Thirty questions on the people and stories of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation. Every answer gives the book and chapter, so you can look it up.
Genesis means "origin." It runs from creation through the life of Joseph in Egypt.
Question 2
How many books are in the Protestant Bible?
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66
39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. Catholic Bibles have 73, including the deuterocanonical books.
Question 3
Who built the ark before the flood?
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Noah
The story is in Genesis 6–9. God gives the sign of the rainbow afterward (Genesis 9:13).
Question 4
Who led the Israelites out of Egypt?
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Moses
The story is told in Exodus. Joshua later led the people into Canaan after Moses' death.
Question 5
Who killed the giant Goliath?
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David
1 Samuel 17: David, a shepherd boy, uses a sling and a stone.
Question 6
Which book comes first in the New Testament?
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Matthew
The order is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, then Acts. Most scholars think Mark was written first.
Question 7
Who was swallowed by a great fish?
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Jonah
Jonah 1:17 says he was in the fish three days and three nights. The text says "a great fish," not a whale.
Question 8
How many apostles did Jesus choose?
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Twelve
They are listed in Matthew 10, Mark 3 and Luke 6. Matthias replaced Judas in Acts 1.
Question 9
Who betrayed Jesus?
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Judas Iscariot
Matthew 26:15 says he was paid thirty pieces of silver.
Question 10
According to John's Gospel, what was Jesus' first miracle?
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Turning water into wine at Cana
John 2:1–11 describes the wedding at Cana, calling it the first of his signs.
Question 11
Who was thrown into the lions' den?
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Daniel
Daniel 6: King Darius was tricked into the decree, and God shut the lions' mouths.
Question 12
What is the shortest verse in the King James Bible?
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"Jesus wept." (John 11:35)
Jesus weeps at the death of his friend Lazarus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 is shortest in the original Greek.
Question 13
Which is the longest book of the Bible?
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Psalms
Psalms has 150 chapters. Jeremiah has the most words, depending on how it is counted.
Question 14
What was the name of Abraham's wife?
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Sarah
Sarah, first called Sarai, gave birth to Isaac in old age (Genesis 21). Rebekah married Isaac.
Question 15
On which mountain did Moses receive the Ten Commandments?
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Mount Sinai
Exodus 19–20. Deuteronomy calls the same mountain Horeb. Noah's ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
Question 16
Who was the first king of Israel?
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Saul
The prophet Samuel anointed Saul (1 Samuel 10). David was the second king.
Question 17
Which apostle denied knowing Jesus three times?
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Peter
Jesus predicted it would happen before the rooster crowed (Matthew 26:34).
Question 18
What is the last book of the Bible?
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Revelation
Its full title is the Revelation to John. Malachi is the last book of the Protestant Old Testament.
Question 19
Where did Samson's strength come from?
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His uncut hair, as a Nazirite
Judges 16. Delilah has his hair cut, and he loses his strength. He did fight with a donkey's jawbone in Judges 15.
Question 20
Who wrote the largest number of the New Testament letters?
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Paul
Thirteen letters are traditionally attributed to Paul, from Romans to Philemon.
Question 21
Which sea did Moses part?
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The Red Sea
Exodus 14. The Hebrew name is Yam Suph, which some translators render "Sea of Reeds."
Question 22
Who were the first two sons of Adam and Eve?
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Cain and Abel
Genesis 4. Seth was born after Abel's death. Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac.
Question 23
Which son of Jacob was sold into slavery by his brothers?
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Joseph
Genesis 37. Joseph later rose to power in Egypt and saved his family during a famine.
Question 24
Which king built the first temple in Jerusalem?
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Solomon
1 Kings 6. David planned it, but his son Solomon built it.
Question 25
In which river was Jesus baptized?
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The Jordan
John the Baptist baptized him there (Matthew 3:13–17), and the Gospels describe the Spirit descending like a dove.
Question 26
For how many days and nights did it rain during Noah's flood?
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Forty
Genesis 7:12. The waters stayed on the earth much longer, 150 days in Genesis 7:24.
Question 27
Which tax collector climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus?
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Zacchaeus
Luke 19:1–10. He was short, so he climbed the tree to see over the crowd.
Question 28
Which book tells of a Jewish woman who became queen of Persia and saved her people?
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Esther
The festival of Purim celebrates the story. The book of Esther never mentions God by name.
Question 29
Which apostle doubted the resurrection until he saw Jesus' wounds?
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Thomas
John 20:24–29. The phrase "doubting Thomas" comes from this passage.
Question 30
Who was the mother of John the Baptist?
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Elizabeth
Luke 1. Elizabeth was a relative of Mary. Her husband, the priest Zechariah, was struck mute until John was born.
Key numbers
Questions
30
Format
Multiple choice, 4 options
Explanations
Every question
Answers
Hidden until you open them
How these questions are written
Every answer cites the book and chapter where the story is told, so a group can open a Bible and check it. Questions stick to what the text says, not to later tradition. The Magi question, for example, notes that the Bible never says there were three wise men; the number comes from the three gifts.
Which Bible we use
Chapter numbers follow standard English Bibles. Where wording matters, as in the famous shortest verse ("Jesus wept," John 11:35), we name the King James Version. Where Protestant and Catholic Bibles differ, as in the number of books, the explanation gives both.
For church groups and Sunday school
The Old Testament questions come first, then the Gospels and the apostles. Split the set at question 15 for two rounds.
Ask a team to find the verse for each answer; the fastest team gets a bonus point.
For a December gathering, add the nativity questions from the Christmas trivia set.
The questions that trip people up most are the ones where popular memory and the text differ: Jonah's "great fish" rather than a whale, or the Ten Commandments given on Sinai, which Deuteronomy calls Horeb. Those make good discussion questions for a study group.
Are these Bible trivia questions suitable for adults?
Yes. They range from questions most people know, like who built the ark, to harder ones such as the mother of John the Baptist or the only book that never mentions God by name.
Which Bible translation are these answers based on?
Chapters follow standard English Bibles. Where wording matters, such as the shortest verse, we name the King James Version.
Why do some answers mention Catholic and Protestant Bibles?
Because they differ. Protestant Bibles have 66 books and Catholic Bibles have 73, so the explanation gives both rather than treating one as the only answer.