23. Who of the scouts sent by Moses to reconnoiter the land of Canaan advised to attack the land because the Israelites could conquer the inhabitants with the help of the Lord?

a. Shaphat b. Caleb c. Shammua d. Gaddiel

24. Who prophesied about a star advancing from Jacob and a staff arising from Israel in the Book of Numbers?

a. Daniel b. Balak c. Balaam d. Haggai

25. To whom did God say, “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all these people, into the land that I am giving them, to the Israelites”?

a. Aaron b. Gideon c. Caleb d. Joshua

26. Where did Joshua gather the Israelites to renew their covenant with God just before Joshua’s death?

a. Shechem b. Mount Tabor c. Shiloh d. Jericho

27. Who of the Judges of Israel vowed that upon his return in triumph against the Ammonites, whoever came out of the doors of his house to meet him would be sacrificed to the Lord?

a. Gideon b. Othniel c. Jephthah d. Barak

28. Because the time of famine had passed, Ruth and Naomi left Moab to return to __

a. Jezreel Valley b. Jerusalem c. Bethlehem d. Bethel

29. Who was the god of the Philistines whose statute fell down before the Ark of the Covenant?

a. Baal b. Gaal c. Isis d. Dagon

30. Saul was punished for not killing the Amalekite king _____

a. Ahab b. Agag c. Anak d. Ahaz

31. On what mountain did Saul, Jonathan, and other sons of Saul die in the battle against the Philistines?

a. Mount Gilboa b. Mount Tabor c. Mount Moriah d. Mount Gerizim

32. Who is the wife of Uriah who had an adulterous union with King David, who also is the mother of King Solomon?

a. Bathsheba b. Ahinoam c. Abigail d. Bethulah

33. At whose threshing floor did David build an altar to the Lord, as the prophet Gad commanded?

a. Arphaxad the Philistine b. Aranhuez the Ephraimite c. Araunah the Jebusite

d. Arbite the Shunammite

34. Who is the priest who supported Adonijah when this declared he had the right to succeed David?

a. Abiathar b. Bildad c. Abner d. None of the above

35. Who led a revolt against King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon?

a. Absalom b. Jeroboam c. Nathan d. Jehu

36. “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy” is the word of Naaman’s ______

a. concubine b. wife c. slave girl d. scribe

37. King Shalmaneser conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and deported the people to ______

a. Persia b. Assyria c. Macedonia d. Babylon

38. Who exiled the inhabitants of Judah to Babylon?

a. Evil-Merodach b. Sennacherib c. Nebuchadnezzar d. Tiglath-pelizer

39. Who was the layman appointed by King Artaxerxes of Persia to be governor and lead the Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple?

a. Nehemiah b. Ezra c. Zedekiah d. Gedaliah

40. In the Book of Nehemiah (chapter 8), Ezra read the Law and instructed them how to celebrate the feast of _______

a. Passover b. Atonement c. Tabernacles d. Weeks

41. Who was the angel who accompanied Tobiah to Ecbatana and rescued him from the demon Asmodeus?

a. Michael b. Raphael c. Gabriel d. Tobiel

42. What psalm contains this famous phrase: “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack”?

a. Psalm 8 b. Psalm 137 c. Psalm 51 d. Psalm 23

43. Who composed the Miserere psalm (Psalm 51) which begins: “Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense”?

a. Job b. Solomon c. David d. None of the above

44. Which psalm sings of the Jews’ lament of their exile in Babylon? It starts with this passage: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat mourning and weeping when we remembered Zion”?

a. Psalm 23 b. Psalm 22 c. Psalm 8 d. Psalm 137

45. What Old Testament book does this famous passage come from: “There is an appointed time for everything… A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant”?

a. Proverbs b. Song of Songs c. Ecclesiastes d. Wisdom

46. Where do we find the oracles on the Ebed YHWH or the Servant of the Lord?

a. Isaiah 1-12 b. Isaiah 13-23 c. Isaiah 40-55 d. Isaiah 56-66

47. What prophetic book contains this famous passage: “Can a mother forget her infant… Even should she forget, I will never forget you”? This has been rendered into song entitled “Hindi Kita Malilimutan.”

a. Isaiah b. Hosea c. Jeremiah d. Zechariah

48. Which prophet said that God’s law would be written upon the hearts of God’s people, Israel?

a. Jeremiah b. Ezekiel c. Hosea d. Micah

49. What did Jeremiah buy, and after which he gave to Baruch its sealed deed of purchase?

a. a sword b. a piece of jewelry c. a yoke d. a piece of land

50. Who was the prophet who saw the vision of creatures that had faces of a human being, lion, ox, and eagle?

a. Jeremiah b. Joel c. Ezekiel d. Daniel

51. In the Book of Daniel, the young Daniel separated the two elders from each other in order to examine them, and in the process, he saved the innocent _______

a. Hannah b. Susanna c. Sarah d. Deborah

52. In the Hebrew canon which of the following is not considered a prophetic book?

a. Ezekiel b. Daniel c. Nahum d. Hosea

53. The animal that attacked and withered the bush under which Jonah prayed was a _____

a. horse b. cow c. giraffe d. worm

54. In what prophetic book do we find this Messianic prophecy: “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel”?

a. Isaiah b. Jeremiah c. Hosea d. Micah

55. Who prophesied that God would send back Elijah the Prophet before the Day of the Lord comes, to turn the heart of fathers to their children?

a. Jeremiah b. Elisha c. Micah d. Malachi

56. What is the last book of the Old Testament in the Catholic canon?

a. Daniel b. Malachi c. Zechariah d. Haggai

B. Test I

EASY

1. What is the name which means “mother of all the living”?

Eve

2. Who said these famous words: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”?

Cain

3. What is the sign God gave to Noah in promising that he would no longer send the Deluge to destroy mankind and the earth?

Rainbow

4. Who is the woman who looked back at the burning city of Sodom and was turned into a pillar of salt?

Lot’s wife

5. Who is the woman who, in his love for her, Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah?

6. Who dreamt of a stairway resting on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens?

7. Who is the first wife of Jacob?

8. Who is the youngest and favorite son of Jacob?

9. Who is the sister of Moses?

10. What did Aaron fashion out of the gold earrings of the Israelites when Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain?

11. Who is the prostitute of Jericho who hid the spies sent by Joshua?

12. Having made the famous mistake, who would have said: “Next time, I won’t go to sleep near any woman with scissors”?

13. Having made the famous mistake, who would have said, “Next time, I won’t taunt a little boy with a sling shot”?

14. Who said this to David: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went”?

15. Where were the people exiled when Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, fell?

16. What psalm did David write after his adultery with Bathsheba was exposed?

17. What place made the Jewish exiles in Babylon mourn and weep whenever they remembered it, as we read in Psalm 137?

18. What is the name of the prophet Hosea’s wife who was formerly a prostitute?

AVERAGE

1. When the great flood had subsided, on which mountain did the ark of Noah come to rest?

Mount Ararat

2. Who is a man of the soil, the first to plant a vineyard, and got drunk from the wine?

3. What is the nationality of Hagar, the slave of Sarah?

4. What is the name of the land where Isaac was supposed to be offered by his father Abraham?

5. Who is the only daughter of Jacob and Leah?

6. What is the other name of Mt. Sinai, the mountain of God?

7. How does the Bible call the person whose head is not shaven or cut and is separated for the Lord until the vow is completed?

8. Who shared in Moses’ burden in guiding and judging the people of Israel on their way to the Promised Land?

9. Other than Joshua, who among those who escaped from Egypt was allowed to enter the Promised Land?

10. Who is the prophet asked by the King of Moab to curse the Israelites who were passing the Moabite territory, but instead conferred a blessing on the Israelites?

11. Which tribe of Israel did the priests in the Old Testament descend from?

12. In what mountain did Moses die, seeing the Promised Land only from a distance?

13. After the death of Joshua, and before the time of the kings, God appointed military leaders who sustained Israel in battles against its enemies. What were these military leaders called?

14. Who was the prophetess who helped Barak defeat the Canaanite general Sisera?

15. In the Book of Ruth, what is the name by which Naomi wanted to be called because of the bitterness she and her family experienced?

16. What is name of the former husband of Ruth who died?

17. Who said the following to the boy Samuel: “Go, lie down; and if [God] calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’ ”?

18. Who made the famous mistake and would have said, “Next time, I won’t take baths out in the open”?

19. Who was the prophet whom the small boys called “Baldy” for which they were torn to pieces by the bears?

20. Who was the king of Persia who proclaimed that a house for God in Jerusalem should be built?

21. What is the tree that grows mostly in Lebanon and is compared with the righteous person in the Psalms?

22. Who was the governor who encouraged and initiated the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile?

23. Who was the prophet who prophesied the birth of the Immanuel to reassure King Ahaz of Judah of God’s protection of his people?

24. Who was the prophet who was reluctant to carry his mission because he did not know how to speak, being only a boy still?

25. What did the prophet Amos call the rich matrons of Samaria who were unconcerned about the oppression of the poor and the suffering?

26. Who told the prophet Amos to return to Judah and never again prophesy in Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom?

27. Who wrote this prophetic oracle: “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple”?

DIFFICULT

1. Who are the offspring of the “sons of God” (angels) when they had relations with the daughters of men?

2. Who is the son of Noah who became the father of the Canaanites?

3. Who is Judah’s daughter-in-law who became one of the ancestresses of Jesus, the Messiah?

4. Who is the daughter of a priest given as wife to Joseph by Pharaoh?

5. What is the feast when the High Priest slaughters a goat as a sin offering of the Israelites and another live goat upon which all the sins of Israel are confessed?

6. Where did Joshua defeat the Amorites when the sun stood still at his command?

7. Called by God, Gideon courageously pulled down his father’s altar to Baal. For this, the people began to refer to him with the name which means: “Let Baal contend against him.” What is the other name given to Gideon?

8. When the Philistines controlled the Israelites for 40 years, God raised up Samson, a strong man, born to parents who were childless for a long time. What tribe of Israel did Samson come from?

9. Who is the god of the Philistines whose statue fell and broke before the Ark of the Covenant?

10. How many sons of Jesse were presented to Samuel before the prophet chose David as the new king?

11. Before he conquered Jerusalem and made it his city, where did David rule as king of Judah?

12. King Jeroboam of the northern kingdom of Israel decided to build two places of worship in the north so that the Israelites would no longer go to the Temple of Jerusalem for sacrifices and pilgrimages. Name one of the two places of worship.

13. How many prophets of Baal did Elijah had to face at Mount Carmel during the contest on who really is the true God?

14. What is the Hebrew name of Esther?

15. What Jewish feast celebrates Queen Esther’s deliverance of her people from the evil designs of Haman?

16. In the Book of Proverbs, Wisdom is found crying out in ________. a. the Temple b. the court of the king c. the city gates d. the desert

17. In the Book of Proverbs, Wisdom has built her house on how many pillars?

18. What is the Hebrew equivalent of the book “Ecclesiastes,” the name which means “one who convokes an assembly”?

19. In what book of the Old Testament do we find the passage, “Dark—but lovely”?

20. Who was the prophet who contradicted Jeremiah and gave false confidence to the people of Judah by predicting the end of the Babylonian rule in two years?

21. Who was the Judean governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to oversee Judah after it fell to the Babylonians?

22. By what river in Babylon did Ezekiel have a vision of cherubim leaving the east gate of the house of God, because the glory of the Lord left the house?

23. What is the book of the Old Testament that says that those who are wise and those who lead others to righteousness, when they die, “shall shine like the stars forever and ever”?

24. The book of this prophet is also known as the shortest book of the Old Testament. Who is he?

25. Who is the prophet from Elkosh who foretold the fall of Nineveh, capital of Assyria, because of Assyria’s cruelty to other nations?

C. Test II

EASY

1. Who of this group of righteous men lived after the Great Flood?

a. Enoch b. Shem c. Seth d. Abel

2. In what land did the Lord order Abraham to go to offer his son Isaac as sacrifice to God?

3. God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. What is the other name for this mountain in another tradition?

4. What do we call the pact or agreement made between the Lord and the people of Israel, with the Lord saying: “I shall be your God and you shall be my people”?

5. Who died without leaving a son but with five daughters? They asked Moses if they could inherit the property of their father. God allowed it, provided the women married in their tribe.

6. Who was a wealthy Israelite who lived in Bethlehem, married Ruth the Moabite, and became an ancestor of David?

7. Who is the father of the prophet Samuel?

8. Who is the priest of Modein and the father of the Maccabee brothers who rebelled against King Antiochus who had prohibited the Jews from practicing their religion?

9. Who is the biblical figure who said these famous words: “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away”?

10. What psalm marvels at God’s work in the heavens: the moon and the stars he has made? It also marvels at the dignity of the human being made a little less than a god.

a. Psalm 8 b. Psalm 23 c. Psalm 51 d. None of the above

11. Who is the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah after whom a prophetic book is named?

12. Who is the prophet who prophesied that God would send back Elijah the Prophet before the Day of the Lord comes, to turn the heart of fathers to their children?

AVERAGE

1. Aside from Shiphrah, who is the other Hebrew midwife who refused the order of Pharaoh to kill the Hebrew child if it was a boy?

2. In the Book of Judges, who told this famous riddle: “Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness”?

3. Who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a Canaanite city conquered by David and made his capital?

4. Aside from King Josiah, who is the other king of Judah who was approved because of his faithfulness to the Law of Moses and for removing the idols in his kingdom?

5. Who is the last Israelite king of Samaria whom Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, exiled along with his people to Assyria?

6. Who is the wicked opponent of Mordecai and the Jews in the Book of Esther?

7. How many psalms are contained in the Book of Psalms?

8. What is the Hebrew name of the Book of Ecclesiastes? This name substitutes for “Ecclesiastes” in many translations.

9. Who among the prophets mirrored God’s love for his people Israel even if the people proved unfaithful to God’s covenant with them? He showed this in his married life.

DIFFICULT

1. What do you call the special inheritance rights of the firstborn son giving him claim to the bulk of the ancestral property?

2. Who were of the race of giants whom the scouts sent by Moses saw in the land of Canaan? Because of fear of them, the Israelites refused to attack the land. In punishment the Lord made them wander in the desert for 40 years.

3. Where did Joshua and the Israelites fight and conquer the Amorites, with the sun standing still at the prayer of Joshua?

4. In the Book of Judges, who is the judge of Israel noted for being left-handed?

5. Who is the adviser of King David who betrayed him by going over to Absalom and who later hanged himself?

6. Who is the scribe-priest appointed by King Artaxerxes of Persia to lead the Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple?

7. Who is the woman praised in these words: “You are the glory of Jerusalem, the surpassing joy of Israel; you are the splendid boast of our people”?

8. What is the longest psalm in the whole psalter? The psalm is acrostic, that is, the verses begin with the Hebrew letter arranged alphabetically.

9. What is the number of the psalm that sings of the Jews’ lament of their exile in Babylon? It starts with this passage: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat mourning and weeping when we remembered Zion”?

10. What prophetic book contains the following prophecy quoted by Saint Matthew in the story of Jesus’ birth: “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel”?

11. Who is the prophet who encouraged the governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua to persevere in rebuilding the Jerusalem temple after the exile?

D. Test III

EASY

1. Of the three sons of Noah, he was chosen for special blessing. He was the ancestor of Abraham and the Israelite people. Who was he?

2. What do you call the shadowy underworld to which the spirits of the dead go, according to Israelite belief? Give the name in Hebrew.

3. What feast was the only time the high priest entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem? Give the name in English or Hebrew.

4. What is the Jewish feast that Jesus and his parents celebrated in Jerusalem when he was 12 years old?

5. The temple of God in Jerusalem built by the returnees from exile was more humble when compared to the temple built by Solomon which was destroyed by the Babylonians. But at the time of Jesus, it had become a magnificent temple. Who was responsible for the enlargement and beautification of the temple?

6. Who initially did not believe Jesus as the Messiah and who said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”?

7. What is the word that the Gospel of John uses to refer to Jesus’ impending passion, death, and glorification?

8. Who was the young man who sank into a deep sleep while Saint Paul was speaking until midnight? He fell down from the third story, died, but was revived by the apostle.

9. In what letter do we find Paul’s famous hymn to charity?

10. Who was a Jewish convert from Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, who was taken by some Corinthians as a rival of Paul?

AVERAGE ROUND

1. He was the grandson of Aaron who violently defended the covenant, killing an Israelite who brought in a Midianite woman to his clansmen. He was then granted the “covenant of priesthood.”

2. What was the mountain where Saul and his sons died while fighting the Philistines?

3. What do you call the celebration of the fiftieth year in Israel, during which special arrangements were designed to aid the poor and the dispossessed? It was marked by the blowing of the ram’s horn.

4. Who was an administrator in Solomon’s court who rebelled and became the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel?

5. In what Gospel do we find the Parable of the Ten Virgins?

6. Who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil and dried them with her hair in the Gospel of John? Be specific.

7. In what Gospel is Jesus presented as crying on the cross with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”? or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”?

8. Who was the mother of Timothy, the faithful collaborator of Paul?

9. What is the title of the risen Jesus in the Book of Revelation which means “the faithful and true witness,” someone we can depend upon?

10. What is the mythical site of the final battle between God and the forces of evil in apocalyptic thought?

DIFFICULT

1. Who was a member of the royal Davidic line who led a return from Babylonian captivity and was appointed governor of Judea by Cyrus, king of Persia?

2. The Book of Proverbs (30:25) points to the wisdom of this species of animals—“a species not strong, yet they store up their food in the summer?” What is this species?

3. What is the mythical sea monster of prophetic literature and the Book of Job?

4. After the resurrection, the risen Jesus, unrecognized, walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. One of the disciples had a name. What was the name of this disciple?

5. From where did Jesus ascend to heaven according to the Gospel of Luke?

6. Who was cured by Jesus and was thrown out of the synagogue for insisting that Jesus was not a sinner even if he healed on a Sabbath? Give a precise answer.

7. Who was the centurion who had charged of Paul when he was transported by ship to Rome as a prisoner?

8. Who was sent by the Philippian Christians to Paul when he was in prison, to bring him financial help and to attend to his needs?

9. The Letter to the Hebrews says that Christ’s priesthood is according to the order of Melchizedek, king and priest of God Most High? What place was Melchizedek king of?

10. In what letter do we find this famous passage, “God is love”? This is also the title of Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est.