Israel’s National Bible Quiz for adults saw two contestants share the top prize on Tuesday, December 21st – the third night of Hannukah – when the contest was held.
Shlomo Mundshein from Jerusalem and Samson Jacob from Beit Shemesh beat 10 other Israeli champions from their respective regions on the way to claiming first prize. Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton and Director General of the Ministry of Education Dalit Stauber were in attendance.
Held in honor of the 50th anniversary of David Ben Gurion’s death, the National Bible Quiz final consisted of finalists from Modi’in, Ramat Gan, Beer-Sheva, Ashdod and other cities. The International Bible Quiz, in contrast, is held annually on Independence Day and features contestants from all around the world.
Previous winners include Avner Netanyahu – son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who won the national bible quiz for youth in 2010 when he was 15 years old.
“An inspiration to us all”
“Your love for (the bible), expressed in the impressive proficiency and knowledge you demonstrated here today, is an inspiration to us all and provides another opportunity to return to the stories of the Bible and meet their relevance even today,” Shasha-Biton declared in her congratulatory remarks.
“The importance of the Bible and the moral and value compass that it constitutes for us as a nation and as a society, are also reflected on this important evening in the Festival of Lights where we illuminate the stories of the Torah and its wisdom,” Shasha-Biton concluded.