Can You Identify These Biblical Figures From a Description and an Image?

RELIGION

By: Tasha Moore

6 Min Quiz

Image: PaoloGaetano/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Have faith that we won't lead you astray on this biblical figures identification quiz. Certainly, folks of ancient times were too busy carving out Christian history — healing the sick, raising the dead, conquering wicked nations, etc. — to care much about how they looked doing it all. That's why we stretch the holy imagination by offering renditions of what these Christian heroes might have looked like back then based on one or more biographical facts. Choose the obvious choices to score big on this religion challenge.

Knowing that Judas Iscariot loved silver pieces more than he loved righteousness, you might correctly ID an image of the disloyal disciple gripping coinage. Moreover, the disciple Peter held serious reservations about the son of God washing his humble feet, so Peter's images could very well prominently feature feet. 

Identifying Old Testament folks is just as easy. Prophetess Deborah was a judge and a warrior, so it's not far-fetched to catch her likeness wielding a mighty sword. And speaking of weaponry, it's very likely that an image of Jezebel would include serious artillery since the pagan-worshiping queen to king Ahab was responsible for slaying a great many prophets of God in her corrupt heyday.

We invite you to arm yourself with the right biblical facts and do much better than okay on this Bible ID exercise!

Do you know the biblical figure who was appointed as treasurer for Jesus's disciples?

John 13:29 confirms that "Judas had the bag" and was tasked with purchasing the disciples' needs. The money man ultimately betrayed Jesus for "thirty pieces of silver," according to Matthew 27:3.

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What biblical figure said, "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?"

John 13 includes the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. Before the feast of Passover and after supper had ended, Jesus "took a towel, and ... began to wash the disciples' feet ..." When Jesus "cometh he to Simon Peter," Peter questioned the act.

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Name the disciple whose eponymous biblical text includes the quote: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another ..."?

The referenced quote is taken out of 1 John 1:7, in which the disciple informs believers about false doctrine. John encourages the early Christians to "walk in the light" of God's word.

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Do you determine the fourth judge of Israel?

Not only was Deborah the only female judge of Israel, but she was also a prophetess and a warrior. She accompanied the military general Barak in a war against King Jabin's army after God advised her that he had sanctioned Jabin's defeat at the hands of Israel.

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Can you choose the sister to Moses and Aaron?

Exodus 15 explains that Miriam was a"prophetess, the sister of Aaron." Numbers 12 asserts that Miriam was "shut out from the camp seven days" because she and Aaron had questioned Moses's integrity.

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Is it too difficult for you to identify the wife of Zacharias?

In Luke 1:36, an angel of God intimates to Elizabeth's cousin Mary that Elizabeth "hath also conceived a son in her old age ..." The book goes on to explain that the child, who later would be called John the Baptist, was first named "Zacharias, after the name of his father."

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Guess which Old Testament figure slew many prophets of God?

Obadiah hid one hundred prophets of God from Jezebel. First Kings 18 establishes, "For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave ..."

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From among the options, do you recognize the first person to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection?

Mark 16:9 plainly states that "when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." Mary Magdalene had repeatedly showed her gratitude to Jesus by ministering to him and being present at his crucifixion.

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David forced ________ to commit adultery with him?

First Chronicles 3:5 refers to Bathsheba as "Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel ..." and mother of Solomon, who was the son of David. Second Samuel 11 elucidates how David took Bathsheba, who had been the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

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Are you sure you can spot the biblical woman who led Samson to his ruin?

Judges 16 specifies how Delilah plotted with the lords of the Philistines to lure Samson to his ruin by coaxing him to reveal the source of his great strength. In the sixth verse, "Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth ..."

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In the gospel of John, Jesus told whom to give him a drink of water?

John 4 documents Jesus's explanation to the woman concerning living water that "[springs] up into everlasting life." The disciples "marveled that [Jesus] talked with the woman," since the Samaritans and Jews did not interact in those days.

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According to the book of Ruth, who was Elimelech's wife?

In the first chapter of Ruth, Naomi is identified as the wife of Elimelech and the mother of sons Mahlon and Chilion, one of whom had married Ruth, a Moabite. Eventually, Naomi lost her family; verse five informs that "Mahlon and Chilion died ... and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband."

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Do you notice the mother of Boaz among these choices?

Ruth 4 records how Boaz took Ruth to be his wife after the death of her first husband. Rahab is listed in Matthew 1 as "Rachab," who begat Boaz or "Booz," in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

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She was a gracious host to the prophet Elisha. Do you remember her biblical name?

Second Kings 4 asserts that the Shunammite woman told her husband, "Let us make a little chamber ... and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick ..." The woman had said of Elisha, who often traveled to Shunem, that she perceived him to be a "holy man of God ..."

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Do you recall who begged Jesus to cast out a devil from her daughter?

At first, Jesus denied help to the Syrophoenician woman, who pleaded with him saying "Have mercy on me, O Lord ... my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil," according to Matthew 15. But because of the woman's great faith, "her daughter was made whole ..."

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Try to guess the mother of Benjamin and Joseph?

Genesis 35:24 explicitly confirms "the sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin." Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob's twelve sons and Rachel's firstborn child. Genesis 37:3 highlights that Jacob, who is Israel, "loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age ..."

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In the book of Luke, an angel of God described ________ as "highly favored"?

Luke 1 chronicles how "the angel came in unto [the Virgin Mary], and said ... thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." The angel goes on to explain that she would "bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus."

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Do you ID a sister of Lazarus among these options?

John 11:1 presents "Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha." The fifth verse shows that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." Jesus instructed Martha, "the sister of him that was dead," to remove the stone to Lazarus's tomb so that Jesus could restore his life.

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Whom did Isaac, son of Sarah and Abraham, marry?

Genesis 24:67 communicates that at the time of his mother Sarah's death, Isaac "took Rebekah, and she became his wife ..." Genesis 25:20 further specifies that "Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife ..."

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Please select the daughter of Jethro and first wife of Moses?

Moses "kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian," according to Exodus 3:1. To prevent God from killing Moses for not adhering to circumcision law, Exodus 4 asserts that Zipporah "took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son ..."

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Which of these biblical figures held a grudge against John the Baptist?

Matthew 14 maintains that Herod "had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake ..." John had informed Herod that it was not "lawful" for Herod to have Herodias, "his brother Philip's wife."

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Prove that you comprehend who conceived a child of Abram before his own wife Sarai?

Genesis 16 teaches that Abram "went in unto Hagar, and she conceived ..." since Sarai could not conceive children at the time. Verse 15 mentions that "Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name ... Ishmael."

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Elkanah had two wives; Peninnah was one wife. Who was Elkanah's other wife?

According to 1 Samuel 1, "Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children." In light of Hannah's fervent prayer to God, she conceived Samuel, a prophet and the last of the judges.

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Hadassah is the Hebrew name of which biblical figure?

Esther 2 confirms that she was an orphan before she became the queen of Persia opposite Xerxes the king: "Mordecai brought up Hadassah, that is Esther ... for she had neither father nor mother ..." Esther hid her Jewish heritage, for she "had not shewed her people not her kindred ..." according to verse 10.

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Whom did Naomi teach about God?

According to Ruth 1, the "Moabitess" was so dedicated to Naomi that she pledged loyalty to Naomi's people and God when she expressed, "Intreat me not to leave thee ... for whither thou goest, I will go ... thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Ruth was Naomi's daughter-in-law.

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Determine the Old Testament prophet who received the vision of the burning vine?

As recorded in Ezekiel 15, God promised to set his face against the inhabitants of Jerusalem "because they have committed a trespass ..." God promised that the inhabitants would burn "as the vine tree among trees of the forest, which [he] have given to the fire for fuel ..."

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Hanameel asked the prophet ________ to buy his field?

The prophet asserts that Hanameel was his uncle's son, in Jeremiah 32. Hanameel asked Jeremiah, "Buy my field ... that is in Anathoth ... for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine ..."

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Who was the son of Shaphat and retrieved the lost ax?

In 1 Kings 19, prophet Elijah "found Elisha the son of Shaphat ..." so that Elisha might follow him. And in 2 Kings 6, while the sons of the prophets ventured to expand their dwelling place, Elisha "cut down a stick, and cast it" in the water where an ax had been lost, "and the iron did swim."

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Is it too difficult for you to choose the figure whose voice cried in the wilderness?

Matthew 3 highlights how John the Baptist preached repentance in the wilderness of Judaea. The third verse claims that he was the manifestation of prophet Esaias's words, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness ..."

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Can you identify the prophet who refused to eat the king's food?

Daniel 1:8 maintains that the prophet "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank ..." Daniel's instinct regarding the king's sustenance ultimately proved his divine wisdom.

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Have you remembered the person who walked naked for three years?

God told Isaiah to be without clothes and shoes, as documented in Isaiah 20. God commanded of him, "Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot," and Isaiah did so.

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ID the prophet who was with Moses at Jesus's transfiguration?

Elijah is identified as Elias in Matthew 17, which chronicles the story of Jesus' transfiguration. After Jesus "was transfigured ... and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light," Moses and Elijah appeared conversing with him.

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Name the biblical figure whose father was Berechiah?

The first line in the Old Testament book of Zechariah identifies the prophet's father as Berechiah. Zechariah is well known for his vision of the golden candlestick and two olive trees.

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This person is described as the Morasthite. Select the exact figure?

Born in the village of Moresheth-Gath, Micah foretold of Jerusalem's destruction, Babylonian captivity and the fall of Samaria. He's also credited for predicting the birth of God's ruler in Bethlehem of David's lineage.

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Guess who was swallowed by a "great fish"?

Jonah 1:17 states that "the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" because he had evaded God's order that he prophesy against Nineveh "for their wickedness." The scripture states that Jonah was in the fish's belly for three days and three nights.

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Among the options, who spoke of the palmerworm in prophesy?

Joel 1:4 offers the prophet's words: "That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerwork eaten ..." Joel's words foretold of a plague of insects against Judah.

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Prove that you understand who reared the prophet Samuel?

Eli was tasked with the rearing and training the prophet Samuel in the ways of God. After Samuel had been weaned, his mother Hannah brought "the child to Eli," according to 1 Samuel 1:25.

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How well do you comprehend the New Testament figure who said, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us"?

Philip's words are recorded in John 14:8. The disciple exhibited confusion concerning Jesus's explanation that he and the Father are one and the same. Jesus responded that whomever "hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

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Confirm that you know who was born of a virgin?

Jesus, the central figure of the New Testament, is described as a prophet and the son of God. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah foretold that Jesus would be "wounded for our transgressions ... bruised for our iniquities ..."

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He was instructed to follow God at age 75. Guess the biblical figure?

Abraham was still Abram when "the Lord had spoken unto him ..." when he was "seventy and five years old," according to Genesis 12. God told him that he would "make of thee a great nation ... and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing ..."

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