Q 01/05

A Latin reading of the Hebrew word qaran led Michelangelo to carve which biblical figure with horns?

A) Elijah

B) Samson

C) Moses

D) Joshua

Answer · why

C) Moses

Moses wears two small horns in the marble made for the tomb of Pope Julius II. The Hebrew verb is now read as 'shone' or 'sent out rays', describing h...

Q 02/05

Shalom, the Hebrew word used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye', literally has which meaning?

A) Peace

B) Friend

C) Blessing

D) Welcome

Answer · why

A) Peace

Peace is the core sense of shalom, whose three consonants also give Hebrew its words for 'whole' and 'paid for'. As a greeting it wishes the other per...

Q 03/05

Which Israeli self-defence system, developed by Imi Lichtenfeld, has a Hebrew name meaning 'contact combat'?

A) Jeet Kune Do

B) Savate

C) Hapkido

D) Krav Maga

Answer · why

D) Krav Maga

Krav Maga grew out of the street fights of 1930s Bratislava, where the boxer and wrestler Imi Lichtenfeld defended Jewish neighbourhoods. He later dev...

Q 04/05

Which Hebrew word of praise, sung in churches and synagogues, titled Israel's 1979 Eurovision winner?

A) Hava Nagila

B) Hallelujah

C) Hosanna

D) Shalom

Answer · why

B) Hallelujah

Hallelujah, literally 'praise Yah', won for the group Milk and Honey on home ground, as the contest was held in Jerusalem that year.

Q 05/05

J.R.R. Tolkien based the secret language Khuzdul largely on Hebrew for which people of Middle-earth?

A) Dwarves

B) Hobbits

C) Elves

D) Orcs

Answer · why

A) Dwarves

Dwarves keep Khuzdul private and speak the languages of their neighbours in public, a likeness to Jewish history that Tolkien himself pointed out.