Q 01/05

The word 'devil' comes from the Greek diábolos, which means what?

A) Slanderer

B) Destroyer

C) Deceiver

D) Burning one

Answer · why

A) Slanderer

Latin borrowed it as diabolus, the Old English turned that into dēofol, and Middle English shortened it to devel.

Q 02/05

The Hebrew word śāṭān was originally a common noun meaning what?

A) Serpent

B) Adversary

C) Fallen one

D) Liar

Answer · why

B) Adversary

It came from a verb meaning to obstruct or oppose, and was applied to human opponents as readily as heavenly ones.

Q 03/05

Which religion was the first to develop a demonology headed by a supreme spirit of evil?

A) Judaism

B) Manichaeism

C) Zoroastrianism

D) Hinduism

Answer · why

C) Zoroastrianism

Its founder argued evil was a principle entirely separate from God, the first known dualistic cosmology.

Q 04/05

In the religion founded by Zarathustra, what is the 'destructive spirit' called?

A) Ahura Mazda

B) Mithra

C) Azazel

D) Angra Mainyu

Answer · why

D) Angra Mainyu

In Middle Persian the same figure is Ahriman, who is limited to space and time and will be defeated at the end of the world.

Q 05/05

Zarathustra urged his followers to abandon the devas and worship which god alone?

A) Ahura Mazda

B) Marduk

C) Ahriman

D) Mithra

Answer · why

A) Ahura Mazda

Spirits of the older belief systems that did not align with the new sole deity were recast as demons.