Periodic Table of the Bible
Every book of the Bible in one view. Colour marks the kind of writing, position marks where it falls in the story, and each card opens a short orientation to the book — who wrote it, when, and what it is doing.
1GeGenesis1450–1410 BC2ExExodus1450–1410 BC3LeLeviticus1445–1444 BC4NuNumbers1445–1405 BC5DtDeuteronomy1405 BC6JosJoshua1405–1383 BC7JdgJudges1043–1004 BC8RthRuth1030–1010 BC91Sa1 Samuel930 BC102Sa2 Samuel930 BC111Ki1 Kings561–538 BC122Ki2 Kings561–538 BC131Ch1 Chronicles450–425 BC142Ch2 Chronicles450–425 BC15EzrEzra450–440 BC16NeNehemiah445–425 BC17EsEsther460–331 BC18JobJob2000–1800 BC19PsPsalms1440–586 BC20PrProverbs950–700 BC21EccEcclesiastes935 BC22SSSong of Solomon940 BC23IsaIsaiah700–681 BC24JerJeremiah627–586 BC25LaLamentations586 BC26EzeEzekiel593–571 BC27DaDaniel530 BC28HoHosea755–710 BC29JlJoel835–796 BC30AmAmos760–750 BC31ObObadiah586 BC32JonJonah785–760 BC33MicMicah735–700 BC34NaNahum663–612 BC35HabHabakkuk612–589 BC36ZepZephaniah640–620 BC37HagHaggai520 BC38ZecZechariah520–518 BC39MalMalachi430 BC40MtMatthewA.D. 50–7041MkMarkA.D. 50–6042LkLukeA.D. 60–6143JnJohnA.D. 80–9044ActActsA.D. 6145RomRomansA.D. 57461Cor1 CorinthiansA.D. 55472Cor2 CorinthiansA.D. 5648GalGalatiansA.D. 4949EphEphesiansA.D. 60–6250PhpPhilippiansA.D. 60–6251ColColossiansA.D. 60–62521Th1 ThessaloniansA.D. 51532Th2 ThessaloniansA.D. 51541Tim1 TimothyA.D. 62–64552Tim2 TimothyA.D. 6756TitTitusA.D. 6357PhmPhilemonA.D. 6058HebHebrewsA.D. 64–6859JasJamesA.D. 44–49601Pe1 PeterA.D. 63–64612Pe2 PeterA.D. 65–67621Jn1 JohnA.D. 85–95632Jn2 JohnA.D. 85–95643Jn3 JohnA.D. 85–9565JudJudeA.D. 65–8066ReRevelationA.D. 95671Esd1 Esdras2nd century BC682Esd2 Esdras100 AD69TbTobit200–180 BC70JdtJudith150–100 BC71EaAdditions to Esther2nd century BC72WsWisdom of Solomon50 BC73SirSirach (Ecclesiasticus)180–175 BC74BarBaruch150–50 BC75LjrLetter of Jeremiah300–100 BC76AzaPrayer of Azariah2nd century BC77SusSusanna2nd century BC78BelBel and the Dragon2nd century BC791Mc1 Maccabees100 BC802Mc2 Maccabees124 BC
The Old Testament grows from the top-left and the New Testament fills in from the right, the way metals and non-metals divide a periodic table. Revelation is the capstone at the bottom-right, and the deuterocanonical books sit in their own block beneath, where a chemistry chart puts the lanthanides.
What the colours mean
Each colour is a kind of writing. Follow one to read about that section and the books in it.
- Law 5booksThe five books of Moses: creation, covenant, exodus, and the instruction given at Sinai.
- History 12booksIsrael's story from entering the land to returning from exile.
- Poetry 5booksWisdom and worship: prayer, proverb, lament, protest, and love song.
- Major Prophets 5booksThe long prophetic books, Isaiah through Daniel, spanning crisis, exile, and hope.
- Minor Prophets 12booksTwelve short prophetic books, minor only in length.
- Gospels 4booksFour accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
- Church History 1bookActs: how the good news travelled from Jerusalem to Rome.
- Pauline Epistles 13booksThirteen letters from Paul to young churches and to individual coworkers.
- General Epistles 8booksEight letters to the wider church, from Hebrews through Jude.
- Eschatology 1bookRevelation: the vision that closes the canon.
- Deuterocanonical 14booksBooks received as scripture by Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and valued but not treated as canonical by Protestants.
All books in canonical order
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
- Acts
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews
- James
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John
- 2 John
- 3 John
- Jude
- Revelation
- 1 Esdras
- 2 Esdras
- Tobit
- Judith
- Additions to Esther
- Wisdom of Solomon
- Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
- Baruch
- Letter of Jeremiah
- Prayer of Azariah
- Susanna
- Bel and the Dragon
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees