Match Quiz: New Testament Geography -- #1

Answer: Cana

According to Scripture, Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana. Verses 7 and 8 in the second chapter of John tell of Jesus instructing people to fill a number of jars with water and then to draw some out and give a sample to the master of the banquet.

After tasting the liquid, the master expresses surprise at how fine the wine is. In Verse 10, the master compliments the bridegroom, stating "everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Cana was west of the Sea of Galilee and about 10 miles north of Nazareth.

Answer: Nain

According to Scripture, Jesus raised a widow's son from the dead at Nain. Incidentally, this is the only place in the entire Bible where Nain is mentioned. Luke 7:11-15, in the NKJV Bible, states: "Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.' Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother."

According to the Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, Nain is about ten miles south of Nazareth.

Answer: Joppa

Peter raised Dorcas, also known as Tabitha, from the dead at Joppa, as per Acts 9:36. The community is now known as Jaffa and is part of Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean Sea.

According to Scripture, after Peter raised the woman from the dead the miracle became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. The story of Dorcas being raised from the dead is only one of several incidents in which Peter performed miracles in Acts. For example, in Acts 9:32-25, just before the report about Dorcas, Scripture tells of Peter healing Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.

Answer: Crete

Titus was a worker in the early church who served on the island of Crete. One of the thirteen letters in the New Testament which the apostle Paul is credited with writing is addressed to Titus. Titus was serving in Crete at the time of the letter, according to Titus 1:5.

Crete is the largest Greek island and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, according to Wikipedia. (Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica are larger.)

Titus was converted to Christianity by Paul, as per Galatians 2:3. He was from Greece and appears to have been a Gentile. Titus is one of the smallest books in the Bible, consisting of three chapters and only forty-six verses.

Answer: Malta

Paul survived no less than three shipwrecks, as per 2 Corinthians 11:25. One of the shipwrecks is documented in Acts 27 and 28. According to the chapter, Paul and his fellow workers were shipwrecked off the coast of Malta after their ship was tossed back and forth like a tennis ball at Wimbledon for fourteen days. The account involving the shipwreck is the only time Malta is mentioned in Scripture.

Details of the two other shipwrecks Paul was involved in are not given in Scripture, however.

Answer: Bethsaida

Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as Philip, came from Bethsaida, a fishing community on the Sea of Galilee. According to Wikipedia, Bethsaida means 'house of fishing'. There is no smoking gun, but some theologians believe James and John also came from Bethsaida. According to Mark 8:22-26, Jesus restored the sight of a blind man at Bethsaida.

Answer: Bethany

The correct answer is Bethany. Scripture states Jesus ascended into heaven while his disciples looked on. Luke 24:50-53, in the NKJV Bible, states: "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen."

Bethany was a small community, just outside Jerusalem.

Answer: Jericho

The miraculous healing of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, took place in Jericho, as per Mark 10:476. Jesus told Bartimaeus his sight had been restored because of his faith.

Jericho is about ten miles north of the Dead Sea, and near the Jordan River. Jericho is also eight hundred and forty-five feet below sea level, making it one of the the lowest permanently inhabited communities in the world, according to Wikipedia.

Answer: Capernaum

The correct answer is Capernaum. Just prior to the calling of Matthew, a tax collector, Scripture in Mark tells of the healing of a paralytic man.

Incidentally, tax collectors were despised because they were seen as traitors, working for the conquering Romans. What's more, they were accused of overcharging the people and keeping a portion of the taxes for themselves. When Jesus selected Matthew as a disciple, many people, especially the religious leaders of the day, were filled with disdain.

Capernaum was a community on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The once-thriving community is now a ruin.

Answer: Antioch

Members of the early church were first called Christians at Antioch, a community near the modern day city of Antakya in Turkey. Acts 11:25-26, in the NKJV Bible, reports: "Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch."

Originally the term Christian was a derogatory term, according to notes in the New King James Version Study Bible. The notes also state believers in a resurrected Jesus Christ originally called themselves 'The Way'.