Q 01/05

Bethlehem lies about ten kilometres south of which city?

A) Nazareth

B) Jerusalem

C) Hebron

D) Jericho

Answer · why

B) Jerusalem

Jerusalem is so close that the two were long treated as sister cities; today the eight-metre West Bank barrier runs between them, and Bethlehem's resi...

Q 02/05

In Hebrew, the name Bethlehem is traditionally understood to mean what?

A) House of God

B) House of peace

C) House of bread

D) House of kings

Answer · why

C) House of bread

House of bread is how the Hebrew reads, but in Arabic the same name means 'house of meat', and some scholars think it began as the house, or temple, o...

Q 03/05

A possible first mention of Bethlehem, as Bit-Lahmi, comes in which find of the 14th century BC?

A) The Book of the Dead

B) The Merneptah Stele

C) The Turin King List

D) The Amarna letters

Answer · why

D) The Amarna letters

The Amarna letters: on one clay tablet a local ruler begs Pharaoh for archers after a nearby town goes over to his enemies; some scholars read its nam...

Q 04/05

According to the Hebrew Bible, which matriarch died and was buried on the road to Bethlehem?

A) Leah

B) Sarah

C) Rebecca

D) Rachel

Answer · why

D) Rachel

Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin on the road, and Jacob set a pillar over her grave; the tomb shown as hers, holy to three faiths, now sits behind...

Q 05/05

Which Israelite king grew up in Bethlehem as the youngest son of Jesse?

A) Saul

B) David

C) Solomon

D) Josiah

Answer · why

B) David

David was out minding the sheep when the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem to anoint a king; Jesse paraded his older sons first, and every one was turn...