Events outlined in the book of Genesis include the account of Creation, the Fall of Mankind, Cain and Abel, the Flood and Noah's Ark, and the account of Joseph, the brother rejected by his siblings who would turn out to save the lives of those who rejected him. Each of these events, which occurred prior to the birth of Moses, are studied with the view to the application to more modern literature and art. The concept of brother against brother arises in works as early as 17th-century Shakespearean plays to 20th-century television shows like the aptly named "Kane & Abel" from 1985.
The Post-Mosaic era includes all the events dated after the birth of Moses which are in the books of Exodus through 2 Chronicles. This era includes the birth and adoption of Moses in a time of extreme danger for infant Hebrew males. The Ten Commandments, the Ten Plagues and the Conquest of Canaan, young David defeating Goliath, and the glory and fall of ancient Israel are studied with a view to the literary value of these stories. Many early literary works refer to or make use of the imagery of the David versus Goliath fight, of the seemingly impossible odds only to have the "David" of the story to win out.
From the book of Isaiah, one of the lone prophets of his generation, to the book of Malachi, the last prophetic book that marks the end of the Old Testament there are stories of the singular voice of right versus the establishment either in religious or secular society. Whereas Isaiah spoke out against the wrongful actions of the King, Jeremiah spoke out against both the King in his time and the prophets who were essentially the "yes-men" religious leaders of Israel. Though punctuated with extensive teachings, the prophets are rich with literary value. Courses teaching this literature spend a great deal of time in the narrative portions of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Some colleges separate the literature of the parables of Jesus from the literature of the Book of Acts and the epistles. Others combine both as the epistles are most exhortation and teaching rather than events that could be taken as literature. The parables of Jesus include that of the prodigal son, the privileged son who leaves with his inheritance and squanders it only to end up in abject poverty and returning to his father. This theme occurs frequently in books as current as Dean Koontz's "Frankenstein: Prodigal Son."