This religion believes in a figure called the Saoshyant, or "one who brings benefit". Members of thisfaith traditionally dispose of their dead on towers of silence and worship at fire temples. The Gathasare a set of hymns comprising part of this religion's sacred text, the (*) Avesta. Ahriman is opposed toAhura Mazda, the chief god of, for 10 points, what Iranian religion founded by Zarathustra?
Scrolls containing this text are produced by scribes called soferim and are read from every weekusing a pointer called a yad to avoid touching them. This text is usually stored in an ark and removedfor (*) synagogue services. The Five Books of Moses comprise, for 10 points, what Jewish scripture analogousto the first five books of the Old Testament?
A symbol of this religion includes a double-edged sword and a chakram and is called the khanda. Ifmembers of this religion are initiated into the Khalsa, they must carry a dagger and comb to follow the5 Ks. This religion's holy book, the (*) Adi Granth, is considered its last guru. Guru Nanak founded, for 10points, what Indian religion common in Punjab, whose members are known for wearing turbans?
This person's cause of death is recounted differently in the Bible, but both Matthew and Acts statethat it happened in the Potter's Field. He was paid 30 pieces of silver by the Sanhedrin for turning in acertain man, who he distinguished with a (*) kiss on the cheek. At the Last Supper, Jesus predicted thebetrayal of, for 10 points, what traitorous Apostle given the epithet "Iscariot"?
In addition to writing many of the Psalms, this man committed adultery with Bathsheba, producinghis son, Solomon, who would succeed him. This man slew a Philistine giant near the Valley of Elah. Asix-pointed (*) star named for this man is often used as a symbol of Judaism. For 10 points, name this king ofIsrael who used a slingshot to kill Goliath.
Hindu examples of these events include a ritual called Antyesti, or "last sacrifice". Jews performkeriah by tearing their clothes apart at these events. In these non-calendar events, neither (*) Gloria isrecited in the Latin Mass. Catholics might say the Requiem at these events, and in Islam, they must involveburial and not cremation. For 10 points, what events are observed after someone dies?
This practice is the subject of the Lutheran belief in sacramental union as well as the Catholicdoctrine of trans-substantiation, which holds that the objects used in it physically (*) transform into thebody and blood of Christ. For 10 points, what Christian sacrament commemorates the Last Supper by eatingbread and wine?
After members of one religion perform this action for a day, they end it by having iftar. The pillar ofIslam known as sawm requires every Muslim to perform this action during a certain period that endswith (*) Eid al-Fitr. Between sunset and sunrise during the month of Ramadan, Muslims perform, for 10points, what action of abstaining from eating food?
The shechita process is required for some items to have this status. If meat and dairy products aremixed, the resulting meal cannot have this property. No cloven-hoofed mammals can have this status,which is why observant (*) Jews abstain from eating pork. The Hebrew word for "fit" describes, for 10points, what status given to foods in accordance with Jewish dietary law?
This book names an anonymous "disciple whom Jesus loved" as one of its sources. This book isclassified as the only non-synoptic Gospel, and it contains seven "I am" statements and seven "signs",ending with the raising of (*) Lazarus from the dead. The last of the four Gospels is, for 10 points, what NewTestament book which follows Matthew, Mark, and Luke?
The Ganges River is said to flow from this god's hair. This god's throat turned blue after heswallowed the Halahala poison during the churning of the ocean. This god's wife (*) Parvati forced himto implant an elephant's head to his son, Ganesha, whom he had previously killed. For 10 points, what Hindu"destroyer" god makes up the Trimurti with Brahma and Vishnu?
This figure's mother dreamed of an elephant entering her womb before he was born. This cousin ofDevadatta married Yasodhara before escaping his father's palace. After seeing a diseased man, acorpse, and a monk, this man meditated under a (*) bodhi tree. The Eightfold Path and the Four NobleTruths were preached by, for 10 points, what man born Siddhartha Gautama who founded an Asian religion?
[10] Name this Biblical city. God said that he would only spare this city if ten righteous people can be found there. Along with Gomorrah, this city was destroyed by fire and brimstone.
[10] This figure's wife is turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at Sodom while fleeing the city with him and their daughters.
[10] The tales of Sodom and Gomorrah occur in this first book of the Bible, which also tells the story of the creation of the world and Noah's Ark.
[10] Name this religion founded by Baha'u'llah which is based from the Universal House of Justice. This religion believes in the equal validity of all other faiths and is symbolized by a nine pointed star.
[10] The aforementioned Universal House of Justice is located on Mount Carmel in this country's city of Haifa.
[10] Bahá'ís must do the "obligatory" type of this religious action once a day. Muslims perform this action five times a day at specified times, which are called out by a muezzin.
[10] Name this woman who was born free of original sin, according to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
[10] Catholic dogma holds that Mary was endowed "perpetually" with this property. Christians believe that Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit and therefore maintained this quality despite Jesus's birth.
[10] The doctrine of the Assumption, meanwhile, holds that rather than dying normally, Mary had this kind of event happen to her. Jesus and the prophet Elijah also had this sort of event happen to them at the end of their earthly lives. A description is acceptable.
[10] Identify this Indian religion whose five vows include ahimsa, or nonviolence. They believe that the last tirthankara, Mahavira, achieved salvation around 2500 years ago.
[10] The doctrine of ahimsa leads most Jains to follow this sort of dietary restriction in order to avoid committing violence against animals.
[10] Monks belonging to the Digambara, or "sky-clad", sect of Jainism generally dress in this manner. Jews are required to dress in this manner before entering a ritual bath, and many paintings of the Garden of Eden use strategically-placed fig leaves to hide the fact that Adam and Eve dressed in this manner.
[10] Identify this founder of an Abrahamic religion. His sayings are known as aḥadith by followers of that religion.
[10] The Qur'an, the holy text of Islam, was revealed to Muhammad by this archangel.
[10] After a period of time in Medina, Muhammad and his followers captured this holiest city in Islam in the year 630. Muslims must perform hajj, a pilgrimage to this city, once in their lifetime.
[10] Name this fringe denomination of Christianity founded by Charles Taze Russell. Its members reject the Holy Trinity, refuse to celebrate holidays with supposed pagan origins like Christmas, and engage in "disfellowshipping" and shunning of members who misbehave.
[10] Russell founded the Jehovah's Witnesses in this state's city of Pittsburgh.
[10] Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions based on their interpretation of this book's fifteenth chapter. Believed to have been written by the same author as the Book of Luke, it is the fifth book in the New Testament and describes the lives of the apostles after Jesus's death, including the conversion of Paul.
[10] Name this position held by the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, currently occupied in exile in Dharamsala, India due to oppression by the Chinese government.
[10] Tibetan Buddhists often worship by repeatedly chanting these sacred phrases, which include "om mani padme hum".
[10] Tibetan Buddhists are split into schools named after "Red" and "Yellow" types of these garments. Muslims often wear one of these garments called a taqiyah during prayer.
[10] Name this Jewish observance that falls on the seventh day of the week. Observant Orthodox Jews often refrain from work on this day.
[10] The challah bread is covered while this blessing is recited during Shabbat. This blessing is recited over wine or grape juice during the first meal of the Shabbat, on Friday night.
[10] Wine or grape juice is also used to extinguish one of these objects at the end of Shabbat. One of these objects is lit on each day of Hanukkah.
[10] This Chinese practice, named from the words for "wind-water", is used to harmonize buildings with their surroundings using qi (chee).
[10] In Chinese astrology, this cycle of animals is supposed to determine one's personality, as primarily assigned by year. Its Western counterpart assigns people to one of twelve constellations representing parts of the year.
[10] This is the only fictitious animal in the zodiac. Chinese examples of these animals do not typically have wings, unlike Western examples.
[10] Name this title character of a Hindu epic, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He teams up with the monkey Hanuman to rescue his wife.
[10] The Ramayana is from this country, where it was originally written in Sanskrit. This largest Hindu-majority country is also the origin of the Mahābhārata.
[10] The island kingdom of Ravana in the Ramayana is often identified with this island to the southeast of India, with which it shares a name. This island was formerly known as Ceylon by the British.
[10] Name this Jewish holiday commemorating the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. On this holiday, Jews participate in large family celebrations called seders (SAY-durz) that involve a series of specific rituals.
[10] The Seder is conducted according to a script laid out in one of these books. The most commonly used one of these books in the U.S. is published every year by Maxwell House Coffee.
[10] During the Seder, participants remove a drop of water from their cup with a fingertip while recounting each of this many plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians. This is also the number of commandments that Moses received on Mount Sinai.
[10] Name this last book of the Bible. In it, seven seals are opened and seven trumpets sounded, among other visions of the end of the world.
[10] In Revelation, the Scroll of God reveals this many horsemen of the apocalypse.
[10] This is the last of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and the only one to be explicitly named in Revelation. He comes on a pale horse.