Ancient Israel / Early Christianity
What is the Hebrew name for the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Law?
The Torah
In Tibetan Buddhism, what is the name of the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth?
Samsara
In Greek mythology, what hero slew the Minotaur in the Labyrinth of Crete?
Theseus
What Italian Renaissance artist painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
Michelangelo
What writing system was used for ancient Mesopotamian languages such as Sumerian and Akkadian?
Cuneiform
According to the Hebrew Bible, what food did God provide to the Israelites while they wandered in the desert for 40 years?
Manna
Q: What is the term for a short Sanskrit mantra, often associated with meditation and enlightenment?
Aum (or Om)
The Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are inspired by which three mythological creatures?
Legendary birds such as the Phoenix, Thunderbird, and Roc
In Zoroastrianism, what is the name of the supreme god who represents truth and light?
Ahura Mazda
What is the name of the ancient Egyptian writing system that uses pictorial symbols?
Hieroglyphics
What early Christian missionary wrote many of the letters (epistles) in the New Testament?
Paul
What is the Sanskrit word for "emptiness," a key concept in Mahayana Buddhism?
Śūnyatā
In Norse mythology, Loki's son, the eight legged horse often ridden by Odin as a steed, is named what?
Sleipnir
The Impressionist movement was pioneered by artists such as Claude Monet. What was the name of the painting that gave the movement its name?
Impression, Sunrise
The Rosetta Stone was key in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. It contained writing in three scripts: Greek, Egyptian Hieroglyphics, and what other language?
Demotic
The Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, was primarily translated in which city?
Alexandria, Egypt
What is the name of the sacred Tibetan Buddhist text that guides souls through death and rebirth?
The Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead)
The Pokémon Giratina is inspired by what religious/mythological concept? (2 possible answers)
The fallen angel Lucifer and the concept of antimatter
What is the name of the sacred fire that is kept burning in Zoroastrian temples?
Atar
Linear B is an early script used to write which ancient Greek language?
Mycenaean Greek
The Book of Daniel contains a vision of four beasts representing different empires. According to most scholarly interpretations, what are the four empires represented by the four beasts?
The Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire
The Dalai Lama is considered a reincarnation of which bodhisattva?
Avalokiteśvara
The Egyptian goddess, known as "the Devourer of the Dead," who eats the hearts of the dead that weigh more than a feather is named what?
Ammit
Which famous surrealist artist painted The Persistence of Memory, known for its melting clocks?
Salvador Dalí
What ancient Indian language is the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism?
Sanskrit