Q 01/05

Bethlehem lies about ten kilometres south of which city?

A) Nazareth

B) Jerusalem

C) Hebron

D) Jericho

Answer · why

B) Jerusalem

It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate in the West Bank.

Q 02/05

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

A) City of David

B) House of God

C) House of bread

D) Place of the star

Answer · why

C) House of bread

The Arabic Bayt Lahm is read as 'house of meat', and the oldest Canaanite sense may be 'temple of the god Lakhmu'.

Q 03/05

A possible first mention of Bethlehem, as Bit-Lahmi, appears in which 14th-century BC Egyptian archive?

A) The Book of the Dead

B) The Rosetta Stone

C) The Turin King List

D) The Amarna letters

Answer · why

D) The Amarna letters

An Egyptian-appointed governor wrote to Pharaoh asking for help retaking the town from Apiru mercenaries.

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

Her tomb, also revered by Muslims as the Bilal bin Rabah mosque, is now enclosed by the West Bank barrier.

Q 05/05

Which Israelite king was born in Bethlehem, the youngest of Jesse's eight sons?

A) Saul

B) David

C) Solomon

D) Josiah

Answer · why

B) David

The prophet Samuel anointed him there while he was still a shepherd boy.