Ancient and Medieval History Quiz

The history of ancient and medieval Jewish communities reveals the origins of Judaism as we know it. How much do you know about the main Jewish figures and events, from the Bible to the dawn of modernity?

---

Question 1. Hai Gaon was the head of what educational institution?
 College of Grenada
 College of Madrid
 College of Toledo
 College of Pumbedita

 

Question 2. In 538 BCE, what did Cyrus the Great decree?
 That the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt
 That all Jews should return to Egypt
 That all Jews in Babylon should be killed
 That Jews can build a new Temple in Babylon

 

Question 3. True or false: The Middle Ages was, by and large, a time of tense relations between faiths.
 True
 False

 

Question 4. When was the "golden age" for Jews in Spain?
 In the 8th and 9th centuries, under Muslim rule
 After 1248, when Christians reconquested Spain
 After 1492, when Columbus sailed from Spain to the New World
 During the time of the Mishnah

 

Question 5. Who were the Karaites?
 A medieval Jewish sect
 An alternative to rabbinic Judaism
 Biblical fundamentalists
 All of these

 

Question 6. True or False: Synagogues have been present in the land of Israel since the time of Abraham.
 True
 False

 

Question 7. What did inquisitors do to Isaac de Castro when he refused to convert to Christianity?
 They expelled him to Australia
 They burned him alive
 They beheaded him
 They appointed him king

 

---