Quiz 2011

OCTOBER QUIZ

Picture Logo on a tin of Golden Syrup

This is thought to be the oldest brand still in use in Britain and many other countries but, for October’s quiz, can you tell me what the picture shows and what connection it has with the Bible? Answers, please, before the end of the month.

NOVEMBER QUIZ

^{During Sunday services throughout January I spoke about the way in which King James caused a remarkable book to come into print. In many cases there are statements which we recognise more easily when they come from the Authorised Version. For our quiz this month I want you to name the person who said or is attributed with making the following quotations:}

^{"Am I my brother’s keeper?"}

^{"The smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed."}

^{"In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river."}

^{"With the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men."}

^{"Speak; for thy servant heareth."}

^{"Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other."}

^{"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."}

^{"Here I am; send me."}

^{"Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."}

^{"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."}

^{Just to give a bit of help, I have put down the quotations in the sequence in which they appear in a Bible.}

CHRISTMAS QUIZ                                                                                                                                                                                          Now let’s move into a festive bit of frivolity.  We hear a carol about the Twelve Days of Christmas which is a comprehensive list of gifts offered by an imaginative person to their “true love”.  It begins with a partridge in a pear tree but soon starts to become somewhat complicated.  In a generous reflection of the carol I will offer two prizes.  How many human beings are mentioned during the singing of the carol and secondly what meaning lies behind the words?

ANSWERS

October

The answers submitted for the October Quiz were marvellous! So many entrants told me how they had enjoyed reading about Samson killing a lion. You can find the story in Judges Chapter 14 and, of course, a picture of the story is what we find on the front of tins of Lyle’s Golden Syrup.

November

Many people have been scratching their heads over November’s Quiz. Here are the answers:

1. Cain ,  2. Isaac,  3. Pharaoh,  4.Samson,  5. Eli  (and it was repeated by Samuel ),  6. Solomon,  7. David,  8. Isaiah,  9. Peter,  10. St John the Divine

December

This had many of you trying to work out the answers.  Firstly, then, the humans mentioned in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. There are fifty-two which appear.  After a selection of non-human items and animals come eight maids, nine ladies, ten lords, eleven pipers and twelve drummers making fifty plus, of course, “my true love” and “me”.  The request was concerning the numbers that were mentioned, however, so when you sing the song you mention eight maids but the next time around you mention nine ladies together with eight maids and so on.  This totals a hundred and forty.  “My true love” and “me” are mentioned twenty-four times bringing the total to a hundred and sixty-four. 

Now that was easy!  The second question asked for a meaning to the carol.  According to J. John in his book of Christmas Treasures, the partridge represents Jesus, two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments, three French hens are faith hope and love whilst four calling birds are the Gospel writers.  Five gold rings are the books of the Pentateuch  ( Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy ) and six geese refer to the six days of Creation.  Seven swans are the gifts of the Holy Spirit  ( prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy )  then we move to eight maids who are the eight Beatitudes.  Nine introduces the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit  ( love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control )  followed by ten lords being the Ten Commandments, eleven pipers as the eleven faithful disciples and twelve drummers which are the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

The song arose from the years between 1558 and 1829 when Roman Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith openly so the words carried a hidden meaning which would help preserve the teaching of the Catechism.