Modern Musers
Penned on Parchment
Art
Word Games
Name that Book
100
These two popes both contributed to a Vatican letter that reflected on the light of faith.
Who are Popes Benedict XVI and Francis?
100
This Gospel writer introduces his book by telling us a bit about how he got his information.
Who is Luke?
100
In 1638, José de Ribera painted this Biblical lawgiver in oil on canvas.
Who is Moses?
100
This term comes from the Greek for "God" + "reason."
What is theology?
100
This book's title appropriately means "the beginning."
What is Genesis?
200
Among the several Oxford professors we've encountered so far, this one compared theology to a map.
Who is C.S. Lewis?
200
Since the king pretty much hated his guts, this Old Testament prophet had his scribe Baruch go to the temple and read his scroll for him.
Who is Jeremiah?
200
When Clark Hopkins unearthed a magnificent 2nd century synagogue in Dura-Europos, Syria (1932), it was thought at first to be a temple because of the exquisitely preserved wall paintings, including one showing this prophet anointing Israel's greatest king.
Who is Samuel?
200
English speakers call it the Pentateuch or Law; Hebrew speakers call it this.
What is Torah?
200
These two Gospels are attributed to apostles.
What are Matthew and John?
300
The title of his book, The God Delusion, pretty much sums up what this Oxford prof thinks faith is: believing something you have no evidence for.
Who is Richard Dawkins?
300
In this book of the Bible, the apostle Paul alludes to receiving oral tradition about Jesus' death and resurrection.
What is 1 Corinthians?
300
King David is said to have composed many of these. Both he and the harp he played them on probably looked quite different from this representation by Gerard van Honthorst (1622).
What are psalms?
300
Abbreviate the 3 categories of Hebrew books in the Bible, and you get this term for the entire Hebrew Bible.
What is tanakh?
300
These two Gospels are not attributed to apostles.
What are Mark and Luke?
400
Like his birdie namesake, this writer skims quickly over the surface, giving us a brief view of the Bible as Scripture that was spoken before it was written.
Who is Jaroslav Pelikan?
400
As a mathematician, scientist, and theologian, this Frenchman was in a good position to say: "If we submit everything to reason our religion will be left with nothing mysterious or supernatural. If we offend the principles of reason our religion will be absurd and ridiculous."
Who is Blaise Pascal?
400
Most or all of the Biblical books written after the military conquests of this ruler are preserved in Greek rather than Hebrew. The carving shown here may be only 2 centuries younger than the man himself.
Who is Alexander the Great?
400
You can use this label to describe a group of books in the Bible that have have "secondary" status.
What is deuterocanonical?
400
Christians would place this 2-part book in the historical section; Jews would put it in the "Former Prophets." From the title, you could guess it tells the story of Israel's monarchs.
What is Kings?
500
Believing in something doesn't mean ignoring the evidence–so says the third of our Oxford crew.
Who is Alister McGrath?
500
While fighting an intellectual battle with the Gnostics, this second-century bishop argued that the best source of information about Jesus was His apostles and their successors.
Who is Irenaeus of Lyons?
500
This Dutch master, who was named after two apostles, painted "Daniel in the Lions' Den" around 1614–a work you can see on display at the National Gallery of Art in DC.
Who is Peter Paul Rubens?
500
Maybe you know how to write the number "seventy" in Roman numerals (LXX), but can you say it in Latin? If so, you'll get the name for the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, since legend has it that seventy scholars worked on it.
What is the Septuagint?
500
After the exile, this priest was instrumental in helping the Israelites follow the law. The book that bears his name falls into the category of "Writings" or Kethuvim in Hebrew.
Who is Ezra?