If you like historical fiction, you might like some of the titles on this list compiled by Cheryl Hassler, in which characters and settings are taken from the Bible.
The Centurion by Leonard Wibberley.
Retells the story of Christ primarily from the point of view of a Roman centurion who is in charge of carrying out the crucifixion.
RC 12754.
Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell.
A fictional biography of Saint Luke covering his boyhood, travels, education, and acceptance of Christ. RC 22303.
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago.
Although the central character in this novel is Jesus, his story is told primarily from a secular point of view. From birth to death, the human side conflicts with the spiritual in scenes that sometimes follow biblical accounts closely but just as often afford a new way of looking at the world from the perspective of a young man. Some descriptions of sex. RC 39140.
The Gospel According to the Son by Norman Mailer.
First person account of the story of Jesus and the gospels from the prophet's own point of view. Reveals his human side, including his doubts and his passions. Recounts his life and times, his ministry, and conflict with the devil. RC 51268.
Man in White by Johnny Cash.
Fictionalized biography of Saint Paul in which Cash enlarges on biblical accounts of Paul's life, travels, and faith as he traces the relevance of Paul's example to Christian belief today. RC 25082.
Mary, Called Magdalene by Margaret George.
On her first pilgrimage to Jerusalem, young Mary of Magdala unearths a beautiful idol that she keeps hidden from everyone. By the time she is married, the demonic idol is the first of six that will possess Mary, who finds relief and salvation through Jesus. RC 56687.
Mary Magdalene by Ellen Gunderson Traylor.
A colorful novel based on the life of Mary Magdalene. Once the beautiful favored mistress of the Magdala Inn, she became a follower of Jesus and the first to learn of his resurrection. RC 27913.
Noah by Ellen Gunderson Traylor.
A dramatic novel that retells the biblical story of Noah, a righteous man in a corrupt age. When God warns of the flood, the patriarch builds an ark and saves his family, together with two of every type of beast and fowl. RC 28060.
Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen by India Edghill.
Soon after Michal, daughter of King Saul, marries David, the future king of Israel, Saul plots to kill him. David escapes, leaving Michal to marry another. Years later King David demands her return, and thus begins Queen Michal's reign. She befriends Bathsheba and readies Solomon, Bathsheba's son, for the throne. RC 55483.
Rebekah by Orson Scott Card.
Rebekah is chosen by God to be the wife of Isaac, son of Abraham. The marriage proves challenging as Rebekah is shamed for not quickly producing a son. Later she is tormented by the destiny of her twin boys. Women of Genesis series, book 2. RC 54295.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob in Genesis, departs from the biblical saga to recount her story and that of the women around her. The red tent is where women retreat for childbirth and young girls learn about adulthood. But Dinah is unprepared for her brothers' cruelty. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. RC 46859, BR 13498.
The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas.
With the Roman army, Marcellus Gallio is sent to Jerusalem, where he is ordered to put the Galilean Jesus to death. After he wins the martyr's robe in a gamble, it begins to have a powerful effect on him. RC 53548, BR 5054.
Ruth: A Love Story by Ellen Gunderson Traylor.
A novel based on the life of Ruth of the Old Testament. Ruth follows Naomi, her mother-in-law, to her native land, cares for her, and suffers pain and poverty, before she understands Naomi's prophecy about the Messiah. But Ruth was to have a major part in the fulfillment of that prophecy, and to find true love again. RC 27220.
Sarah by Orson Scott Card.
Sarah meets Abraham when she is ten and Abraham promises to return for her in ten years. Their marriage is plagued by childlessness and Sarah must have faith in Abraham's God, who has promised her a son. Women of Genesis series, book 1.
RC 54294.
Stone Tables by Orson Scott Card.
Fictional account by the biblical figure Aaron, who watches his younger brother Moses rise from the lowly status of a near-doomed infant to the pinnacle of power in Egypt, and then becoming God's anointed. Traces their family's role in the unfolding of a divine plan. RC 49462.