Do you remember the 1956 classic, "The Ten Commandments"?

By: Lenore Brown
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Do you remember the 1956 classic, "The Ten Commandments"?
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About This Quiz

Let my people go! The classic Biblical story of Moses leading the Hebrews to freedom from slavery was made into a 1956 movie called, "The Ten Commandments." How well do you remember it?
Who parted the Red Sea?
Moses
Rameses
Sephora
Joshua
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses parted the Red Sea when the Hebrews were trying to leave Egypt, and the Pharaoh and his army came after them. With the power of the Lord, Moses parted the Red Sea so the Hebrews could get through. Once they had safely passed, the water came crashing down and drowned the army.

What renowned actor starred as Moses?
Kirk Douglas
Charlton Heston
John Wayne
Tom Hanks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Charlton Heston played the lead role of Moses in "The Ten Commandments." This legendary actor appeared in over 100 films and often played historical characters.

How was Moses discovered as a baby?
He was wandering the streets alone.
He was left on the doorstep of the palace.
He was found floating in a basket in the river.
He went to the palace himself.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses was found floating in a basket in the Nile river. His mother had placed him there to hopefully spare his life from the ruling Pharaoh who had issued a directive that all first-born Hebrew sons be killed.

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How did Memnet know Moses was a Hebrew?
His swaddling cloth was Levite
He had identification papers tucked in the basket
He had a sign around his neck
He had a patch sewn onto his clothes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Memnet knew Moses was Hebrew because the swaddling cloth in which he was wrapped was Levite. Memnet warned Bithiah not to take the child because he was clearly placed there to avoid the Pharaoh's edict, but Bithiah ordered Memnet to serve Moses as if he were her own son.

While Moses is a prince, who is he in love with?
Agora
Josie
Nefretiri
Seti
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses is in love with Nefretiri, the Throne Princess, while he is a prince. However, she must marry the next Pharaoh, and Rameses wants her for himself, both by law and in his heart.

Who does Moses save from being crushed during a building project?
Aaron
Rameses
Nefretiri
Yoshebel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yoshebel is Moses's birth mother, and he saves her from being crushed during a building project, though he did not yet know she was his mother. He is also rather impressed by Joshua's character and begins to show curiosity in Joshua's God, as well as showing more care for how the slaves are treated.

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Who kills Memnet?
Nefretiri
Rameses
Moses
Seti
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nefretiri pushes Memnet over a balcony after hearing Memnet claim that Moses was born to a Hebrew slave, and is not an Egyptian prince at all. An argument ends in Memnet's death.

Who is Moses' real brother?
Seti
Joseph
Joshua
Aaron
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Aaron introduces himself as Moses's brother when Moses travels to Yoshebel's house. He understands that Moses could not have known who his true family was, given the circumstances of his upbringing.

Why does Moses kill Baka?
He tries to stop Baka from revealing the truth about his lineage.
He does it to stop Baka from whipping Joshua to death.
He does it to stop Baka from abusing Nefretiri.
He is engaged in a duel with Baka.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Baka is whipping Joshua to within an inch of his life. Moses intervenes to stop this from happening and ends up killing Baka in the process. He confesses to Joshua that he is Hebrew, and Joshua happily proclaims this to anyone who will listen. Unfortunately, Rameses has a servant named Dathan who overhears this information.

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When Moses was banished to the desert, with whom does he end up living?
Joseph
Midian
Abraham
Jethro
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jethro kindly took Moses in and gave him a chance. When Moses showed his proficiency for trading, Jethro offered one of his daughters to Moses in marriage. Moses chose the eldest daughter, Sephora.

While tending sheep, Moses sees God in the form of what?
A shepherd's staff
A talking sheep
A burning bush
The spirit fills Joshua and speaks to Moses
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

God speaks to Moses through a burning bush, and He tells Moses he must return to free the slaves in Egypt. Moses is initially not certain he can achieve such a feat, but is eventually convinced.

When Moses first comes back to Egypt to face Rameses, how does he show Rameses the power of God?
He turned his staff into a snake
He turned a column into a pillar of fire
He let God possess him and spoke to Rameses
He brought witnesses to hold trial and speak to the power of God
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Though it may not have been a rattlesnake, Moses shows Rameses the power of God by turning his staff into a snake. Rameses has some magicians who appear to do the same, but Moses' snake eats the other snakes.

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After Moses initially comes back to try to win freedom for the Hebrew people, Rameses retaliates in anger. How does he punish the slaves?
He has them all whipped for half a day
He forces them to make bricks without straw
He forces them to run laps
He forces them out of their homes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After Moses comes back to speak with Rameses to try to obtain freedom for the Hebrew slaves, Rameses retaliates by saying the slaves are required to make the same number of bricks as they always do, but now without straw. The slaves become very angry at Moses and attempt to kill him.

Egypt is cursed by several plagues in Moses' effort to free the slaves. What does the water turn into?
Wine
Dirt
Honey
Blood
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the plagues the Egyptian people experienced was the water turning into blood. From the water in the river to anything they would use to bathe or drink, they could only find blood.

What falls from the sky and endangers the Egyptian people?
Flaming pieces of hail
Dead bodies
Angels
Random pieces of Egyptian furniture
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Egyptian people were terrorized as huge pieces of hail that burst into flame fell on them.

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Moses predicts three days of what for the Egyptian people?
Blazing sunlight
Marital strife
Horses running wild
Darkness
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses predicts three days of darkness for the Egyptian people, forcing them to use candles throughout what would be the day and night. This creates a very eerie environment.

As the final plague, God killed a certain family member of every Egyptian family. Who was it?
Death of the firstborn
Death of the eldest member of the family
Death of any babies
Death of the Father of the household
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As the final plague, God sweeps through the Egyptian households and kills the firstborn of each family. This is similar to what was decreed years before in Egypt by the Pharaoh, that the firstborn son of every Hebrew family would be killed. In this final plague, the Pharaoh's own son dies.

How do the Hebrew people avoid the final plague?
Praying throughout the night
Observing a day of no work
Painting their door frames with a sacrificial lamb's blood
Paying money to a Hebrew temple
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To avoid the final plague, the Hebrew people painted their door frames with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. Egyptians, not believing in the true God of the Hebrews, did not paint their door frames and therefore suffered from the final plague. One exception was Dathan, an Egyptian overseer.

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When Rameses decides to chase after the departing Hebrews, what holds him and his army back?
A sandstorm
A pillar of fire
A herd of wild animals
An opposing army
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A pillar of fire blocks the Egyptians when they try to catch up to the Hebrew people. As the Hebrew people pass through the parted sea, the Egyptians can only watch in dismay until the pillar dies down.

What is the name of mountain Moses climbs after he leads the Hebrews out of Egypt?
Olympus
Sinai
Appalacia
Kilouea
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mount Sinai is the mountain Moses climbs after leading the people out of Egypt and through the sea. However, when waiting for him to come back down, the people get impatient.

While waiting for Moses to come back down the mountain, the Hebrews make an idol in the shape of what?
A golden calf
A wooden scarecrow type of figure
A bronze image of the Pharaoh
A silver shepherd's staff
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While waiting for Moses to come back down from the mountain, the Hebrews get impatient and decide to make a golden idol in the shape of a calf to take back to Egypt in the hope of winning Pharaoh's forgiveness. Dathan is one of the forces that move the people to sin in this way.

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What does Moses have with him when he descends from the mountain?
The Ten Commandments
A scroll with God's story of the origins of the world
Additional clothes for the Hebrew people
A map to the Promised Land
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses comes down the mountain with the Ten Commandments, but upon seeing the sinfulness of the people, he destroys them by throwing them at the golden idol they made. All who did not follow Moses were swallowed up in a burning crevasse.

For how many years are the Hebrew people forced to wander in the desert?
100
5
300
40
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Hebrew people are forced to wander for 40 years in exile in the desert as punishment for making the golden calf, and to prove their loyalty to God. After 40 years, they can finally arrive in Israel.

Who succeeds Moses as the leader?
Joshua
Sephora
Miriam
Aaron
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses and Joshua remained close throughout the period of exile in the desert. When Moses departed permanently, he named Joshua as his successor to continue to lead the people.

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Why does Rameses finally give in and let Moses lead the Hebrews out of Egypt?
After the final plague, Rameses feels defeated.
He finds out that Nefretiri really loves Moses.
He learns that Moses actually has a brother and a sister and thinks Moses won't care about him anymore.
His mother passes away.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After the final plague and the death of his son, Rameses feels defeated and tells Moses to take his people and everything that comes with them and go. There is no reconciliation here.

What is different about Moses' appearance when he parts the sea, versus when he is a prince in Egypt?
He gains weight.
The color of his eyes change.
He has longer hair and a substantial beard.
He develops a crippled arm.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Moses fully integrates himself into Hebrew life, he grows longer hair and a long beard. He no longer resembles the clean, handsome, vane appearance of an Egyptian prince.

What realization does Rameses come to after his army is destroyed?
That Moses's God is the true God
That he has really bad luck
That he wants to move out of Egypt
That he is really a Hebrew himself
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After his army was swept away by the sea, Rameses came to the realization that Moses's God was the true God. It was too little, too late, as his army and son had been killed.

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Which person's staff was placed in the river, causing the water to begin to turn to blood?
Nefretiri
Miriam
Aaron
Rameses
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Aaron sticks his staff into the river water and the water begins to turn to blood. Whenever the Egyptians tried to use water in a jar, basin, or from the river for any purpose, it was blood.

Who pleads with Yoshebel not to reveal Moses's true identity to him?
Seti
Bithiah
Nefretiri
Aaron
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Moses begins to connect the dots of his ancestry, he wants to discover the truth. Bithiah rushes to see Yoshebel to beg her not to reveal Moses' true identity to him, but Yoshebel can't hold back.

The Hebrew god is the "God of..."
Moses
Adam
Rameses
Abraham
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Hebrew god is the "God of Abraham" and also sometimes known as the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses realizes that Jethro's family worships this god.

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How does death spread throughout the Egyptian homes?
A whooshing wind
A green cloud
A rushing flood of water
A team of executioners
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Angel of Death creeps through the Egyptian homes in the form of a green cloud, killing all the firstborn sons, even those who are no longer children. Pharaoh's own son dies.

Who begs Moses to say he is not the Deliverer?
Seti
Nefretiri
Rameses
Yoshebel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Seti begs Moses not to proclaim himself as the Deliverer because he really doesn't want anything bad to happen to Moses. Even though Moses isn't his real son, we're led to believe that he loved Moses more than his own flesh-and-blood son, Rameses.

Moses repeatedly says what to Pharaoh?
Give up!
You are wrong!
Let my people go!
You are not a god.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses petitions Pharaoh repeatedly to let his people go, but Pharaoh, in his proud nature, continues to say no. That is, until his son is killed. He then begins to think otherwise.

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When Moses is brought to Pharaoh and then banished, he is restricted by what?
Chains and a metal bar on his back
Numerous ropes
Heavy weights
Wooden stilts
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Moses was brought to trial before Pharaoh, he is bound in chains and shackles like a common criminal. The Egyptian crowd is shocked to see a "prince" of Egypt brought so low.

​When Moses was still serving as a Prince of Egypt, with what duty did Pharaoh charge him?
Entertaining the slaves
Teaching others to ride chariots
Planning for the education of Egyptian children
Finishing the city
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Moses was charged with finishing the city and used slaves to raise massive structures called obelisks. This was before he had any inkling of his true heritage.

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