Great Stories of the Bible Menu
Mike Ervin

The Great Stories of the Bible

Does the bible have great stories?  Any ardent reader would answer "of course".  But how many and what are they?  The menu below is an attempt (maybe a weak one) to display many of these great stories. This large menu contains 189 great stories. Needless to say as I begin this - this effort is definitely under development - and will take some time. Readers should note that the titles below will remain blue until finished and will turn red as they are finished. Once they are red the reader can click on them and enjoy the story.

                 Great Stories Menu

I. The Beginning: Creation and the Human Story

  1. Creation: “In the Beginning”
    Genesis 1
  2. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
    Genesis 2–3
  3. The Fall and the Expulsion from Eden
    Genesis 3
  4. Cain and Abel: The First Murder
    Genesis 4
  5. The Generations of Adam and the Growth of Humanity
    Genesis 4–5
  6. Noah and the Great Flood
    Genesis 6–9
  7. The Covenant with Noah and the Rainbow
    Genesis 9
  8. The Tower of Babel
    Genesis 11

II. Abraham and the Birth of IsraelThe Call of Abraham

  1. Genesis 12
  2. Abraham and Lot: The Separation of the Families
    Genesis 13
  3. Abraham and the Three Visitors
    Genesis 18
  4. Sodom and Gomorrah
    Genesis 18–19
  5. The Birth of Isaac
    Genesis 21
  6. Abraham and the Binding of Isaac
    Genesis 22
  7. The Search for a Wife for Isaac
    Genesis 24
  8. Jacob and Esau: The Struggle of the Brothers
    Genesis 25–27
  9. Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
    Genesis 28
  10. Jacob, Rachel, and Leah
    Genesis 29–30
  11. Jacob Wrestles with God
    Genesis 32
  12. Jacob and Esau Reconciled
    Genesis 33
  13. Joseph and His Brothers
    Genesis 37
  14. Joseph Sold into Egypt
    Genesis 37
  15. Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
    Genesis 39
  16. Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
    Genesis 40–41
  17. Joseph Rises to Power in Egypt
    Genesis 41
  18. Joseph and His Brothers Reunited
    Genesis 42–45
  19. Jacob and His Family Go to Egypt
    Genesis 46–50
  20. Joseph’s Forgiveness of His Brothers
    Genesis 50

III. Moses and the Exodus

  1. The Birth and Rescue of Moses
    Exodus 1–2
  2. Moses and the Burning Bush
    Exodus 3
  3. Moses Confronts Pharaoh
    Exodus 5–11
  4. The Ten Plagues of Egypt
    Exodus 7–12
  5. The First Passover
    Exodus 12
  6. The Exodus from Egypt
    Exodus 12–13
  7. The Crossing of the Red Sea
    Exodus 14
  8. Manna in the Wilderness
    Exodus 16
  9. Water from the Rock
    Exodus 17
  10. The Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai
    Exodus 19–20
  11. The Golden Calf
    Exodus 32
  12. Moses and the Renewal of the Covenant
    Exodus 33–34
  13. The Tabernacle in the Wilderness
    Exodus 25–40
  14. The Spies in Canaan
    Numbers 13–14
  15. The Rebellion of Korah
    Numbers 16
  16. The Bronze Serpent
    Numbers 21
  17. Balaam and His Donkey
    Numbers 22–24
  18. Moses Sees the Promised Land
    Deuteronomy 34

IV. Joshua, Judges, and the Conquest

  1. Joshua Becomes the Leader of Israel
    Joshua 1
  2. Rahab and the Spies at Jericho
    Joshua 2
  3. The Crossing of the Jordan River
    Joshua 3–4
  4. The Fall of Jericho
    Joshua 6
  5. Achan and the Defeat at Ai
    Joshua 7
  6. The Gibeonites
    Joshua 9
  7. Joshua’s Final Speeches and Death
    Joshua 23–24
  8. Deborah and Barak
    Judges 4–5
  9. Gideon and the Three Hundred
    Judges 6–8
  10. Samson and Delilah
    Judges 13–16
  11. Ruth and Naomi
    Ruth 1–4
  12. Ruth and Boaz
    Ruth 2–4

V. Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon

  1. The Birth and Calling of Samuel
    1 Samuel 1–3
  2. The Ark of the Covenant and the Philistines
    1 Samuel 4–7
  3. Israel Demands a King
    1 Samuel 8
  4. Saul Becomes Israel’s First King
    1 Samuel 9–12
  5. David Is Anointed
    1 Samuel 16
  6. David and Goliath
    1 Samuel 17
  7. David and Jonathan
    1 Samuel 18–20
  8. David and Saul in the Wilderness
    1 Samuel 23–26
  9. David Becomes King
    2 Samuel 5
  10. David and the Ark of the Covenant
    2 Samuel 6
  11. God’s Covenant with David
    2 Samuel 7
  12. David and Bathsheba
    2 Samuel 11–12
  13. David and the Consequences of His Sin
    2 Samuel 12–20
  14. Absalom’s Rebellion
    2 Samuel 13–18
  15. Solomon Becomes King
    1 Kings 1–3
  16. Solomon’s Wisdom and the Two Mothers
    1 Kings 3
  17. The Building of Solomon’s Temple
    1 Kings 5–8
  18. The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
    1 Kings 10
  19. The Division of the Kingdom
    1 Kings 11–12

VI. Elijah, Elisha, and the Prophets

  1. Elijah and the Drought
    1 Kings 17
  2. Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
    1 Kings 17
  3. Elijah on Mount Carmel
    1 Kings 18
  4. Elijah Encounters God at Horeb
    1 Kings 19
  5. Elijah and the Naboth Vineyard Story
    1 Kings 21
  6. Elijah Taken into Heaven
    2 Kings 2
  7. Elisha and the Widow’s Oil
    2 Kings 4
  8. Naaman and the Healing of His Leprosy
    2 Kings 5
  9. Jonah and the Great Fish
    Jonah 1–4
  10. Isaiah’s Vision of God
    Isaiah 6
  11. Jeremiah and the Call of the Prophet
    Jeremiah 1
  12. Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones
    Ezekiel 37
  13. Daniel and the King’s Dreams
    Daniel 2
  14. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Fiery Furnace
    Daniel 3
  15. Daniel in the Lions’ Den
    Daniel 6

VII. Israel’s Exile and Return

  1. The Fall of Jerusalem
    2 Kings 24–25
  2. The Babylonian Exile
  3. The Lamentations of Jerusalem
  4. Esther Becomes Queen
    Esther
  5. Esther Saves Her People
    Esther
  6. Ezra and the Return from Exile
    Ezra
  7. Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem’s Walls
    Nehemiah
  8. The Renewal of the Covenant

VIII. The Wisdom Stories

These would give Thirdwell an opportunity to treat biblical stories that are not necessarily historical narratives in the same way as Genesis or Samuel.

  1. Job and the Problem of Suffering
  2. The Psalms: Israel’s Stories of the Soul
  3. Proverbs and the Search for Wisdom
  4. Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life
  5. The Song of Songs and the Celebration of Love

IX. The Deuterocanonical Stories

This is where the Catholic and Orthodox traditions become especially important. These books should not simply be omitted because they are absent from most Protestant Bibles.

  1. Tobit and the Angel Raphael
    Tobit
  2. Tobit, Sarah, and the Healing of a Family
    Tobit
  3. Judith and the Defeat of Holofernes
    Judith
  4. The Wisdom of Solomon
  5. The Maccabean Revolt
    1 Maccabees
  6. The Martyrdom of the Seven Brothers
    2 Maccabees
  7. The Prayers and Visions of Judas Maccabeus
    2 Maccabees
  8. Susanna and Daniel
    Daniel 13
  9. Bel and the Dragon
    Daniel 14
  10. The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men
    Daniel 3

These stories are particularly valuable for this project because they allow readers to see that “the Bible” is not exactly the same collection of books in every major Christian tradition.

X. The Birth of Jesus

  1. The Annunciation to Mary
    Luke 1
  2. Joseph’s Dream
    Matthew 1
  3. The Birth of Jesus
    Matthew 1–2; Luke 2
  4. The Shepherds and the Angels
    Luke 2
  5. The Magi and the Star
    Matthew 2
  6. The Flight into Egypt
    Matthew 2
  7. The Boy Jesus in the Temple
    Luke 2
  8. John the Baptist’s Birth and Calling
    Luke 1

XI. The Ministry of Jesus

  1. The Baptism of Jesus
    Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3; John 1
  2. The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness
    Matthew 4; Mark 1; Luke 4
  3. Jesus Calls His Disciples
  4. The Wedding at Cana
    John 2
  5. Jesus and Nicodemus
    John 3
  6. Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
    John 4
  7. Jesus Announces His Mission at Nazareth
    Luke 4
  8. The Sermon on the Mount
    Matthew 5–7
  9. The Beatitudes
  10. Jesus Calms the Storm
    Matthew 8; Mark 4; Luke 8
  11. The Healing of the Paralytic
    Mark 2
  12. Jesus and the Woman with the Flow of Blood
    Mark 5
  13. The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter
    Mark 5
  14. The Feeding of the Five Thousand
    Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6
  15. Jesus Walks on Water
    Matthew 14; Mark 6; John 6
  16. The Transfiguration
    Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9
  17. The Good Samaritan
    Luke 10
  18. The Prodigal Son
    Luke 15
  19. The Good Shepherd
    John 10
  20. The Raising of Lazarus
    John 11
  21. Jesus and Zacchaeus
    Luke 19
  22. The Rich Young Ruler
    Matthew 19; Mark 10; Luke 18
  23. The Woman Caught in Adultery
    John 8

XII. The Final Days of Jesus

  1. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
    Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12
  2. Jesus Cleanses the Temple
  3. The Last Supper
  4. Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
    John 13
  5. The Garden of Gethsemane
  6. Jesus Is Arrested
  7. Peter’s Denial
  8. Jesus Before the Jewish Authorities
  9. Jesus Before Pilate
  10. The Crucifixion
  11. The Seven Last Sayings of Jesus
  12. The Death of Jesus
  13. The Burial of Jesus
  14. The Empty Tomb
  15. The Women at the Tomb
  16. The Road to Emmaus
  17. Jesus Appears to Thomas
  18. The Great Commission
  19. The Ascension of Jesus

XIII. The Birth of Christianity

  1. Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
    Acts 2
  2. Peter Heals the Lame Man                                                     Acts 3
  3. Stephen and the First Christian Martyrdom
    Acts 6–7
  4. The Conversion of Paul                                                          Acts 9
  5. Peter and Cornelius                                                                Acts 10
  6. The Council of Jerusalem
    Acts 15
  7. Paul and Silas in Prison                                                        Acts 16
  8. Paul in Athens.                                                                       Acts 17
  9. Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem
  10. Paul’s Journey to Rome
  11. Paul Shipwrecked on Malta                                                   Acts 27–28. 

XIV. The Great Stories of Revelation

  1. The Vision of John on Patmos
  2. The Seven Churches
  3. The Throne of God in Heaven
  4. The Four Horsemen
  5. The Seven Seals
  6. The Seven Trumpets
  7. The Woman and the Dragon
  8. The Beast
  9. Babylon the Great
  10. The Final Judgment
  11. The New Heaven and the New Earth
  12. The New Jerusalem
  13. The River of Life and the Tree of Life

The Great Stories of the Bible

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