Can You Name These Biblical Kings from a Single Sentence Description?

Isadora Teich

Image: Boston Documentary

About This Quiz

Think you have a royal understanding of the Bible? The Bible is full of great feats and miracles, but also deaths and tragedies. Its stories contain lessons, mysteries, and some things that still puzzle scholars to this day. Some of the kings of the Bible are admirable figures with great integrity, while others are ruthless and sinful. Some are the favorites of God and others are punished horribly for their misdeeds. Some, depending on how you read the Bible, could even be both good men and bad men.

The Bible is a complex work and one with untold influence on the course of human history. Empires, rulers and politicians have used it to their advantage for centuries. Many of its characters have proven just as complex and influential. Its kings run the full spectrum, from learned men to cruel monsters. The Bible talks about kingdoms, cities and towns throughout what would become Europe, Africa, The Middle East, and Asia. It goes most deeply into the kings of Israel and Judah, mentioning many monarchs from these places.

If you think you have enough Biblical kings knowledge to be able to guess who they are from a single sentence, then try your hand at this quiz!

He was first king of Israel.

Saul was the first King of Israel, but never quite earned God's favor. David was picked to replace him.

He is known as an enemy of Solomon.

Rezon the Syrian was a king of Aram Damascus. He was a son of Eliada.

As king of Judah, he was exiled to Babylon.

Jeconiah reigned for 3 months before being exiled to Babylon. His entire house and 3,000 Jews were also exiled.

Jesus Christ is a descendant of this king.

David is a favorite among kings even though he committed adultery with Bathsheba, impregnated her and then had her husband killed. David and Bathsheba were the parents of Solomon.

This king of Babylon was called a "destroyer of nations."

Nebuchadnezzar II was a powerful King of Babylon. In the "Book of Daniel" he captures Daniel and other Hebrew youths in order for them to be trained in magic.

He was the third king of Israel.

Solomon was a wealthy and wise king. He became known as a magician and exorcist, and numerous occult objects have been found dating back to the Hellenistic period that invoke his name.

He was king when Israel was split in two.

Rehoboam reigned for 3 years before Israel split in two. It became the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.

This king passed mandates making it illegal to worship any deity other than God in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Hezekiah is one of the most important Kings of Judah. He is remembered for enacting large religious reforms.

This king and historical conqueror is known as _________ the Great.

Cyrus II of Persia conquered the largest portion of Eurasia to be conquered in his day. He is mentioned in both Isaiah and Daniel.

He was king of Israel for only a week.

Zimri murdered King Elah and took his place, only for the army to surround him in an attempt to install their own choice as ruler. Zimri set fire to the palace and killed himself in response.

This Babylonian king released a Jewish king who had been in prison for decades.

Amel-Marduk was the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar II. He released King Jehoiachin of Judah, who had been in prison for 37 years.

This king is known for his wickedness.

Ahab was married to Jezebel, and allowed her to spread idol worship throughout Israel. Ahab died in battle and Jezebel died after being thrown from a window.

He killed an entire royal house under God's instruction.

Jehu was the 10th king of Israel. Under God's instruction, he killed the entire house of Ahab.

He was the second king of Judah.

Abijah was the second King of Judah. He was the grandson of Solomon.

He was strict about maintaining the traditional worship of God.

Asa had a long reign, dying in old age. He is largely remembered as a righteous king.

He was a pharaoh of Egypt.

Apries is also known as Hofra. He was a pharaoh of Egypt mentioned in Jer. 44:30.

There was peace and prosperity in Judah during the reign of this king.

Jehoshaphat reigned for 25 years. He focused mostly on protecting Judah from Israel and rooting out idol worship.

This king killed all of his brothers to secure his place.

Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat and king of Judah. He murdered all of his brothers to ensure his place as king.

He was king of Aram Damascus.

Hazael was king of Aram Damascus, what would be modern-day Syria. He defeated kings of Israel and Judah in battle.

He became king of Judah at 7 years old.

Jehoash is remembered as a righteous king. He was the first king of Judah to be descended from both the Houses of David and Omri.

This king co-led a coalition of kings in battle.

Ben-Hadad I was a king of Aram Damascus also known as Hadadezer. He and Irhuleni of Hamath led a coalition of eleven kings at the battle of Qarqar.

He killed those who assassinated his father.

Amaziah was praised for following the law of Moses. He killed those who assassinated his father but spared their children.

This king was murdered by one of his own captains.

Nadav was killed by his captain Baasha. Baasha declared himself king of Israel and then had the rest of the royal family murdered.

This king was struck with leprosy for disobeying god.

Uzziah was king of Judah for 52 years. He tried to enter a temple and light incense on the altar, which was the job of priests, and this angered God so much that he was struck with leprosy.

Records indicate that he built the Upper Gate of the Temple of Jerusalem.

Jotham was a king of Judah. He was the son of Uzziah.

This king adopted pagan rituals and displeased God.

King Ahaz is remembered as an evil king. He was easily influenced by the Assyrians and took part in pagan practices, like making his son pass through fire for the pagan god Moloch.

He was the first king of Judah after the fall of Israel.

Manasseh was the son of Hezekiah. He undid many of his father's religious reforms as king of Judah.

He was assassinated due to his pagan practices.

Amon of Judah built idols and worshipped them. This led the people of Judah to revolt against him and assassinate him.

The Book of the Law was found in Judah during this king's reign.

Josiah was a king of Judah whose reign began at age 8. He was a religious reformer known for compiling Hebrew scriptures and ordering tax money to be used to rebuild the temple.

He was the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

Joehoahaz was King of Judah for only 3 months before his death. He did not follow the religious reforms of his father.

He founded the House of Gadi.

Menahem had a 10-year reign and began the House of Gadi. He murdered King Shallum and took his place.

This king of Judah was known for murder, incest and tattooing himself.

Jehoiakim ruled as a puppet of other nations and is described as a godless tyrant in Rabbinical literature. He reigned for 11 years.

He was the last of the house of Jehu.

Zechariah's rule lasted for only 6 months before he was killed by a captain from his own army. After four generations, he was the last of the house Jehu to take the thone.

Who was the last king of Judah?

Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before it was destroyed by Babylon. His reign ended with the siege and fall of Jerusalem.

He was king of Persia.

Darius I was a King of Persia. He is also the author of the Behistun inscription, which is a multilingual inscription carved into a cliff at Mount Behistun in Iran.

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