There Are 66 Books in the Bible — Can You Name Even Half From an Obvious Hint?

RELIGION

By: Beth Hendricks

6 Min Quiz

Image: stempow / Pixabay

About This Quiz

The Bible we see and use today, with 66 neatly-organized books divided between Old and New Testaments, probably bears very little resemblance to the Bible in the days it was being written. By some accounts, its authors -- ranging from Moses to John -- didn't even place spaces between their words when they were writing the text down by hand on scrolls! Despite all of that and the numerous variations of the Bible that exist today (by last count, some 50 English versions alone!), the one thing that remains constant are the books included. The Bible starts with the Creation story in Genesis, winds through the poetic verses of Psalms and concludes with Paul's letters to the early church and the impending Battle of Armageddon in Revelation.

How much do you know about the Bible? Do you know where to find the Christmas story? What about the first introduction to the Ten Commandments? How would you find out about Job's tribulations (Hint: Try Job!) or why the Book of Philemon came to be? We promise not to go too in-depth! This quiz is stocked with some pretty obvious factoids about the Bible. How many of the Bible's 66 books can you guess from the softballs we're lobbing in this quiz? Let's find out if you're more Bible scholar or Bible starter!

Looking for the Christmas story? Which book should you turn your attention toward?

Luke offers one place in the Bible where you can read the Christmas story and learn more about the birth of Jesus. If you want an alternate location, check out the Book of Matthew.

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It's always good to start at the beginning. Which book starts with, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth?"

Genesis the first book of the Bible and the introduction to the Creation story, when God created the heaven and the earth. There's not much else that can be said without the creation of heaven and earth, right?

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Which of these books is considered the shortest among the Scriptures?

III John, or Third John, which sounds better in general conversation, is the shortest book in the Bible. You should be able to read its roughly 219 words in a matter of minutes.

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Where would you find this verse, perhaps the most popular in the entire Bible: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life?"

John 3:16 is perhaps the most popular and most quoted of all verses in the Bible. You can regularly find it in places you might not expect, such as on a sign in the end zone of a football game!

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This guy was swallowed up by a giant fish. We learn all about his experience in which book bearing his name?

Jonah's experience inside the belly of the whale is one of the most common Biblical stories told. The entire story recounts Jonah's disobedience and what happened when he refused to listen to God.

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Apocalypse now! If you want to read about the impeding doom facing the world, which book would you go to?

The Book of Revelation reveals a lot about what is to come on God's timetable of events. That includes things like the seven seals being opened and the four horsemen being unleashed.

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Think you've had a bad day? This guy recounts his story of being thrown in a lion's den. Which is it?

Daniel's experience of being thrown in a lion's den is one of the most harrowing -- and amazing -- stories in the Bible. Divine intervention shut up the lion's mouths and Daniel escaped unscathed.

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The book about this man details all of his trials and tribulations. Though pronounced differently, it shares its name with a place you go every day. Who are we talking about?

Job's journey in the Bible is quite a testament to persevering in the faith through adversity. In a matter of moments, he loses his livestock, children and servants, but remains faithful nonetheless.

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Better grab a coffee and get comfortable. Which book is considered the longest in the entire Bible?

The Book of Psalms, authored primarily by David, is the longest book in the Bible by far with 150 chapters. It's considered a book of praise; that word is mentioned more than 200 times throughout, compared to roughly 130 in the rest of the Bible.

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This Biblical book contains statistics, tribal and priestly figures and a count of the population. Which one is it?

The Book of Numbers is appropriately named for its lists of population counts and other numerical statistics. It even opens with a census, which is a counting of a town's population.

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This book follows the praise book known as Psalms, and contains wisdom and instructions for godly living. Which one of these is it?

The Book of Proverbs follows Psalms. Written primarily by Solomon, its 31 chapters cover a variety of topics ranging from how to behave with friends and neighbors to the importance of wisdom.

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Paul wrote not one, but two letters to the Corinthian church. We know those letters as which of these?

Pretty obvious, right? Paul's letters to the Corinthian church, dubbed I and II Corinthians, were designed to help them address issues and incorrect views that had arisen among the congregation.

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Which book has a very mournful name, appropriate for its collection of sad poems?

Lamentations' name is derived from the word "lament," which means grief or sorrow. The book, written by Jeremiah, recounts the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple and the deaths of many.

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O my! Which Old Testament book is the only one in the entire Bible that begins with the letter "O?"

There are plenty of "O" names in the Bible if you're searching for one, but there's only one Biblical book that starts with an O. That's Obadiah – the 31st book of the Old Testament.

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Everybody loves the story of David and Goliath. In which book can you find it recounted?

I Samuel recounts one of the most beloved stories in the Bible: that of the undersized David taking on Goliath. He was armed with only a slingshot and five smooth stones, making it the most unlikely defeat ever.

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Which Old Testament book shares part of its name with a popular chocolate-and-peanut candy bar?

The Book of Ruth is all about obedience and the blessings that can come from embracing obedience in your life. Ruth's care of the widowed Naomi earned her a husband and child in this story.

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Blessed are these quiz questions! Where would you find the Beatitudes mentioned in the Bible?

The Book of Matthew gives us the eight Beatitudes that Jesus Christ preached during the Sermon on the Mount. Each Beatitude begins with "Blessed are," such as, "Blessed are the peacemakers, %0Dfor they shall be called children of God."

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Even though Paul had never been to Rome, he proceeded to write this book. In fairness, he talked about wanting to take a road trip in its first chapter. What book is it?

The Book of Romans is Paul's explanation to the church about how God's plan of salvation works. The book also includes some practical applications important to living the Christian life.

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Looking for a link? Which book is the bridge between the New Testament's Gospels and its Epistles?

Acts comes after the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but before the Epistles that start with Romans. Acts details more than three decades of the church's history.

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The name of this New Testament book sounds awfully similar to a barista getting your coffee order ready to go. Which book is it?

Authored by an anonymous writer, the Book of Hebrews was written to bolster new believers at the time to help strengthen their faith. Hebrews is generally attributed to the writing of Paul, but that is not a certainty.

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If you want to read the shortest of the four Gospels, where should you start?

Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels, which also include Matthew, Luke and John. Its word count comes in around 11,300, with the next closest -- John -- occupying roughly 15,600 words. Luke is the longest at more than 19,000 words.

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The Biblical giant at the heart of this book famously "fit the battle of Jericho" in a popular song sung by Sunday School children. Which book are we referencing?

It was Joshua who "fit the battle of Jericho," a story that is relayed in the Old Testament book of the same name. The battle involved seven circles being made around the walls of the city, with the walls ultimately falling, giving Joshua the victory.

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No sibling rivalry here. Which book was authored by Jesus' earthly brother?

Jesus' earthly brother, the son of Mary and Joseph, authored this book, which precedes the Bible's final book, Revelation. Jude deals with false teachers in the church and the persistence of Christians.

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This popular passage begins, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." In which book is it found?

Psalm 23 is a well-known passage and psalm of David. The entire chapter is often quoted in public services, such as funerals. It's a reminder that even though you "walk through the valley of the shadow of death," the Lord is with you.

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It might seem like it should be, but this Old Testament book is not set to music. Which book could it be?

Song of Solomon is poetic in nature, an appropriate writing style for the topic of marriage and relationships presented throughout the book. Some people believe the marriage described in Song of Solomon is representative of Christ's relationship with His believers.

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A divine union, a murder and a piece of forbidden fruit. It doesn't take long to get into some juicy details in which of these books of the Bible?

The first book of the Bible sees a lot of action, with the divine union of Adam and Eve, their disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit and the repercussions of that decision, including the murder of one of their sons at the hands of another.

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Need to brush up on the Ten Commandments? In which book of the Bible will you find them first mentioned?

Exodus is the first place we find the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 19, we learn of Moses' trek up the mountain to receive the commandments. One chapter later, these important rules are divulged.

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If you were going to make a sound with your mouth, which Old Testament book might come closest to sounding like that noise?

The book of Nahum is tucked near the end of the Old Testament, and it's a fairly short collection of verses. It deals primarily with the judgment on Nineveh after Jonah finally decided to show up and preach.

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Paul was big on writing letters to churches. The title of this book didn't require as much creativity, though. Which of these was written to the church in Galatia?

Paul's letter to the Galatians is -- you guessed it -- the book in the Bible we know as Galatians. The book of Galatians was written to both Jews and Gentiles who had trusted Jesus and become Christians.

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Which Old Testament book concludes with a warning of 400 years of silence from God toward the Jewish people?

Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament and the last word from God before 400 years of silence occurred and the Book of Matthew began the New Testament. Malachi's final words are a warning to the people about the lack of communication.

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Sharing a name with a role in our present-day legal system, which book details some of the leaders who helped to rescue the Israelites?

The Book of Judges deals with judges who helped lead the Israelites in the years after their exodus from Egypt. These judges dealt with not only legal matters, but administrative and military duties as well.

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First in the New Testament, what is the name of the book that deals with the Jewish people's rejection of God's gift?

Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, is dedicated to explaining Jesus' identity as the true Messiah to the Jewish people. It returns again and again to passages from the Old Testament.

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There's a fruity word buried in the name of this New Testament book. Which book might having you thinking "sour" thoughts?

PhiLEMON doesn't have anything to do with fruit; rather, its name comes from the person to whom it was written: Paul's friend, Philemon. The book is built on the ideals of reconciliation and forgiveness.

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Can you believe it? There's an entire book in the Bible that doesn't mention God once. Which is it?

The Book of Esther doesn't specifically mention God, but that doesn't mean He's not present in its story. The subject of Esther deals with the rescue of the Jews by divine providence.

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Which Old Testament book is the last of the five books of Moses, and is also known as a part of the Torah?

Deuteronomy concludes the five books of Moses and explains the conclusion of the Israelites' journey before they enter the Promised Land of Canaan. Moses, as the Scripture shows, never got to go into Canaan, though he did see it from a distance.

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