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Disclaimer: This isn't exactly flash fiction. We're nearing the end of this challenge, and there are a lot of story ideas that I've had, or that have been recommended that I didn't get to. So here are a few very short concepts, not brought to full "flash fiction" level. Feel free to write your own story about any of these if you choose. (If you do use one of these ideas, I hope you'll come back here and let me know!)
With no further ado, and in no particular order:
What if... the Queen of Sheba was a nerd? All the Bible tells us is that she was rich and talked long hours with Solomon, very interested in his wisdom. When he showed her all his wealth, she added to it more gold, spices, fabrics, etc. But the main thing was talking and listening to his wisdom. (I Kings 10:1-13) I think the general impression is of a rich, beautiful queen. But why? Nothing is ever said of her beauty. Or her family. Maybe she never married. She traveled with a huge retinue, not a king or consort. A queen, solo, off to find out if this guy was as smart and rich as everyone said he was. What if it was more like a real life D&D quest?
What if...dragons really did exist? In the book of Job, "leviathan" is described as a fierce creature, and even goes so far as to talk of his breathing fire. Granted, it's in a poetic passage, so probably metaphorical, but there's a whole chapter about leviathan. What if? (Job 41)
King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. (I Kings 11:3) What must it have been like to live in that harem? What if... the place they lived was like the brothel in the musical Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?
Nothing, nowhere states or gives the impression that Mary of Magdalene was a prostitute or Jesus' lover. That is purely pop culture (possibly stemming from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar). What is told is that he removed 7 demons from her, and that she was a devout follower, as were several other women. (Luke 8: 1-3) I wanted to write some kind of story to set this straight, but couldn't think of a good angle. What if... she missed the demons that had possessed her?
The Bible contains numerous visions and prophecies. I've written about some prophecies, generally with an understanding that they must have seemed incredibly confusing at the time. But what about the times someone interprets a dream? Joseph interpreted his dreams and Pharaoh's. Daniel interpreted for the king of Babylon. How did they know they got it right? Was there a tingling in the brain? Did they hear God's voice and simply repeat? What if... they got it wrong? (Of course, any misinterpretations wouldn't have been included in the Bible.)
I was trying to find an angle to tell the story of Samson and Delilah, but I couldn't think of anything unusual. How beautiful and charming must she have been to have him so snowed that he gave up the secret of his strength to her? (Judges 16:1-22) What if... he wised up sooner, left her, and never was taken captive?
Alas, it's not a Tuesday... I once heard someone talk about Mary Magdalene as Jesus' wife. The point was that Jesus would have been married. If he hadn't been, that would have been remarked upon. But, my Biblical knowledge is pretty much nil, so I can't even recall who had that conversation.
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