X-TREME BIBLE TRIVIA

Think you know you're Bible? These kids do:

Consider this question posed in the finals of the International Bible Quiz for Youth, held in Jerusalem on Wednesday as part of nationwide celebrations marking Israel's Independence Day:

"'There were 80 men who came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria and carried out a massacre. In tears, a man from Mizpah came to the killers and beckoned them to follow him. He then slew all but 10 of the killers.' Who was the man and who among the killers survived?"

If you assume the correct answer about this obscure story in the book of Jeremiah would ensure victory and first prize of a free college education in Israel, the mostly youthful crowd that packed a 1,000-seat Jerusalem concert hall to watch the contest would have a one-word reply:

Fuggeddaboutit.

In fact, the right answer (Ishmael and 10 men who offered wheat, barley, oil and honey) would not even have earned you a place in the top three.

Now that is hardcore.

And what was the winning question?

Israeli teenager Adi Diament won the International Bible Quiz with this question from a story in the Book of Judges about the victorious battle of the Israelites over the Midianites in the Jezreel Valley.

QUESTION: Who led the military operation at the beginning of the second watch and what was happening in the enemy's camp at the time?

See the story (or your Old Testament) for the answers.