In this section, you can explore the Old Testament – one story at a time. Below, you’ll find 100 key stories from the Old Testament, brought together into six groups. This collection will grow over time, so you might have to be patient if your favourite story isn’t featured just yet!
I. Stories from Genesis
| 1 | The Creation of the World | Genesis 1:1-31 |
| 2 | The Creation of Adam and Eve | Genesis 2:1-25 |
| 3 | The Temptation and Fall | Genesis 3:1-24 |
| 4 | The Protoevangelium | Genesis 3:15 |
| 5 | Abel is murdered | Genesis 4:1-16 |
| 6 | Noah and the Ark | Genesis 6:9 – 8:19 |
| 7 | The Covenant with Noah | Genesis 8:20 – 9:17 |
| 8 | The Call of Abram | Genesis 12:1-9 |
| 9 | Abram meets Melchizedek | Genesis 14:1-24 |
| 10 | Abram becomes Abraham | Genesis 17:1-27 |
| 11 | The Hospitality of Abraham | Genesis 18:1-15 |
| 12 | Sarah the mother of Isaac | Genesis 21:1-7 |
| 13 | Abraham sacrifices Isaac | Genesis 22:1-19 |
| 14 | Rebekah at the well | Genesis 24:1-67 |
| 15 | Jacob and Esau | Genesis 27:1-45 |
| 16 | Jacob’s Ladder | Genesis 28:10-22 |
| 17 | Rachel the shepherdess | Genesis 29:1-30 |
| 18 | Joseph is betrayed by his brothers | Genesis 37:1-36 |
| 19 | Joseph’s life in Egypt | Genesis 39:1 – 41:57 |
| 20 | The Death of Joseph | Genesis 50:22-26 |
II. Stories of the Exodus
| 21 | The Early Life of Moses | Exodus 1:1-2:25 |
| 22 | Moses at the Burning Bush | Exodus 3:1-15 |
| 23 | Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh | Exodus 7:1-13 |
| 24 | The Plagues of Egypt | Exodus 7:14 – 12:34 |
| 25 | The Passover | Exodus 12:21-28 |
| 26 | The Crossing of the Red Sea | Exodus 14:1-21 |
| 27 | Miriam celebrates the Exodus | Exodus 15:1-21 |
| 28 | The Miracle of the Manna | Exodus 16:1-36 |
| 29 | Moses receives the Law | Exodus 20:1-21 |
| 30 | The Ark of the Covenant | Exodus 25:1-22 |
| 31 | Aaron is appointed high priest | Sirach 45:6-22 |
| 32 | Moses strikes the rock | Numbers 20:1-13 |
| 33 | Moses raises the bronze serpent | Numbers 21:4-9 |
| 34 | Moses appoints Joshua as leader | Deuteronomy 31:1-8 |
| 35 | Moses dies on the mountain | Deuteronomy 34:1-12 |
III. The History of Israel
| 36 | Balaam foresees a star | Numbers 22:1 – 24:25 |
| 37 | Joshua crosses the Jordan | Joshua 3:1- 4:24 |
| 38 | Rahab shelters the spies | Joshua 2:1-21 |
| 39 | Deborah judges Israel | Judges 4:4-10 |
| 40 | Jael’s defeat of Sisera | Judges 4:17-24 |
| 41 | Gideon and his fleece | Judges 6:1-40 |
| 42 | Samson removes the gates of Gaza | Judges 16:1-3 |
| 43 | Ruth meets her husband Boaz | Ruth 2:1-23 |
| 44 | Hannah commits Samuel to God | 1 Samuel 1:1-28; 2:18-21 |
| 45 | Samuel judges Israel | 1 Samuel 7:1-17 |
| 46 | David defeats Goliath | 1 Samuel 17:1-54 |
| 47 | Jonathan’s friendship with David | 1 Samuel 18:1-5 |
| 48 | Abigail acts as peacemaker | 1 Samuel 25:1-42 |
| 49 | David becomes king | 2 Samuel 5:1-3 |
| 50 | David’s affair with Bathsheba | 2 Samuel 11:1-27 |
| 51 | Joab kills Abner | 2 Samuel 2:13-32; 3:27 |
| 52 | Rizpah mourns her crucified sons | 2 Samuel 21:1-14 |
| 53 | King Solomon is given wisdom | 1 Kings 3:1-15 |
| 54 | The Temple of Solomon | 2 Chronicles 3:1-7:10 |
| 55 | The Visit of the Queen of Sheba | 1 Kings 10:1-13 |
| 56 | The Proverbs of Solomon | Proverbs 1:1-7 |
| 57 | Elijah prophesies to Israel | 1 Kings 17-19 |
| 58 | Elijah is taken up to heaven | 2 Kings 2:1-13 |
| 59 | Elisha succeeds the prophet Elijah | 2 Kings 2:1-15 |
| 60 | King Josiah the Reformer | 2 Chronicles 34 and 35 |
| 61 | King Hezekiah’s recovery | Isaiah 38:1-20 |
| 62 | Ezra the Teacher of the Law | Ezra 7:1-10 |
| 63 | Nehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem | Sirach 49:13 |
| 64 | St Raphael travels with Tobias | Tobit 4:1-2; 5:1-22 |
| 65 | Queen Esther protects the Jews | Esther 8:1-8 |
| 66 | Judith slays Holofernes | Judith 13:1-20 |
| 67 | The Martyrs of the Maccabees | 2 Maccabees 7:1-42 |
| 68 | The Patience of Job | Job 1:1 – 2:13 |
| 69 | The Three Holy Youths | Daniel 3:1-97 |
| 70 | St Gabriel the Archangel | Daniel 9:20-27 |
IV. The Prophets
| 71 | The Prophet Isaiah | Isaiah 2:1-5 |
| 72 | The Prophet Jeremiah | Jeremiah 31:31-34 |
| 73 | The Prophet Ezekiel | Ezekiel 36:24-28 |
| 74 | Daniel in the Lion’s Den | Daniel 6:1-25 |
| 75 | The Twelve Prophets | Sirach 49:10 |
| 76 | Jonah and the Whale | Jonah 2:1-11 |
| 77 | Haggai’s vision of the Temple | Haggai 2:1-9 |
| 78 | Amos foresees a global faith | Amos 9:11-15 |
| 79 | Joel foretells the Holy Spirit | Joel 2:28-29 |
| 80 | Malachi foretells the Mass | Malachi 1:11 |
V. Prophecies of the Messiah
| 81 | The Jesse Tree | Isaiah 11:1-9 |
| 82 | The Virgin Birth | Isaiah 7:10-17 |
| 83 | The Birth in Bethlehem | Micah 5:1-5 |
| 84 | The Stay in Egypt | Hosea 11:1-4 |
| 85 | The Arrival of a Great Prophet | Deuteronomy 18:15 |
| 86 | The Suffering Servant | Isaiah 52:13-53:12 |
| 87 | The Crucifixion | Psalm 22:1-18 |
| 88 | The Death of God’s Son | Wisdom 2:12-20 |
| 89 | The Piercing of the Messiah | Zechariah 12:10 |
| 90 | The Resurrection of the Messiah | Psalm 16:9-11 |
VI. Sacred songs
| 91 | The Song of Moses | Exodus 15:1-22 |
| 92 | The Song of Deborah | Judges 5:1-31 |
| 93 | The Song of Judith | Judith 15:15-16:17 |
| 94 | The Prayer of Habakkuk | Habakkuk 3:1-15 |
| 95 | The Psalms of David | Psalm 72:10 |
| 96 | The Seven Penitential Psalms | 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143 |
| 97 | The Song of Songs | Song of Songs 3:11 – 4:8 |
| 98 | The Sanctus | Isaiah 6:1-8 |
| 99 | The Lamentations | Lamentations 3:1-66 |
| 100 | The Song of the Three Holy Youths | Daniel 3:51-90 |
