Judas Iscariot and His 30 Pieces of Silver Quiz

Answer: Zechariah

Zechariah 11:12-13 mentions a deeply interesting revelation regarding 30 silver coins, bringing to mind the potential correlation due to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. The New Testament seems to make an identification of this as a Messianic prophecy, which found its fulfillment of the latter days of Jesus Christ.

Zechariah worked very hard out in the fields, and when he was finished, wanted to get paid his fair share. The people who employed him thought he should only get paid 30 shekels, which, at the time, was a slave wage. Zechariah takes it anyway, calls it a "handsome price", then goes to the temple as God tells him to do, and gives it to the potter there.

Answer: True

Known for betraying Jesus in the 30 pieces of silver scheme, it is ironic that Judas Iscariot was the treasurer of the group of twelve, as well as an original member. Jesus personally chose Judas to be one of his inner circle of apostles. While many might believe that Judas was not an honorable man, he was Jesus's choice and a deliberate act to fulfill prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament, which spoke of the Messiah being betrayed.

Answer: False

Judas Iscariot was the son of Simon Iscariot. Although not exactly known, the name of "Iscariot" tells of the possibility that Judas was possibly from a town called Kerioth in Judea. The town of Kerioth was from the tribe of Judah. All the other eleven apostles were from Galilee.

Judas Thaddeus, also known as Jude, was the brother of Jesus. Neither of them should be confused with Judas Maccabaeus, who was the son of the Jewish priest, Mattathias. Judas Thaddeus wrote the New Testament epistle, Jude.

Answer: Satan

Luke 22:3 KJV states, "Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve." Now, by being used by Satan, Judas decides to meet with the chief priests in order to determine how Judas could tip them off onto who Jesus was. The chief priests and others involved needed to do this in a clandestine manner since they feared the people who were followers of Jesus would rebel.

The Bubonic Plague was also known as Black Death and occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353.

No, it wasn't gnats, but it is true that a large group of them is called a swarm.

The term "locusts and honey" is often associated with the food that John the Baptist ate when he lived in the wilderness.

Answer: Passover

The Passover meal on the evening when Judas betrayed Jesus was also known as The Last Supper. Interesting note that the Passover meal, since it was eaten at night, would have been eaten on what we think of as Thursday evening, since it is Jewish custom to start each day at sunset, not midnight. Also known as the Passover proper, this is when the lamb was killed, and when Jesus and His disciples eat the Passover meal in the upper room.

It was Friday, known as the Day of Preparation, when Jesus is tried and executed, but not convicted.

Answer: Spy Wednesday

One of the first times seeing the term "Spy Wednesday" occur originated in middle of the 19th century. It was primarily used in English-speaking countries by various church denominations of the time that observed Holy Week, usually Roman Catholics. The informal term "Spy Wednesday" seems to have first been used in Ireland and England in the 1800s. One specific message is found in Samuel Lover's 1842 book, "Handy Andy: A Tale of Irish Life." Spy Wednesday occurs during the last Wednesday before Easter.
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Answer: Tyrian silver

Roman silver during the time of Jesus Christ was about 80% pure, whereas, Tyrian silver (tetradrachms of Tyre) was 94% pure or better. It was also the most commonly used to pay the Temple tax and was readily available to the Sanhedrin for use. The fact that Tyre was also very close to Jerusalem, and much closer than Rome, was also a factor.

During the Second Punic War, around 211 BC, and during the time when Gordian III was Roman emperor, Roman silver (denarius) was the standard silver coin in use. Tyrian shekels were coins made in Tyre - which was part of the Roman Empire at the time - and strangely, but for good reason, was the silver most often used. The usual payment of tax to the Roman Empire was paid for by Tyrian silver in Jerusalem.

Electrum was an alloy that occurred naturally that had a combination of gold, copper, and silver, and was colored pale amber.

The silver Real was also known as real de plata. In the 1500s, and for centuries before and after, Spanish silver was the standard against which other coinages were measured. The Spanish eight reales coin was made specifically at a weight of 423.9 grains (27.47 grams) of 93.05% fine silver. In 1537 Charles I set standards for gold and silver. Over the next 250 years, the coin only depreciated around 4.4%.

Answer: Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin was made up of a mix of the aristocratic priest-like Sadducees and scholarly Pharisees. The High Priest was its president. It had the responsibility for interpreting and administering Jewish law for the Jewish population.

The emperor during Passover times was the head of the Roman empire who had the most authority of all. Tiberius was the emperor during the time of Jesus.

The Roman Senate did not directly hold any legislative power over Judea.

The Tetrarch had a meaning of "the ruler of the quarter," and were "client" kings of Rome, who ruled outside the Roman-governed province of Judea.

Answer: True

The Sicarri group was first referenced by the historian Josephus who first mentions the Sicarii in the 50s AD, which would be well after Judas's estimated death in the 30s AD. The Bible, specifically the Gospels and other biblical texts, does not affiliate Judas with the Sicarii or even make any mention of a connection to the radical group.

His surname, "Iscariot", is more likely a reference to his hometown, Kerioth, a town in southern Judea.

Answer: Hanged himself

According to Matthew 27:5 KJV, Judas Iscariot threw the 30 pieces of silver into the temple, and then hanged himself. The same chief priests who paid Judas the money to betray Jesus took the money (because it was blood money) and bought the potter's field as a burial group for foreigners.