johanan, who was a rural Jewish priest (Kohen), is named in the prayer that Jews add to the grace after meals during the eight days of the Hanukkah festival.

From Quiz Wake the Dead

Answer: He buried the bodies of Jews who had been thrown outside the city walls.

Tobit believed that all Jews should receive a proper burial, so if he came across a body that had not been buried, he performed the funeral rites himself. At first, that wasn't a problem, but life became difficult for Tobit when Sennacherib became emperor. The new emperor killed a number of Jews in a fit of rage and Tobit secretly went to bury their bodies. The emperor found out what Tobit had done. His possessions were seized and he was exiled.

From Quiz A Pick of the Apocrypha

Answer: Bel and the Dragon

There are three additions to the Greek version of "Daniel". These are "The Prayer of Azariah in the Furnace and the Song of the Three Jews" (to be inserted into chapter 3 of "Daniel"), "Susanna", and "Bel and the Dragon". In "Bel and the Dragon" we read, "Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they provided for it twelve bushels of choice flour and forty sheep and six measures of wine. The king revered it and went every day to worship it. But Daniel worshipped his own God". King Cyrus assumed that Bel devoured the food and drink. Daniel laughed and said that the idol was made of clay and bronze and was unable to devour anything. The priests of Bel wanted to prove to the king that Bel ate all the food. This was under pain of death to either Daniel or themselves, whoever was wrong. Spoiler alert. The priests of Bel had a hidden entrance so that they and their families could go in and consume everything. We read, "Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring ashes, and they scattered them throughout the whole temple in the presence of the king alone". The following day, Daniel showed the king the footprints and the secret door. The culprits and their families were put to death. Daniel destroyed the idol. The next section of "Bel and the Dragon" is about how Daniel kills the dragon by feeding it cakes made from pitch, fat, and hair. The last section is about Daniel in the lion's den. The prophet Habakkuk had made a stew with bread. The angel of the Lord carried him with the food to Daniel so that he could survive until the seventh day of his captivity when the king pulled Daniel out of the den.

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