Community Contributor

BuzzFeed

You've been there, done that, worn the tea towel - but do you actually know the Bible story?

How Well Do You Know The Nativity Story?

(Bear in mind, this quiz is all about the biblical account(s) of the Nativity – so base your answers on your knowledge of that!)

The most popular answer (34%) was that they were married. But, in the biblical story, they're actually just betrothed. In their context, Mary becoming pregnant outside of marriage would have been quite scandalous – the biblical book of Matthew even says 'Joseph did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately'. (And that's all apart from the whole business of her getting pregnant whilst still being a virgin)

Betrothed – who knew?

When Mary found out she would give birth to Jesus, she and Joseph were...?

42% of people thought 'they were told to by King Herod'. But Herod has a different part in the story. According to the book of Luke, it was that 'Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire' which meant Joseph had to go back to Bethlehem (taking Mary with him) to get registered.

Caesar Augustus...the forgotten man?

Why did Mary and Joseph travel across the country?

84% of people think that Mary travels by donkey – and who can blame them, what with all the songs and Nativity plays and illustrations (yes, including ours in the question above) that depict exactly that. But the Bible doesn't actually say anything about M+J's mode of transport. (Jesus does later ride a donkey into Jerusalem, but that's a different story).

Sorry, donkey :(

How does Mary travel across the country?

81%, to be precise, went for 'Bethlehem'. So even though Jesus is often referred to as 'Jesus of Nazareth', the Bible has his actual place of birth as Bethlehem. This is seen as quite significant, partly because of the town's insignificance! In the Old Testament book of Micah, 'The Lord says, "Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel"'. Humble beginnings, an' all that.

Yeah, most people get this one right

Where was Jesus born?

41% of people correctly identified that, in Luke, a whole load of angels appear, 'singing praises to God'. Probably more tunefully than your little nephew in his school production, but no less adorably. (Actually, the shepherds to whom the angels appeared were apparently 'terribly afraid' at first).

Happy angels

The angels told the Shepherds who were looking after their flock...?

Yes, 87% of people reckon that Jesus was born in a stable. But actually the Bible isn't really clear about the venue. It just tells us that Jesus was placed in a manger because there was no room for him in the inn or guest quarters. The manger could have been anywhere where they kept animals - a stable, a cave or even the ground floor of their house. Still, at least they found somewhere with a roof.

A tricky one

Was Jesus born in...?

This one split the vote a bit: 36% went for The Wise Men, and 37% for both the shepherds and Wise Men. But, actually, in the biblical version(s), it's pretty clear that the shepherds get there soon after the birth – whereas the Wise Men don't arrive until perhaps a year or two later! It doesn't need to put a dampener on all those crib scenes with shepherds, kings and cows gathered round together, though – it's still true that people from all walks of life were drawn to this Jesus person.

Don't all rush at once

Who visited baby Jesus immediately after his birth?

A massive 89% of people said that three Wise Men visited Jesus – but, again, the Bible itself doesn't actually specify. There are three gifts listed (gold, frankincense and myrrh) – but, you never know, maybe that was 117 Wise Men clubbing together.

One Wise Person, Two Wise People, Three Wise People, Four?

How many Wise Men visited Jesus?

42% of people surveyed thought that it was true that Jesus was born on 25 December. But, you guessed it, the Bible doesn't actually give a date of birth. There might be some clues in things like the shepherds watching their flocks by night (not an all-year round activity) but really it's not clear on what date this event happened. Maybe that's not the most important part of the story, though...

Merry...mid-April, maybe?

Jesus was born on the 25th of December?

You clearly have knowledge of, er, biblical proportions. Congrats!

Gold! (♫ 'Gold!' ♫)

Not bad – but your version's not quite, er, gospel. But hey, there's always more to the story than one realises...

A little Nativity naivety

But the Bible also says 'the first shall be last and the last shall be first' – so, in a way, you're the real winner, right?

Don't know your ass from your donkey

About BuzzFeed Community

Community Brand Guidelines

BuzzFeed Community

Sorry, this content is <i>no longer</i> supported.

BuzzFeed Community Guidelines

BuzzFeed Community Leaderboard

BuzzFeed News has breaking stories and original reporting on politics, world news, social media, viral trends, health, science, technology, entertainment, and LGBTQ issues.

All the best animals on the internet. The snuggle is real.

BuzzFeed has breaking news, vital journalism, quizzes, videos, celeb news, Tasty food videos, recipes, DIY hacks, and all the trending buzz you’ll want to share with your friends. Copyright BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.

BuzzFeed News | Breaking News | Original Reporting | News Analysis

Animal Pictures and Videos - Adorably from BuzzFeed

Name

Thanks for subscribing!

Stay up to date with our latest BuzzFeed video. Enter your email to subscribe!

Oops! Upload an image or add text to submit.

BuzzFeed has the hottest, most social content on the web. We feature breaking buzz and the kinds of things you'd want to pass along to your friends.

How Well Do You Know The Nativity Story?

Share This Article