Bible Quiz: Who Are They? Questions & Answers Across Faiths

The Tanakh is rich with identity-revealing moments that make for compelling quiz material. One of the most famous "who are they?" scenes comes from Genesis 48, when the aging patriarch Israel (Jacob) looks at the two boys beside Joseph and asks directly: "Who are these?" Genesis 48:8. The answer, of course, is Ephraim and Manasseh — Joseph's sons born in Egypt — whom Israel then blesses and elevates to the status of full tribal ancestors. It's a foundational moment for understanding the eventual twelve-tribe structure of Israel.

Beyond Genesis, the books of Numbers and Nehemiah offer rich lists of named figures that form the backbone of any serious Bible quiz. Numbers 34 identifies Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun as the men appointed to divide the Promised Land among the tribes Numbers 34:17. Nehemiah 10 names specific Levites — Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel — who signed the covenant renewal Nehemiah 10:10, while Nehemiah 12 lists Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah among those who participated in the dedication of Jerusalem's wall Nehemiah 12:34.

Jewish tradition, particularly through rabbinic commentary (the Talmud and midrashim), has long used these named figures as teaching tools. Scholars like Rashi (11th century) and Nachmanides (13th century) wrote extensively on the identities and roles of figures like Eleazar and Joshua, treating their names as carrying moral and theological significance rather than mere historical record.

Christianity inherits the full Hebrew scriptural tradition as the Old Testament, so every figure named in Genesis, Numbers, and Nehemiah is fair game for a Christian Bible quiz. The KJV rendering of Genesis 48:8 captures Israel's question with memorable directness: "Who are these?" Genesis 48:8 — a question Sunday school teachers have used for centuries to introduce Ephraim and Manasseh. Christian typological reading, popularized by church fathers like Origen and later by the Reformers, often saw Israel's crossing of his hands to bless the younger Ephraim over the elder Manasseh as foreshadowing the elevation of the Gentile church.

Numbers 32:28 names Moses, Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes as the authorities overseeing the land allocation east of the Jordan Numbers 32:28. In Christian tradition, Joshua (whose name in Greek is Iēsous — the same as Jesus) has been read typologically since at least the 2nd-century writer Justin Martyr as a prefiguration of Christ leading his people into the true Promised Land.

Nehemiah's lists of Levites Nehemiah 10:10 and leaders Nehemiah 12:34 are less frequently discussed in Christian preaching but appear in study Bibles and theological works on the post-exilic restoration. Scholars like F.C. Fensham (in his 1982 NICOT commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah) treat these name lists as historically significant evidence of community reconstitution after the Babylonian exile.

Islam doesn't use the term "Bible quiz" as a devotional or educational category, and the Hebrew scriptures as such aren't considered authoritative in the same direct way. However, the Qur'an does independently affirm the identities of several key biblical figures, making them relevant to any cross-religious "who are they?" discussion. Surah 6:85 names Zechariah, John (Yahya), Jesus (Isa), and Elias (Ilyas) together, affirming their shared righteousness: "And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias — and all were of the righteous." Quran 6:85 The Pickthall translation renders this similarly: "And Zachariah and John and Jesus and Elias. Each one (of them) was of the righteous." Quran 6:85

Islamic scholarship, including classical commentators like Ibn Kathir (14th century), treats these figures as authentic prophets whose stories the Qur'an confirms and, in some cases, supplements. Figures like Joshua (Yusha ibn Nun) are mentioned in hadith literature though not by name in the Qur'an itself. The broader Qur'anic project of naming prophets serves a similar "who are they?" function — establishing lineage, righteousness, and divine mission — even if the format differs entirely from a Western-style Bible quiz.

Use these quick “who are they?” items drawn from the Tanakh. Answers are given with the verse reference.

• Q: In Genesis 48, who asks, “Who are these?” A: Israel (Jacob) Genesis 48:8.
• Q: Which leaders were named to divide the land among Israel? A: “Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun” Numbers 34:17.
• Q: Which Levites are listed in the covenant list? A: “Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel” Nehemiah 10:10.
• Q: Who are four of the men named in Nehemiah’s procession? A: “Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah” Nehemiah 12:34.
• Q: Concerning whom did Moses give command about the eastern tribes’ settlement? A: “Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel” Numbers 32:28.

These Old Testament “who are they?” items work for Christian study too; the answers are the same people named in the text.

• Q: Who says, “Who are these?” when seeing Joseph’s sons? A: “Israel” (Jacob) Genesis 48:8.
• Q: Who were designated to divide the land of Canaan? A: “Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun” Numbers 34:17.
• Q: Whom did Moses command regarding the Transjordan settlement arrangements? A: “Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel” Numbers 32:28.
• Q: Name Levites recorded among the signatories. A: “Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel” Nehemiah 10:10.
• Q: Identify four men listed in a procession. A: “Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah” Nehemiah 12:34.

Not applicable. Concerns Biblical scripture/practice; no direct counterpart in Qur’anic or hadith-based “Bible quiz” format.