The Bible

Over how many years was the Bible written, approximately?

• 500

• 1000

• 1500

• 2000

• 3000

Answer explanation

While debates continue about the dates some books of the Bible were written, it was likely it took from about 1300 BCE to 200 CE to finish all of them.

On which three continents were parts of the Bible written?

• Europe

• Africa

• Asia

• Oceania

• South America

Answer explanation

The Bible was written on three continents:

1. Most of it was written in and around Israel (Asia), while some of Jeremiah was written in Egypt (Africa), and several books of the New Testament were written from parts of Greece and Turkey (Europe).

What languages was the Bible written in?

• Hebrew

• Persian

• Greek

• Latin

• Aramaic

Answer explanation

The Bible is written in three major languages:

The vast majority of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew. Some parts, mostly pieces written during exile in Babylon (like Ezra and Daniel) are written in Aramaic. The New Testament is written in Greek.

What does the word "Bible" mean?

• book or scroll

• divine manuscript

• sacred writings
• religious text
• holy book

Answer explanation

The word Bible literally comes from the Greek "biblia", meaning "books." It came from the Phoenician city of Byblos, an ancient exporter of papyrus.

What are the first five books of the Bible known as? There are two possible options:

• Torah

• Septuagint

• Koran

• Pentateuch

• Prophets

Answer explanation

The first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch (PEN-ta-tuuk), which is a Greek word that means "five books". They are also known as the Torah, which is Hebrew for "instruction" or "law".

The Historical books are often split into two categories, "Torah" and "History". Sort them out below:

Groups:

(a) Torah (5)

,

(b) History (12)

• 1 & 2 Samuel

• Judges

• Genesis

• 1 & 2 Chronicles

• Joshua

• Ezra

• Nehemiah

• Ruth

• Numbers

• Esther

• Deuteronomy

• Exodus

• 1 & 2 Kings

• Leviticus

Who is traditionally considered to be the author of the first five books of the Bible?

• Isaiah
• Abraham
• Moses
• Solomon
• David

Answer explanation

Moses likely became identified as the author because of Greek/Hellenic influences, which required stories to have an associated author figure. Modern scholars are not sure who actually wrote these books, but it was probably not Moses - especially the parts that describe his death.

Put the books of the Torah (or Pentateuch) in order:

• Numbers

• Genesis

• Leviticus

• Exodus

• Dueteronomy

The Prophetic books are often split into two categories, "Major" and "Minor". Sort them out below:

Groups:

(a) Major Prophets (5)

,

(b) Minor Prophets (12)

• Ezekiel

• Daniel

• Micah

• Nahum

• Zechariah

• Hosea

• Zephaniah

• Amos

• Jonah

• Obadiah

• Isaiah

• Habbakuk

• Malachi

• Haggai

• Lamentations

• Jeremiah

• Joel