Stuart's Biblical Expedition Trivia Quiz

Answer: Noah's ark

Gopher wood was probably a wood native to some trees before the great flood. Many trees that were around Noah's time are believed to be extinct. Some Bible scholars have thought gopher wood was very similar to cypress wood. It had to be strong and durable for water, because God commissioned Noah to build the entire ark out of it. The ark was a large boat that protected Noah's family and two of every kind of animal in the world.

Noah's family was on the ark during the forty days and forty nights God flooded the earth. Although the exact time is not known, they probably were on the ark for much longer while the waters receded. Some Bible historians believe Noah and his family could have been on the ark for over a year. When it was over, Noah built an altar and gave thanks to God for saving them. God placed a rainbow in the sky as a reminder he would never flood the earth with water again.

Answer: Jacob

Although the Bible does not say the exact colors Jacob made Joseph's coat out of, red, purple, and blue were common dyes. Shellfish were used to create blue and purple dyes. Crushed tolath worms were used to make scarlet and red dyes.

Jacob favored Joseph more than his other sons, because he was the son of his favorite wife, Rachael. This made his other sons very jealous. When they saw Joseph in his new coat, they made plans to kill him. Reuben tried to stop his brothers by suggesting they throw him in a well and secretly planned to save Joseph later. However while he was gone, they sold Joseph into slavery. To cover up their deed, they ripped Joseph's coat and lied to their father, saying Joseph was killed by a wild animal. God was with Joseph though, and many years later would reunite the family again. (Genesis 37)

When Joseph became a great leader in Egypt, he forgave his brothers and saved their families from starvation. He told them God had had a purpose all along. (Genesis 50)

Answer: the ark of the covenant

God had the Israelites put Aaron's rod in the ark of the covenant to remind them of the rebellion.

When several leaders of the Israelites questioned who chose Moses to be Israel's leader, Moses went to God for advice. God had the leaders bring censors of incense to the tabernacle. During this, God told Moses to get the people away from the tents of the rebellious leaders. The earth opened up, swallowing the leaders and their families, then closed again. Then fire came and consumed the leaders that had brought censors. Fear came upon all the people.

God told Moses to take the rods of the tribe leaders and present them in the tabernacle. He told them the one that sprouted would be the leader. A rod is a dead piece of wood that has been cut. However when Moses checked the rods later, Aaron's had sprouted with almond blossoms. God told Moses to save Aaron's rod as a reminder to rebels, about whom God had chosen as leader. (Numbers 16-17)

Answer: cut his hair or drink strong wine

Nazarites were not supposed to cut their hair, eat grapes, or drink any alcoholic beverage. God had chosen Samson to be a Nazarite from his birth. As long as Samson kept his vow to God, God gave him Herculean strength.

Nazarite vows were supposed to encourage a life of devotion to God. However Samson had trouble being devoted to anything but trouble. He made the Philistines very angry because he burned their fields and killed their soldiers when he was angry. When Samson fell in love with Delilah, the Philistines saw their opportunity for revenge. They paid Delilah to give Samson up. Multiple times, Delilah betrayed Samson, but did not know the truth of his strength. Finally Samson told her the truth. She cut his hair and when the Philistines attacked him, he was helpless. God had removed his strength because his vow had been broken.

However with time, Samson's hair grew while he was imprisoned. When Samson was paraded in the temple of the Philistines, he made one last prayer to God to give him strength. God answered and when Samson pushed the pillars of the temple, more Philistines were killed in the event than all the other feats Samson had done. (Judges 13-16)

Answer: Samuel

God had told Saul to kill all the Amalekites. He was supposed to not have left anything alive, including women, children, and animals.

However when Samuel saw the parade Saul brought home after the battle, he asked Saul what he had done. Saul told Samuel he had done all that God had commanded him to. The prophet reminded the king that he had been instructed to destroy everything. Saul told him that he had saved the best to give sacrifices. Samuel told Saul, God desired obedience rather than sacrifice.
The prophet took a sword and slew the Amalekite king in front of Saul.

God regretted that He had ever made Saul king over Israel. (1 Samuel 15)

Answer: a bear and a lion

To the king and his soldiers, seeing an unarmored boy with a slingshot proposing to kill a giant, was laughable. However David told King Saul, "Your servant has killed a lion and a bear. This Philistine will be no different because he has insulted the armies of God." He told the king how God had protected him, and the king agreed to let David fight.

David chose five smooth stones and faced Goliath on the battlefield. If Goliath won, Israel would be slaves. If David won, the Philistines would be slaves.

When David shot his slingshot, the rock hit the only place on Goliath's body that was not covered in armor. It knocked Goliath down. David rushed over and beheaded Goliath with the giant's own sword. It was a great victory! (1 Samuel 17)

Answer: Babylon

God allowed the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem because the Jews did not listen to the prophets or their warnings. (Jeremiah 52) The Babylonians destroyed what was left of Solomon's temple and the city walls. Many people were killed in battle.

Many of the Jews were taken prisoner to Babylon. Some of the Jews, such as Daniel and his friends, were treated with exceptional favor. They became leaders in Babylon and advisers to the king. The king dressed them up in Babylonian robes and gave them positions of power. (Daniel 1)

The Babylonians were a very vain people and confiscated tribute from each of the countries they had conquered. Their robes were woven with gold, rich dyes, and expensive fabric from many parts of the world. Some leaders were easily recognized because certain patterns on robes signified their position.

Answer: a manger

The angels appeared to shepherds and told them, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Mangers were boxes or feeders for animals that were carved out of stone, wood, or sometimes metal. They were not the most sanitary place to keep a baby in, but it was all Mary and Joseph had the night Jesus was born. However to the shepherds, it had been a sign from the angels, that this was the baby they were looking for. (Luke 2:8-20)

Like Jesus, many babies at that time were also wrapped in "swaddling" clothes, which were strips of ripped cloth. When they were born the baby was washed, rubbed with salt and oil, and wrapped in the strips of ripped cloth very tightly like bandages. This was to keep the child from moving and keep him warm. They would sometimes be continued to be wrapped for up to eight or nine months after birth, because people believed it helped their limbs grow straight.

Answer: a whip

Crucifixion was meant to be the worst possible death the Roman's could inflict. Prisoners were beaten with whips and then forced to carry their crosses to their own execution. The cat of nine tails was one Roman whip often complied of multiple ropes laced with parts of bones, glass, and sometimes lead. Romans usually had no limit to how many times they hit the person. Every time they pulled the whip back, the pieces in the ropes would also pull out chunks of skin and sometimes bone. When beaten, prisoners were often humiliated as well.

Pilate ordered Jesus beaten in hopes that the Jews would change their minds about crucifying an innocent man. Jesus was also humiliated by having a crown of thorns placed on his head and a robe. However the Jews still insisted Jesus be crucified. Jesus was so weak from the beating, a man had to help him carry the cross up the hill. Christ was nailed to the cross, which was then lifted and thrown in the hole. Splinters would have lodged themselves in his wounds when the cross was lifted. (Matthew 27)

Answer: chains

In his letter to the Colossian church (Colossians 4:18) Paul told them "I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." Paul wrote many of his epistles from prison in Rome, where he was eventually beheaded by Nero.

Paul was not the only one to be imprisoned or put to death for his faith. All of the apostles were thrown in jail and many were put to death. Rulers wanted to put the fire of the gospel out any way they could. Peter died on a cross, James was beheaded, Thomas died by a spear, John was exiled, Andrew was crucified, Luke was hanged, Matthew beheaded, James the Lesser was beaten to death, Bartholomew was flayed then crucified, Thomas was pierced with spears and burned alive, Philip was crucified, and Matthias was stoned upon a cross.