Bible Trivia and Captivating Bible Stories

Discover and be enthralled with some Bible trivia.

Learn about some intriguing stories and Bible trivia as revealed in the Bible.

Bible trivia is intriguing and has much truth, insight, and provides inspiration.

Here are some spellbinding Bible trivia insights.

Check out these pieces of Bible trivia and unknown Bible facts.

Two books in the Bible do not have the word "God" in them.
These are the Song of Solomon and the Book of Esther.

The word "trinity" is not mentioned in the Bible.
However, the Bible mentions each member of the Trinity individually.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The word "rapture" does not appear in the Bible.
The Bible refers to it in many ways, but not as "the rapture."

What is salvation (being saved)?

"The Good News" is hearing and discovering that salvation is the truth and worth learning about.
It means believing in the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.
Read the Bible and discover that salvation is a gift from God (grace), not something earned, bought, or given for good works.
Salvation is Christ's rescue, saving us from the consequences of our sins.
It prevents the believers from going through the horrible seven-year Tribulation period.
Salvation protects believers from the physical threat of an eternal fire.
Being "saved" entails the believer asking God in prayer for salvation.
This involves asking for forgiveness for committed sins and repentance.
In other words, knowing the truth of Jesus changes one's life from disobeying God to obeying God.
Being saved means being accepted by God into a new world.
Some believe the New World is a New Jerusalem or Heaven.

The "tribulation" of the end times will be devastating.

One insight of the Bible is that the Tribulation will be a time of trouble like never before.
The Bible reveals that 50% of Earth's inhabitants will die by sword, hunger, and other reasons.
Furthermore, the Bible states that 33% of all vegetation will be burned up.
It's a seven-year period of destruction, death, war, famine, economic chaos, and Christian persecution.
The dirty atmosphere will blot out the sun and the moon, making them invisible.
The false prophet and the Antichrist, led by Satan, appear and run the world for a while.
The bloody battle of Armageddon between the followers of God and the followers of Satan will occur.
God will complete his discipline in Israel.
It ends with the final judgment upon the unbelieving citizens of the world.
If you are "saved," you are saved from the Tribulation and the fires of Hell.
According to Christian eschatology, Jesus will come to gather the "saved" and take them away in the "rapture" before the Tribulation.
During the Tribulation, there will be non-believers who will convert.
Many will face severe persecution during the tribulation, yet they will recognize the truth and turn to God.

The "rapture" is at the core of the Bible.

The rapture is the true hope of all Christians.
The Rapture refers to the event when Jesus returns to gather his believers.
This moment is when Jesus comes and takes his followers with him to everlasting life.
It's an end-of-times event.
This phenomenon will occur after Jesus builds a place for believers to live.
The understanding is that believers are exempt and will never see the Tribulation.
Others believe that the rapture occurs after the tribulation. (A story for another time.)
Jesus will come in the clouds.
He will resurrect the believers who are dead and meet them in the clouds.
Jesus will also bring the living believers to meet him in the clouds.
He transports them to the seat of Christ. This location is known as the Bema Seat.
At the Bema seat, the believers will receive rewards for "good works."
Later, Jesus will lead His believers to the new home that He built for them.
The rapture will happen before the 7-year tribulation of God's wrath on Earth.
It will happen before the judgment and the second coming.
Furthermore, the rapture will happen before the false prophet and the antichrist come to power.
Only God knows when the rapture will take place.
Not even Jesus knows.
You will know if people around you all of a sudden disappear.

Below are some intriguing stories, trivia, and biblical insights.

When was the term "Christian" first used?

The consensus is that the original use of the coined word "Christian" is unknown.
However, the term is first visible in the Book of Acts in the Bible.
Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch preaching.
Herod Agrippa II asked Paul the Apostle if he was a Christian.
Before this, most people referred to the Apostles as Nazarenes, followers of the Jesus movement, or followers of "The Way."
During this time, most of the "followers" were Jewish.
Herod stated that Paul's acceptance of the term "Christian" led to its widespread use and spread.
The earliest written use of the term "Christian" outside of the Bible was by Josephus and Pliny the Younger.
During this time, the "Christian faith" had swelled in numbers among the Gentiles.
Both of these writers referred to the followers of Jesus as Christians.
Soon after, the term "Christian" gained widespread recognition.

The followers of the "Faith" split into a Jewish following and a Gentile following.

The Jewish sect follows the time-tested books of the Old Testament.
They follow and obey the Mosaic Laws.
The Messiah has yet to arrive; they are waiting for the Savior's arrival.
They do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah (Savior).
After all, they are the ones who crucified Jesus for saying that he was.
The non-Jewish Gentile sect follows the New Testament.
Gentiles recognize that the Savior has already arrived and that it is Jesus.
They follow the teachings of Jesus.

China prints the most Bibles.

The Bible is estimated to have been printed in 724 different languages.
Every year, the world sells over 100 million copies of the Bible.
The Bible is the most stolen book in history.
However, it is also the most purchased book in history.

Swearing on the Bible in a court of law is against the teachings of Jesus.

Swearing is taking an oath.
It is not cursing.
Cussing is saying negative things.
Therefore, one should "affirm" and not "swear."
"I affirm allegiance," not "I swear allegiance."
It is appropriate to say, "I affirm to tell the truth." Not, "I swear to tell the truth; so help me, God."
Matthew 5:33-37.

Cannibalism is a little-known Bible trivia.

The first instance occurred when God punished the followers by causing them to experience hunger.
It would come about because the followers would eat the flesh of their children.
Deuteronomy 28:53-57

On the second occasion, the king hears the story of two women making a pact to eat each other's child.
2 Kings 6:26-29

The oldest known biblical writing is the Ketef Hinnom Inscription.

The inscription is believed to have been created during the 7th century BC.
It is a silver scroll rolled up as an amulet.
The writing is so tiny that it is impossible to read with the human eye.
The words written on the inscription are the same as Numbers 6:24.

What is the biblical truth about which day of the week is the Sabbath?

Many believe that the specific day of the week is not relevant. Pick a day and observe it.
Christians believe that it is Sunday.
Jews say that it is Saturday.
Muslims have it on Friday.
The Book of Genesis states it's on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.
It is a matter of interpretation.
Some interpret the New Testament as saying that the Sabbath no longer exists.
Many believe it was changed from Saturday to Sunday to somehow coincide with the resurrection of Jesus.
Some interpret the Old Testament and say that it still exists and is on the seventh day, Saturday.
Below is a link to a lengthy paragraph. Take note of the last few sentences.
Please take a moment to review this explanation of the Sabbath.

The original languages of the manuscripts are Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Ancient Hebrew is the language of the Old Testament and was written before the birth of Jesus.
The New Testament is in Koine Greek and was written after Jesus' birth.
Aramaic was the spoken language during the time of Jesus.
This phase was the time between the Old and New Testaments. "The silent period."

The mother language of Jesus was Aramaic.

Aramaic was the common language of Judea in the first century AD.
As a native of Galilee, Jesus would have spoken Aramaic with a Galilean accent.
Jesus inevitably spoke multiple languages.
He would have spoken Hebrew.
Hebrew was the language used in the synagogues and temples at that time.
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus is recorded using Aramaic terms and phrases.
Jesus was recorded as reading from the Hebrew Bible at a synagogue.
Luke 4:16.
Greek and Latin were the commonly used languages in trade and economics during the time of Jesus.
Before preaching, Jesus worked as a carpenter and must have known several languages for buying and selling.
Jesus must have been familiar with several languages.

The ancient Hebrew language does not have small or capital letters.

Hebrew is the language of the Old Testament.
Early Israelites spoke and wrote in Hebrew.
The language had only 22 letters, all in one size, in caps.
Ancient Hebrew has no vowels, only consonants.
The language was written from right to left.
All Middle Eastern languages are still written this way today, including modern Hebrew.
Ancient Hebrew was called the "Language of Judah."
The Book of Kings identifies it as Judahite.
Ancient Hebrew was phased out of general spoken use around 200 AD.
Hebrew resurfaced as a common language in the 1900s.
A derivative has survived (aka "modern Hebrew") and is the "official language" of Israel.

There are four main sections in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh):

The Jews also refer to the Bible as the Mikra.
Protestants refer to it as the Pentateuch (Five), also known as the "Five Books of Moses."
The word "Tanakh" is derived from the first letters of the three main sections of the original Masoretic Hebrew texts.
Torah (the Laws).
Neviʾim (the Prophets).
Ketuvim (the Writings).
There are a total of 24 books.

The truth about the beasts.

Revelation reveals the future story of several beasts.

At the end of time, Satan puts on his best show and pretends to be God.
The false prophet is the Holy Spirit (the Beast of the Earth).

The first beast will symbolically come out of the sea (masses of humanity).

Satan will give this beast power.
This beast will rule for 42 months.
Some people believe this period reestablished the Roman Empire.
This first beast will have seven heads, 10 horns, and 10 crowns. (Several political powers.)
The beast is symbolically a combination of a leopard, a bear, a lion, and 10 horns.

The second beast will come out of the earth and have powers given by Satan.

The second beast will preside over the world's economic and religious agendas.
He is known as the "false prophet" due to his dominance over the world's religions.
This beast is symbolically described with two horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon.
Despite his outward gentle demeanor, the second beast will truly embody a "devil."
He causes all people to symbolically receive the mark of the beast on their right hand or on their forehead."

Revelation does not describe how the third beast originates.

The third beast has seven heads and ten horns, according to the description.
It is also described as being colored scarlet with a harlot who reigns over the kings of the earth riding it.
It is believed that seven world powers will have the purpose to unite the world's nations.
Some believe it to be the League of Nations, now known as the United Nations.

Here are some fascinating trivia insights into some Biblical truths.

A godless man will preside over this coalition of nations and rule the world during the Tribulation.

The story in the book of Revelation names him the Antichrist.
He presides over a political agenda with an evil government in power at the end of times.
At first, he will broker peace between Israel and the rest of the world.
The mantra to convince the world to buy into his leadership is "peace and harmony."
He will say he is God, demand worship of him, and persecute those who believe in the true God.
Jesus returns at the end of the beast's reign.
There will be a massive war between Jesus and Satan.
Satan will be tossed into the lake of fire, along with the false prophet and the antichrist.

Revelation reveals the story of the 144,000 believers.

They will be the leaders on Earth during the Millennial Reign of Christ.
They are Hebrew males.
All of them are virgins.
They come from the 12 tribes of Israel.
There will be twelve thousand believers from each tribe.
God will protect these believers during the Tribulation and the End of Times.
The 144,000 believers will remain unmarked by the beast.
They will evangelize during the Tribulation.

Here are more stories and trivia found through internet searches.

Animal Sacrifices.

The question is, "When did the Israelites last perform animal sacrifices?"
According to the New Testament and church history, this event occurred around 70 CE (AD).
This date is when Rome went into Jerusalem and destroyed the temple for the second time.
Only the temple in Jerusalem was authorized to perform sacrifices.
The practices of burnt offerings disappeared along with the destruction of the temple.

The world's largest ancient biblical manuscript is Codex Gigas.

Codex Gigas contains scripture from the Old Testament and New Testament, works by Joseph Flavius, a medical book, a calendar, and several other items of interest.
The Codex Gigas book weighs 165 pounds.
Its composition consists of 310 leaves.
The claim is that the Codex Gigas is made of vellum from the skins of 160 donkeys, or possibly calfskin.
The Codex covers 142.6 m² (1,535 sq. ft.).
The manuscript has red, blue, yellow, green, and gold colorings.
It's also known as the "Devil's Bible" due to its rendition of the devil on page 577.

The world's largest modern Bible is the Louis Waynai Bible.

This Bible was created in Los Angeles by Louis Waynai, a Hungarian immigrant, between 1928 and 1930.
The Waynai Bible weighs over 1,000 pounds.
It is a King James version.
Mr. Waynai gave the Bible to a church in Fort Worth.
The church later passed it on to Abilene Christian University in Texas.

In the early years of the Catholic and English churches, death was a common punishment.

It was illegal to print or even possess Bibles that were printed in English.
The church wanted full control of its subjects, and the "government" backed it.
The Bible was generally in Latin; only the church had it, and only priests could read it.
Anyone who did not fully obey the rules of the "church" or who dared speak against the church ended up being executed.
The church had a greater interest in its sovereignty than in preaching the truth about Jesus.

This article provides more biblical trivia, information, insights, and understanding.

The Gideons are a well-known religious organization that spreads the truth.

Gideon was a judge and warrior whom God called upon to lead the Israelites.
He freed the Israelites from the Midianites.
Present-day Gideons place Bibles in hotels, motels, and other locations at no cost.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

The Bible reveals that the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) comes upon a believer when they accept the truth of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit gives the believer certain gifts and takes control of their abilities.
The believer is overcome by the Holy Spirit, which enables them to receive a genuine understanding of the truth in their soul.
The guidance of the Holy Spirit is essential for understanding and interpreting the Scriptures.
Generally, this event occurs when someone is "saved," "converted," or "called to service" by God.

Many villains in the Bible have a certain hair color.

Red hair. Perhaps this is why Irish girls with red hair are often described as "hot-tempered."
Cain killed Abel. He is believed to have red hair.
The Bible describes Esau as having red hair, like a fur coat, as he sets out to kill his brother Jacob.
Genesis 25:25
David had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and then murdered her husband, Uriah.
2 Samuel 11:1-17
Salome, the dancer, requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter from King Herod.
She was a redhead.

The Gutenberg Bible was the first complete Bible printed on a printing press.

Johannes Gutenberg printed this Bible in Mainz, Germany.
It was printed around 1450 AD using a movable metal type printing press.
This Bible is a copy of the Vulgate.
The Gutenberg Bible was printed in Latin.
Approximately fifty copies have been discovered.
Harvard University has a copy.

Who are the wise men among the Bible people?

The Bible does not specify the number of wise men who visited baby Jesus.
The Bible states that the "Magi" came for a visit.
No particular number of Magi is given.
There could have been any number.
At least two were present, as the term "Magi" is plural. Magus is singular.
Matthew 2:1-16
The Magi brought three gifts to Jesus.
The assumption is that the three gifts meant that three Magi made the visitation.
The three gifts were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gifts could have been in any number of packages.
The gifts could have been small enough to put in a single bag.
Tradition, not the truth of the Bible, gave names to the Magi.
The given names of the Magi are Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
Tradition, not the Bible, defines the Magi as wise men and sometimes kings.
The only fact that the Bible tells us is that the visitors were Magi.
"Magi" is plural, more than one. Magus is singular.
The translation of magus is "powerful."
It can also mean "magician" or "wise man."
Zoroastrian priests were called Magi in ancient Persia.
The Magi came from the east.
They brought three gifts.
The Magi used a star as their guide.
Everything else is tradition-based on very loose suppositions and not the truth of the Bible.

Are religious traditions based on biblical truth?

Here is a summary of traditional beliefs that are not necessarily based on the truth:
It is assumed there were three Magi because they gave three gifts.
Magi were kings.
Tradition gave the Magi names.
They traveled on foot.
Trekking to visit Jesus took two years.
Magi were skilled astrologists and astronomers.
The three Magi were from Ethiopia, Persia, and India.
They were descendants of Noah, but aren't we all?
It is believed that they came from a tribe in eastern Mesopotamia, possibly as far as the Orient.
A bishop in Cologne claims to have discovered their skulls. (A stretch even for tradition.)

Bible believers can receive communication from God in dreams.

There are 21 popular dreams in the Bible.

Some of the most popular are

Jacob's ladder:
He saw angels traveling between earth and heaven on a ladder.
Some believe the image symbolizes the believer's descendants going to heaven.
Genesis 28:12

Daniel's four beasts:
God judges four beasts, and Jesus was given dominion over them.
Daniel 7

The wife of Pontius Pilate dreamed about the true messiah:
She had a nightmare about Jesus' trial.
His innocence was known to her.
Matthew 27:19

Joseph's first visit:
An angel told Joseph not to divorce Mary, as she was carrying the Savior.
They were not married at the time but betrothed.
The proper translation states that Mary was a young woman, not specifically a virgin.
Being "betrothed and a young woman" makes it reasonable to assume that she was a virgin.
But is that the truth? The Bible does not directly state that.
Matthew 1:18
Magi's Warning:
A dream warned the Magi not to visit King Herod.
Herod wanted to know where the baby messiah was so that he could kill him.
Matthew 2:1-12

Joseph's warning:
A dream warned Joseph to flee to Egypt because Herod wanted to slay all the young babies.
Matthew 2:13-14
Joseph's second visit:
Joseph dreamed that Herod was dead and that they could return to Israel.
Matthew 2:19-21

What is the earliest Bible writing in existence?

The earliest original biblical writing believed to exist is the Ten Commandments.

Moses was the first to possess the stones.
God wrote them with his finger in the presence of Moses.
The tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed inside the original Ark of the Covenant.
Some believe that the Ark is in a bunker under Ethiopia's Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion.
This church is fenced and made off-limits to the public.
The bunker is guarded and protected by the Ethiopian government.
It is believed that you will die from supernatural forces or from the trained monks at the church while attempting to enter the bunker uninvited.
A British officer during WWII said he entered the bunker during the war and believed the Ark to be a duplicate.

Is it the truth, a hoax, a theory, a legend, a tradition, or a reality?

You decide.

Communion (the Lord's Supper) is an important symbol initiated by Jesus at the Last Supper.

The Last Supper is the rite of Eucharist, sometimes called Mass or Holy Communion.
Jesus and the disciples ate unleavened bread and wine at the Last Supper.
Holy Communion symbolizes the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples and
commemorates His death and resurrection.
There is no yeast in the bread, and the drink was wine and not grape juice.
Many people hold the belief that at communion, we should serve real wine and break
the bread, as Jesus did at the Last Supper.
Some follow Jesus' example and use one cup for sharing among the congregation.
However, some churches use individual, unbroken crackers and
small paper cups of grape juice.
It's more hygienic and easier to manage in large congregations.
It's the symbolism that's important.
Bread represents the broken body that Jesus endured.
Wine represents the blood that Jesus shed for us.
The Bible does not provide specific instructions on when or how often to take communion.
Jesus implied that communion is to be done periodically, in remembrance of Him.
The idea is to take communion often enough to keep the believer's focus on Jesus and his sacrifice.
To participate in communion, you must be a believer and have confessed your sins beforehand.
We should take communion with reverence, love, and a deep passion of gratitude for what Jesus did for us.
It is the remembrance of his sacrifice, given to save us from our sins, and the true pathway to heaven.

When you're dead, you're dead.

Some Bible scholars interpret the Bible and teach that death does not imply an immediate journey to paradise, purgatory, heaven, or hell.
Several scholars hold the belief that upon death, you are in a state of suspended animation.
You are laid to rest, as the saying goes. "LAID TO REST."
Your body is dead and gone, and you know nothing; you hear nothing; you see nothing; you feel nothing; you are unaware of anything around you.
Your body becomes dust.
There is no concept of time.
Time stops for you.
Your soul is resting in a deep sleep, a coma-like existence.

Yet somehow your energy or soul, which defines who you are, is preserved in a temporary state of deep sleep.
This condition is precisely what a coma is.
When you die, you are aware of nothing.
This author experienced being in a coma for two weeks after surgery as a teenager.
One second, I was on the gurney and fell asleep.
The next instant brought me back to life, lying on a hospital bed.
I did not remember anything in between.
I sat up and looked around.
I noticed many flowers in the room, many get-well cards hanging everywhere, and a banner that said, "Come back to us soon."
The TV was on, and my parents were sitting in chairs to my left.
Dad was watching TV, and Mom was reading a book.
I was shocked when I noticed they were wearing different clothes.
They must have left me and gone home during my surgery.
Why would they do that?
I gathered my senses and spoke. I said, "Why did you guys go home?"
They were equally shocked when they heard me speak.
I had been unconscious, didn't know that many kids from school came to see me, and didn't realize two weeks had passed.
Being unaware of everything that happened for two weeks was confusing.
It was like I was dead, in a deep sleep, for two weeks.
I lay on a gurney, blinked, and two weeks passed that I did not consciously experience.
That is what death is like, according to some biblical scholars.

Death is like a blink.
In one moment, you are conscious, and then you die.
The next moment, in a blink, you are alive again.
You will be moving through the air, going toward Jesus, without a memory of what happened during the blink.
This claim is popular among many Bible believers.

Other Bible scholars say that when you're dead, you're not really dead.

This belief is one of many regarding what happens after death.
Your body indeed dies, but your soul is still very much alive, and you are aware of your surroundings.
It was Jesus who said to the criminal beside him (paraphrase), "I'll see you in paradise tonight."
Where and what is paradise?
Roman Catholics are adamant that your soul goes immediately to purgatory at death.
Many other Christian sects believe your soul goes immediately to heaven when you die.
Yet others believe that you might go straight to hell.

Here is an intriguing and perplexing side note.
People who met Jesus did not recognize him when he walked around after his resurrection.
The Bible states that several people who intimately knew him did not recognize him.
His appearance must have changed.
But he still had the wounds on his hands from the crucifixion.
This situation is confusing.
Can we clarify whether his appearance changed after he came back to life?
What will our appearance be like when we are resurrected when Jesus comes for us?

There are stories in the Bible of animals doing extraordinary things.

Balaam's donkey talked while they were traveling.
The donkey saw a spiritual being before him, and the being wouldn't let the donkey pass.
Balaam beat the donkey because it wouldn't move.
The donkey turned his head and spoke, chastising Balaam for beating him.
Numbers 22:21-39.
A big fish was a sea-going transport in the Bible.
Tradition states that a giant fish, perhaps a whale, transported Jonah to Nineveh.
The Bible specifically states that Jonah was inside a large fish, not a whale.
By the way, whales are not fish; they are water mammals like seals, walruses, and sea lions.
This story is in the first chapter of the Book of Jonah.

"If you want to be wise, read the Bible.
If you want to be safe, believe in the Bible.
If you want to be right, obey the Bible."

A quote from Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills, California