Susanna

Susanna is a courtroom drama that would make a great thriller movie. The setup: Susanna is a beautiful, virtuous, married Jewish woman. Two corrupt elders-who are supposed to be respected judges-become obsessed with her. They hide in her garden and confront her while she's bathing: sleep with us, or we'll claim we caught you committing adultery with a young man.

Susanna refuses. "I am trapped," she says, "but I'd rather fall into your hands than sin against God." The elders carry out their threat. Everyone believes them because they're respected judges. Susanna is condemned to death. She cries out to God, and He hears her.

Enter young Daniel. As Susanna is being led to execution, Daniel stops the procession. "Are you such fools, you Israelites? You have condemned a daughter of Israel without proper examination!" He demands a retrial. His strategy is brilliantly simple: separate the two elders and ask each one under which tree they saw Susanna with her supposed lover. One says a mastic tree. The other says an oak. Busted. The liars are executed, and Susanna is vindicated. It's a story about courage, due process, and how God raises up unlikely heroes-even kids-to deliver the innocent. For other Daniel stories, see Bel and the Dragon.