According to a ComRes survey commissioned by the BBC, just a third believed word-for-word what the Bible says about the events.
However two in five of all British adults say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
Over 2,000 people were questioned last month.
The research also found around a third of Christians said they did not believe in life after death but a fifth of non-religious people surveyed said they did.
Responding to the findings, Bishop of Manchester, Rt Rev David Walker, told the BBC: "This important and welcome survey proves that many British people, despite not being regular churchgoers, hold core Christian beliefs.
"Alongside them it finds surprisingly high levels of religious belief among those who follow no specific religion, often erroneously referred to as secularists or atheists.