The Wanderer Trivia Quiz

Abraham is the foundational figure of Judaism, revered as the first prophet and the ultimate source of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. Initially named Abram, he was born in Ur of the Chaldees (which is in modern-day Iraq) and lived at a time when polytheism was the only faith. Abraham's primary contribution was his revolutionary recognition of, and devotion to, a single, universal God, making him the pioneer of monotheism.

The founding of early Judaism is a long, theological process detailed in the Torah, the holy book of the Jews, telling of the transformation of Abraham's grandson's Jacob, and his family, into a nation, a faith, and a people. The time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob laid the groundwork by establishing the covenantal relationship and the Twelve Tribes. The decisive moment was the Exodus from Egypt, where Moses led the Israelites to freedom, creating the Jewish identity and establishing the codified laws of the Torah.

Zarathustra, also referred to as Zoroaster, is the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest monotheistic faiths. He was an ancient Iranian priest who challenged polytheism and excessive ritual. Around age 30, he claimed to have received a divine revelation from Ahura Mazda leading him to preach ethical monotheism. His core message, preserved in the Gathas, emphasized humanity's free will to choose between Asha (Truth/Righteousness) and Druj (Falsehood/Deceit). Royal patronage helped his teachings spread across ancient Iran.

These teachings led to the founding of Zoroastrianism as a separate religion. Its core doctrine is moral dualism, the ever-arching theme of humanity in their struggle between "right" and "wrong". Adherents of Zoroastrianism must follow the path of "good thoughts, good words, and good deeds". This religion introduced influential concepts such as individual judgment, heaven and hell, and an ultimate triumph of good.

Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of Christianity. He was a Jewish religious leader who lived in the first century CE. His ministry, conducted primarily in the region of Galilee and Judea, emphasized love, compassion, forgiveness, and adherence to a radical, internal interpretation of the Torah. His teachings were interpreted to have centered on the imminent "Kingdom of God". As a radical, he was seen by the authorities, both Jewish and Roman, as a trouble-maker. After facing persecution, he was ultimately crucified in Jerusalem by the Roman authority. Following his death, his followers proclaimed his resurrection, leading to the formation of the early Christian Church and the widespread dissemination of his message.

Early seeds of the creed began with Jesus's apostles. They spread Jesus's teachings rapidly despite intense Roman persecution. Initially a Jewish sect, it grew and gained its own identity. Their perseverance in light of their hardship culminated in the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, where Emperors Constantine and Licinius legalized the faith . This marked a turning point, transforming Christianity from a persecuted minority into a recognized religion.

Muhammad, a man born in Mecca, is the prophet of Islam. Muslims believe he received divine revelations from God (Allah) through the Angel Gabriel (Jibril), which were later compiled as the Qur'an. His message called for monotheism and social justice, challenging the polytheism of Mecca. Facing persecution, he led his followers in the Hijra (migration) to Medina in 622 CE, marking the start of the Islamic calendar. Becoming a warlord, he eventually triumphantly returned to Mecca, unifying the Arabian Peninsula under Islam before his death in 632 CE.

Early Islam began with Muhammad's community in Medina. After his death, the first four Caliphs led the faith, expanding rapidly across the Near East to establish a vast Islamic Empire. This helped spread the faith even further to the worldwide adherents that exist today.

Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir lived in the 12th century CE. He was an Arab Sufi sheikh, or local leader, who settled in the remote valley of Lalish, Iraq. He founded the Adawiyya Sufi order, attracting many local Kurdish followers. After his death, his followers blended his teachings with indigenous, pre-Islamic Kurdish traditions. Yazidis consider him a primary saint, viewing him as an incarnation of Tawűsî Melek (the Peacock Angel), and his tomb remains the central pilgrimage site for the faith.

Yazidism evolved from Sheikh Adi's Sufi order, incorporating local Iranian beliefs. This syncretism created a distinct monotheistic faith centered on God and the seven Angels, led by the Peacock Angel. For many outside the faith, this deity is likened to Satan, however, the parallels are not accurate.

Guru Nanak lived from 1469 to 1539. He was the founder of Sikhism and was born in the Punjab region of present-day Pakistan. Following a profound mystical experience, he rejected empty religious rituals, declaring: "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim". He taught a revolutionary path of devotion to one God, honest labour, and selfless service, while traveling extensively to share his teachings and forming the first community of disciples at Kartarpur. These became the first Sikhs.

Sikhism (Gurmat) emerged as a distinct monotheistic faith emphasizing spiritual liberation through disciplined meditation on God's name, rejecting the caste system, and advocating for social and gender equality. Today, with approximately 30 million adherents worldwide, Sikhism is one of the largest world religions and, as far as I've encountered, one of the most welcoming.

Nakayama Miki was a 19th-century Japanese farmer and the founder of Tenrikyō. At the age of 40, she experienced a divine revelation. She was informed that she was to become the "Shrine of Tsukihi" for 'God the Parent'. Known thereafter as 'Oyasama', she gave away her material wealth and dedicated her life to salvation, composing such core scriptures as the "Ofudesaki". Despite enduring significant persecution from Japanese authorities, her fifty-year 'Divine Model' lifestyle established the path for her followers.

The central tenet for Tenrikyō is the "Joyous Life", an existence of mutual help and harmony intended by 'God the Parent' (Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto). Its adherents strive for this state by practicing 'hinokishin' (selfless acts of gratitude) and purifying the mind of sinful thoughts, known as "dusts", like greed and arrogance. Tenrikyō has approximately 1.75 million followers in Japan and over 2 million worldwide.

Baháʼu'lláh was born Mírzá Ḥusayn-ʻAlí and was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, born into an aristocratic family in Iran. A follower of the Báb (a prophet of Babism, a precusor to the Baháʼí Faith), in 1863, he declared himself the Manifestation of God as foretold by the Báb, assuming the title meaning "Glory of God". He revealed thousands of verses of scripture, establishing a framework for global unity, the equality of men and women, and the harmony of science and religion. His views were seen as heretic, and he suffered forty years of imprisonment and exile in Ottoman prisons due to his claims.

The Baháʼí Faith centers on three core teachings: the oneness of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humanity. It advocates for the elimination of all forms of prejudice, for gender equality, and for the establishment of a peaceful, unified world order. The global community has an estimated 5 to 8 million adherents, residing in virtually every country and territory worldwide. Their Holy Land is in Israel, the only country tolerant enough to accept the Baháʼí, and they maintain two holy sites, one in Haifa and the other in Akko (Acre), in the north of the country.

Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican political activist and orator who championed Pan-Africanism and Black nationalism. In 1914, he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA), advocating for the unity and self-determination of people of African descent worldwide. His powerful "Back to Africa" movement sought to establish an independent Black state in Africa. His emphasis on black pride and economic independence profoundly influenced future civil rights leaders and the Rastafari movement.

Rastafarianism is an Abrahamic religion and social movement that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s. Its adherents, Rastas, believe Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, was the returned messiah. Their core beliefs center around spiritual freedom from "Babylon" which is a metaphor for Western oppression, their repatriation to Africa, and such practices as wearing dreadlocks and the ritual use of cannabis.

Paul Twitchell was an American author and spiritual teacher who, in 1965, formally founded the New Religious Movement known as Eckankar. He defined his teachings as the "religion of the Light and Sound of God" emphasizing that Soul is eternal and can travel outside the body. Twitchell served as the first Mahanta, the Living Eck Master, claiming to be a spiritual guide for the modern era.

Eckankar teaches that spiritual liberation is achievable in this lifetime through practices like dream work, contemplation, and chanting the sacred name for God, "Hu". Though official numbers are not released, the global membership is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, with adherents in over 100 countries.