Quiz on Jewish History

According to Jewish belief, why is Canaan called the Promised Land?

• God promised Abraham that Canaan would belong to his descendants forever.

• When Moses was in Canaan, God made many promises to him.

• God promised the Israelites that they would return to Canaan some day.

• Egyptian pharaoh promised Moses he would give Canaan to the Israelites.

According to the Hebrew Bible, what convinced the Egyptian pharaoh to finally free the Israelites from slavery?

• Moses told the pharaoh that God had spoken to him from a burning bush.

• God sent 10 plagues to Egypt to make the Egyptians suffer.

• The Israelites planned to rebel against the pharaoh and his troops.

• The pharaoh agreed with the laws of the Ten Commandments.

What drove the Israelites to leave Canaan and resettle in Egypt?

• a war

• a famine

• a flood

• a plague

What was one of King David’s major accomplishments?

• He united the Israelite tribes and founded Jerusalem.

• He built the First Temple and wrote the Book of Proverbs.

• He led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery to freedom.

• He defeated the Assyrians and founded Judah.

Why did both the Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians want to conquer Israel and Judah?

• to convert Jews to their polytheistic religions

• to have access to rich natural resources

• to enslave Israelites living in the area

• to control trade routes through the area

What happened to the Israelite kingdom after the death of King Solomon?

• It grew by conquering neighboring lands to the west.

• It split in two when the northern tribes rebelled.

• It fell to Egypt and the Israelites were forced into slavery.

• It grew wealthy by controlling trade routes.

The Babylonian exile was a significant event in Jewish history. Why did it occur?

• Due to a natural disaster

• As a result of a military conquest

• Because of a trade agreement

• Following a diplomatic negotiation

How did ancient Judaism differ from the religions of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia?

• Ancient Judaism was monotheistic, while the religions of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia were polytheistic.

• Ancient Judaism had a pantheon of gods similar to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

• Ancient Judaism focused on the afterlife more than ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

• Ancient Judaism had no religious texts, unlike ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.