Another Look at the Book of Ezra Quiz

Answer: Persia

Israel has more negative interaction with the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires which had conquered the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Egypt had a mixed record with the persecution of Israelites by Pharaoh and Egyptians at the time of Moses. By comparison, Joseph had much more positive interaction with an earlier Pharaoh.

The Bible generally portrays Persia positively and the Book of Ezra is no exception. The first Chapter mentions a written proclamation from King Cyrus.

Answer: Donkeys

All four animals were beasts of burden mentioned on multiple occasions. Donkeys were generally seen as the most common, used for light and medium loads. The donkey is named in association with several characters including Abraham, Isaac, Zechariah, and Jesus. The Book of Ezra mentions 6,720 donkeys, 736 horses, 245 mules, and 435 camels. (NIV Ezra 2:66)

Answer: Flutes

"When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments, and with trumpets, and the Levites (the son of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel." (NIV Ezra 3:10)

Cymbals and trumpets are just two of the many musical instruments mentioned in the Bible. They are more common in the Old Testament whereas the New Testament places more emphasis on vocal singing.

Answer: Artaxerxes

The letter from the servants to Artaxerxes is given in verses 11-16 of the NIV. The reply from the king is verses 17-22 of the NIV. Artaxerxes reigned from 465-424 BCE. The letter to the king discusses the progress in rebuilding Jerusalem and the potential threat of that. The king's reply instructs them to block the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Answer: Amos

Haggai and Zechariah are mentioned in the first verse of the NIV. The mentioning of these two names does give some context to when the Book of Ezra was written and when the events take place. A mention of Darius, king of Persia, also gives some context to when the Book occurs.

Answer: 60 cubits

The foundations of the temple were described as 60 cubits wide and 60 cubits high. (NIV Ezra 6:3) These dimensions are approximately 90 feet each or 27 meters. There were also large stones and timber used in the construction.

Answer: Artaxerxes

The text of the letter takes up most of the chapter and covers several topics. In general, he addresses Ezra with respect, calling him priest and teacher. He grants the Jewish people leave to return to Jerusalem and the temple. He also describes various goods granted to the Temple including silver, wine, and olive oil. Artaxerxes is mentioned (NIV Ezra 7:11) at the start.

Answer: Rams

The total of the burnt offerings was as follows: 96 rams, 77 male lambs, 12 bulls, and 12 goats. (NIV Ezra 8:35) This chapter focuses on the items donated to the temple. There is also indication of the servants who are employed by the temple.

Answer: Each group was mentioned

The passage instructs the people of Israel to not do the "detestable" actions of many people, including Canaanite's, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.(NIV Ezra 9:1-2) The various sins include mingling with foreigners, and were carried out by all levels of society.

Answer: Marrying foreign women

It might not seem like such a problem to us, but marrying foreign women was a big deal to Ezra. His solution is to send away these women and their children (NIV Ezra 10:3). The unspoken follow-up difficulty is that at least some of the children may be children of the men also.

It is unclear whether Ezra is unaware of this potential problem or does not care. At the least, breaking up these blended families seems like a cold solution. This is based on the tradition of lineage being based on descent from the mother only.