Christianity: The Fundamentals

Explanation: According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea. The city is now located in the West Bank, about 10 km south of Jerusalem.

Explanation: The Catholic Bible contains 73 books: 46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles have 66, excluding 7 deuterocanonical books.

Explanation: The four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Paul is a major apostle of Christianity, author of many epistles, but he did not write a Gospel.

Explanation: Baptism is the first sacrament of Christian initiation. It symbolizes purification and spiritual rebirth. It is practiced in all Christian denominations.

Explanation: Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his crucifixion. It is the most important feast in the Christian calendar, a symbol of victory over death.

Explanation: The Trinity is the central dogma of Christianity: one God in three persons — the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. This concept was formalized at the Council of Nicaea in 325.

Explanation: The Great Schism of 1054 divided Christianity between the Roman Catholic Church (under the Pope) and the Orthodox Church (under the Patriarch of Constantinople). Theological and political disagreements were the cause.

Explanation: Simon Peter (Saint Peter) is considered the first Bishop of Rome and thus the first pope. Jesus told him: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church" (Matthew 16:18).

Explanation: The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity, recalling the crucifixion of Jesus. Before it became a religious symbol, early Christians used the fish (ichthys) as a discreet sign of recognition.

Explanation: Moses received the Ten Commandments (or Decalogue) from God on Mount Sinai, engraved on two stone tablets. These commandments are fundamental to both Judaism and Christianity.

Explanation: Christmas is celebrated on December 25 by Catholic and Protestant Christians. Orthodox Christians celebrate it on January 7, as they follow the Julian calendar.

Explanation: Martin Luther, a German Augustinian monk, posted his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg church on October 31, 1517, denouncing the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church.

Explanation: The Vatican is a state enclosed within the city of Rome, Italy. It is the smallest state in the world (0.44 km²) and the seat of the Pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Explanation: Lent lasts 40 days (excluding Sundays), from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. The number 40 refers to Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert.

Explanation: Christianity is the world's most widespread religion with about 2.4 billion followers, roughly 31% of the global population. It is divided into three main branches: Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy.