Can You Name Which Book of the Bible These People Are In?

RELIGION

By: Tasha Moore

6 Min Quiz

Image: Br Lawrence Lew, O.P. / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

This is a nifty quiz about your favorite figures from the Bible. You're a true biblical scholar if you know where the more obscure biblical figures dwell, and it's not as easy as you might think! Amos, Ruth, John etc may or may not appear in the books that share their names.

Be forewarned that we don't take the easy road with this challenge. There may be names mentioned on this quiz that you've never seen before. We've filtered some rare Christian characters to help you brush up on what the Bible and Sunday school probably left out. 

There are some familiar names, like Peter, Paul and Mark, that can help boost your points. But please think twice about where you place a name like Mark — he may not be who you think he is. So play it safe and read the clues given before launching your final answer. There are four James figures in the New Testament. We leave it up to you to decide if placing just one James or all of them is easiest. And don't worry, Saul is Paul in this test, but know that Saul is also Saul. You may not know it yet, but that hint alone will win you at least three easy points!

Now keep up the tally with your best book guesses!

What's the perfect place for Paul?

Before his conversion into Christianity, as illustrated in the book of Acts, Paul's name was "Saul." 2 Corinthians describes Paul as a persuasive writer with a frail physique: "For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak ..."

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Is it challenging for you to get Peter's book right?

Peter was a leader of other disciples. Acts 2 shows that he preached after Jesus' resurrection in spite of the fact that he had denied Jesus three times before Jesus' crucifixion. In Acts, Peter reminds the disciples that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, as "was spoken by the prophet Joel."

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Where does the Biblical figure Ruth belong?

Ruth, a Moabite, was a widow who married one of Naomi's people. As was the custom, she adhered to the ways of her husband's people. Ruth 1:16 documents her pledge to Naomi: "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou goest, I will go ..."

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Try to identify Mordecai's source.

Esther 10:3 asserts that Mordecai was "great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren ..." He was Esther's relative who enraged the Persian official Haman because Mordecai had refused to bow before him, as confirmed in Esther 3:2, "Mordecai bowed not, nor did [Haman] reverence."

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There are several James figures. Which book has at least one?

There are four biblical figures named James in the New Testament. The James described in Acts 15 is the half brother of Jesus, as Matthew 13:55 explains in a brief explication of Jesus' identity: "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren James ...?

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How easily can you select Jeroboam's book?

Jeroboam was the first king of divided Israel. Prophet Ahijah had shown him that he'd become king of ten tribes. First Kings 11 offers Ahijah's prophecy: "Ahijah caught the new garment ... and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, 'Take thee ten pieces,'" which represented his ten tribes.

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Match Titus with the right book.

Titus was a Greek, whom Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:23 describes as his "partner and fellowhelper." As a non-Jew, Titus was influential in the admission of Gentile churches into the faith.

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Where did God not approve of Jehoahaz?

Jehoahaz reigned for 17 years as king of Israel and carried over the calf worship started by Jeroboam. Second Kings 13:2 describes Jehoahaz's worship of depraved images as "evil in the sight of the Lord."

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Can you name Samuel's source?

Samuel was the first prophet and last of the judges. In addition to anointing Saul as the first king of united Israel, he anointed David as the last king. First Chronicles 11:3 confirms David's call to the throne: "... they anointed David king ... according to the word of the Lord by Samuel."

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Choose the biblical reference that best suits Daniel.

In Ezekiel 14:20, God ranks Daniel among Noah and Job for his level of righteousness. The book of Ezekiel emphasizes God's rebuke, as noted in the 19th and 20th verses, as well as his charity. The phrase "they shall know that I am the Lord" is repeated many times in the book.

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Among the options, where does Stephen belong?

Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian church. Acts 7 describes him as "being full of the Holy Ghost." The religious authorities accused Stephen of blasphemy and "cast him out ... and stoned him."

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Do you know where to find Agag?

God, through the prophet Samuel, had commanded that Saul destroy Agag, king of the Amalekites, but Saul captured him alive, as 1 Samuel 15:8 confirms. "[Saul] took Agag ... alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword." For his cruel deeds, Samuel issued Agag a death sentence.

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Ezra works with which book?

Ezra was a priest and Nehemiah's co-worker who set out to restore the law of Moses. Nehemiah 8:3 records Ezra's quest to bring "the law before the congregation ... and all that could hear with understanding ..."

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Jesus went after Philip. Where can you find him?

In John 1, Jesus finds Philip "of Bethsaida" in his hometown of Galilee and instructs him, "Follow me." After that, Philip tells Nathanael, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth ..."

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Jehoash had his priorities straight in ________?

King Jehoash reigned in Jerusalem for 40 years. He ordered that all money be used to repair "the breaches of the [temple]," as 2 Kings 12 asserts. Old Testament books 1 and 2 Kings were formerly one book. The books were divided after they were translated into Greek.

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How well do you know Joshua's mention?

Joshua, an Ephraimite, assisted Moses in guiding the children of Israel out of Egypt. In Deuteronomy, God shows Joshua favor. According to Moses, God instructs "encourage [Joshua]: for he shall cause Israel to inherit [that good land]."

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How well can you choose where Jehoshaphat received his duties?

Solomon appointed Jehoshaphat as an officer of the Commissariat for the Issachar tribe. 1 Kings 4 confirms that Jehoshaphat was one of Solomon's "twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king ..."

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Can you name where Eliphaz is found?

According to Job 42, Eliphaz was one of Job's friends to whom God said, "My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right ..." Eliphaz had wrongfully accused Job when assessing his friend's affliction.

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Find Timothy's Bible home.

First Corinthians 4:17 refers to Timothy as "Timotheus," who Paul reveres as his spiritual "beloved son, and faithful in the Lord ..." Timothy joined Paul for his first missionary journey as well as subsequent journeys.

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Although his name is a rare sight in the Bible, Nehemiah appears in ________?

Ezra 2:2 mentions Nehemiah, who was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. His name is mentioned only once outside of the book of Nehemiah. Biblical scholars question whether Ezra authored the eponymous book, which contains events that occurred many years before Ezra returned to Judah.

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How well do you know the biblical book for Onesimus?

Onesimus was Philemon's slave who robbed his master and fled to Rome. The book of Philemon is short and styled more like an intimate letter than a letter of theological instruction. In the book, Paul sends word that he is returning the slave, whom he refers to as his son.

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Jeremiah's captors gave him a break. In which book was he active?

Jeremiah is considered a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible. Babylonians, captors of the Israelites, offered Jeremiah the option of either fleeing to Babylon or staying in Judah. Daniel 9:2 specifies that he chose to remain "in the desolations of Jerusalem."

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The apostles thought well of Joel. Does this hint help you to pick the book he's in?

Joel is an Old Testament prophet who prophesied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit "upon all flesh," as mentioned in Acts 2:17. In the book of Acts, Apostle Peter refers to Joel's prophesy to explain the divine phenomena that was occurring at the time, saying "[f]or these are not drunken."

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There's a "Mark" mentioned here. Do you know where?

In 2 Timothy 4:11, Apostle Paul regards Mark, or Marcus, as "profitable to [his] ministry." 2 Timothy is a letter written by Paul to Timothy, in which he instructs Timothy to bring Mark with him, as he was valuable to Paul's missionary tasks.

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Are you aware of Zechariah's source?

Zechariah was both a priest and a prophet. Zechariah and prophet Haggai were contemporaries, though Zechariah's ministry lasted longer. Zechariah would prophesy "unto the Jews that were in Judah and in Jerusalem," according to Ezra 5:1.

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In which text were Solomon's sins questioned?

Solomon was the son of King David, and he was the third and the last king of the united kingdom of Israel. Nehemiah 13:26 speaks to Solomon's sin, though he was wise and favored by God: "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him ..."

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How easy is it for you to pick Saul's correct text?

First king of Israel, Saul was the son of a Benjamite. Saul took his own life after he was critically wounded in battle. 1 Samuel 31 explains that "Saul took a sword, and fell upon it" after his armourbearer would not "abuse" him as Saul had instructed initially.

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Obadiah hid people in the Bible. Where is he hiding among these options?

Prophet Obadiah's name means "servant of the Lord." In 1 Kings 18:4, Obadiah hides one hundred prophets of God from Jezebel: "For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them with bread and water."

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Is it a challenge for you to choose the source for Zilpah?

Leah's father, Laban, gave Zilpah to her as a handmaid. Later on, Zilpah became the mother of two of Jacob's sons. In Genesis 30, "when Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife."

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Hezekiah inherited the throne and reigns in which of these texts?

King Ahaz was King Hezekiah's father. Hezekiah inherited the throne and ruled Judah from 724 to 695 BC, according to theologians. During his reign, Hosea presided as prophet and prophesied concerning the destruction of Judah.

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Micah was a blunt orator. Where is his work referenced?

Jeremiah 26:18 submits that prophet and orator Micah "the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah the king ... saying ... Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps ..." During his tenure, Micah prophesied of Jerusalem's destruction and Babylonian captivity.

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Try to quickly pick Zephaniah's source.

Prophet Zephaniah was responsible for foretelling days of doom as well as days of glory. Jeremiah and Zephaniah were contemporaries. The book of Jeremiah exposes more about the prophet's personal life than is available of prophets in other books.

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Do you know where to find Melchisedec?

Hebrews 7:2 calls Melchisedec a "King of righteousness," a type of Christ figure. The book of Hebrews confirms that the priesthood of Jesus would follow after Melchisedec's priesthood, "made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."

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Do you see where Jonah makes an appearance?

Jesus uses the prophet Jonah, or Jonas, as a sign for the disbelieving Jews during his time. Matthew 12 offer Jesus' words concerning the prophet: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

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Is it hard for you to get Haggai's book right?

The book of Ezra mentions prophet Haggai briefly in connection with prophet Zechariah, but little is known of Haggai outside of his eponymous biblical text. Bible experts theorize that much of Ezra's book was compiled and other texts were referenced in order to write it.

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