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[[Image:Creation of the sun.JPG|right|thumb|350px|''[[Creation]] of the Sun'', by [[Michelangelo]]]]
'''Genesis''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: "birth", "origin") is the "book of beginnings" and the first book of the [[Bible]] written by [[Moses]].<ref>Genesis is also the first book of the [[Judaism|Jewish]] [[Torah]].  The Hebrew for Genesis is בראשית.</ref>  ''Genesis'' recounts the beginning of the [[universe]], living things including [[homo sapiens|mankind]], and [[Society|social]]/[[Culture|cultural]] formations.  ''Genesis'' promises the coming [[Jesus Christ|Redeemer]] and explains modern scientific phenomena, such as [[quantum mechanics]] (creation was from chaos) and the dichotomy between light and matter (created on different days). ''Genesis'' is a wellspring of [[Biblical scientific foreknowledge]], such as inducing anesthesia/deep sleep for an operation ({{bible ref|Genesis|2|21}}) and setting maximum lifespan at 120 years.<ref>''See'' {{bibleref|Genesis|6|3}} ("120 years"). Despite modern medicine and technology, the oldest persons live nearly 120 years but not more. There is only one disputed, highly doubtful case of anyone living a bit longer.</ref>  '''''Genesis answers many questions about life and the universe'''''.

There are many dozens of references to ''Genesis'' in the [[New Testament]], including direct quotations by [[Jesus]].  Many books, movies and plays (e.g., ''[[East of Eden]]'' and ''[[Hamlet]]'') draw upon Genesis and particularly its [[paradise]].  Rock groups, too, such as "[[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]" itself.

The Hebrew word for God is plural, and the creation of man was by a plural form of God ({{bible ref|Genesis|1|26}}: "And God said, 'Let '''us''' make man in '''our''' image, after '''our''' likeness'").  The meaning of the plural form was not fully understood until the emergence of Christianity and the acceptance of the [[Holy Trinity]].<ref>http://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-oneness-unity-plural-nouns-pronouns-verbs-adverbs.htm</ref> The Book of Genesis also contains a wonderful Theophany of the Three Divine Persons appearing to men in visible forms, that of the Three Persons in {{bible ref|Genesis|18}}.<ref>It is said the Lord God appeared to Abraham, then that he perceived The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity as Three Men. He adored Them And yet spoke to Three Persons as to One Lord God, and thus the Holy Bible here clearly demonstrates that the Holy Trinity is One Lord God. Gen 18:1: "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,3 And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:"
<br>In the Eastern Liturgies, it is commonly taken for granted that this was a Theophany (a visible manifestation of the invisible God). For e.g "God in Three Persons appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mambre, and through mercy he was given as reward for his hospitality Isaac. That God we now glorify him as God of our Fathers." Octoechos, Sunday, Tone 3, Midnight Office, Ode 7. [https://www.academia.edu/13190369/The_Early_Christian_Reception_of_Genesis_18_From_Theophany_to_Trinitarian_Symbolism]</ref>

Genesis is intended to be interpreted as a plain historical narrative, which [[liberal denial]] pretends is merely poetry or figurative.<ref>Multiple references:
*Johnson, James J.S. (2011). [https://www.icr.org/article/genesis-history-poetry-exposing-hidden/ Genesis Is History, Not Poetry: Exposing Hidden Assumptions about What Hebrew Poetry Is and Is Not]. ''Institute for Creation Research'' (from ''Acts & Facts''. 40 (6): 8-9). Retrieved January 18, 2018.
*Sarfati, Jonathan (April 2015). [https://creation.com/genesis-is-history Genesis is history!]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from ''Creation'' 37(2):50–52). Retrieved January 18, 2018.
*Batten, Don; Catchpoole, David; Sarfati, Jonathan D.; Wieland, Carl (November 30, 2007). [https://creation.com/is-genesis-poetry-figurative-a-theological-argument-polemic-and-thus-not-history Is Genesis poetry / figurative, a theological argument (polemic) and thus not history?] ''Creation Ministries International''. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
*Turpin, Simon (May 2, 2016). [https://answersingenesis.org/hermeneutics/is-genesis-1-literal-literalism-or-literalistic/ Is Genesis 1 Literal, Literalism, or Literalistic?] ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved January 18, 2018.</ref>

==Name==
The [[Hebrews]] had called the first book of [[Moses]] by the name of ''bereisheet'', meaning "in the beginning", based on the three words that start Genesis.  The [[Septuagint]], the ancient Greek-language translation of the [[Old Testament]], rendered this title under the name ''he biblos geneseos'', from which came the current title of ''Genesis'', meaning "origin".<ref>Unger, 1966, p.396</ref>

==Overview==
The fifty chapters of the book of Genesis can be divided into two parts: the early, ancient history of man from the [[Creation]] to the fall of the [[Tower of Babel]] (Genesis 1-11), and the Patriarchal History of Israel from [[Abraham]] and his son [[Isaac]], grandson [[Jacob]], and Jacob's sons, primarily [[Joseph]] (Genesis 12-50), although there is a continuous genealogy connecting both parts.

===The Creation===
''For more detailed treatments, see [[creation week]], [[creation story]], and [[Biblical creation account]].''
[[File:Creation of Adam.jpg|thumbnail|400px|right|[[Michelangelo]]'s ''[[Creation]] of [[Adam]]'']]
''In the beginning, God [[creation|created]] the [[heaven]]s and earth''.  This is one of the most famous statements in the Bible, and it starts the account of God's creation.  Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 involved the first seven days in history:<ref>Not all Christians accept that the days were literal days.  See also [[Creation Week]], [[Gap theory]], and [[Old Earth Creationism]].</ref>
*The first day, the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and light ({{bible ref|Genesis|1|1-5}}).
*The second day, the creation of a "firmament" or ''expanse'', separating the waters ({{bible ref|Genesis|1|6-8}}).
*The third day, the creation of dry earth and plant life ({{Bible ref|Genesis|1|9-13}}).
*The fourth day, the creation of the Sun, the moon, and the stars, to mark the seasons ({{bible ref|Genesis|1|14-19}}).
*The fifth day, the creation of the creatures of the sea and the fowl of the air ({{bible ref|Genesis|1|20-23}}).
*The sixth day, the creation of the animals of the land, and the creation of Man ({{bible ref|Genesis|1|24-31}}).
*The seventh day, on which God rested from his task of creating ({{bible ref|Genesis|2|1-3}}).

The rest of chapter 2 through to the end of chapter 4 tell the story of Adam and Eve, the [[Garden of Eden]], and Adam and Steve's sons [[Cain]], [[Abel]], and [[Seth]].

The fall of mankind into [[sin]] began when the serpent questioned one of God's commands, namely not to eat of the [[tree of knowledge of good and evil]], and convinced Eve to eat the fruit, followed by [[Adam]].  The result of disobeying this command resulted in the driving away of Adam and Eve from the Garden to live a life of subsistence farming, and eventually dying. Eve was additionally cursed with painful childbearing, and to be subservient to Adam. All of these curses were also applied to Adam and Eve's descendants.  {{bible ref|Genesis|3|15}} is cited as being the first reference to the coming [[Messiah]].

Chapter 5 is a chronogenealogy from Adam to [[Noah]] and his sons.

===The Flood===
Chapters 6 to 9 tell the story of the [[great flood]].

The wickedness of mankind becomes so great that God 'repents' of His creation and decides to destroy it all through a [[flood]].  Only Noah is righteous before God, and He instructs Noah to build an [[Noah's Ark|ark]] to carry himself, his family, and pairs of every creature on earth and in the air.  God then destroys the earth with [[water]], the ark riding the waves until the waters abate and it comes to rest at the mountains of [[Ararat]].  God makes a promise never to destroy the earth by flood again, and shows Noah the sign of that covenant, a [[rainbow]].

Noah is also the first planter of a vineyard, and during a drunken sleep one of his sons ([[Ham (son of Noah)|Ham]]) sees him naked.  Noah awakes with the knowledge as to what he had done, and places a curse upon Ham's son Canaan, declaring that Canaan and his descendants would be slaves to his brothers [[Shem]] and [[Japheth]].  All three sons would have their names and their descendants listed on the [[Table of Nations]], which is contained in chapter 10.

Some people argue that the flood account was taken from ancient Babylonian legends. This claim, however popular, is anachronistic. There are two proposed dates for the time Genesis was written, around 1440 BC and somewhere from 539 to 424 BC. The reason the claim that the Genesis flood narrative was taken from Babylonian legends is anachronistic are as follows:

If the older date is correct, this means that Genesis was written over eight centuries before the Hebrews made any contact with Babylon that had the potential for Babylonian influence on Hebrew writings. Since Genesis was written too early to have been affected by any Babylonian influence on Hebrew writings, it could not have been taken from Babylonian legends, and the claim that it did is an anachronism.

If, however, the newer date is correct, this means that Genesis was written after Babylon had been conquered by Persia. Any Babylonian culture and influence would be uprooted and replaced with the Achaemenid Persian culture and influence. Since Genesis was written after the Babylonian culture and influence had been replaced with Achaemenid Persian culture and influence, it was written too late to have been affected by any Babylonian influence on Hebrew writings. Since Genesis was written too late to have been affected by any Babylonian influence on Hebrew writings, it could not have been taken from Babylonian legends, and the claim that it did is an anachronism.

Therefore, if the earlier date is correct, then Genesis was written before any contact with Babylon and too early to have been affected by Babylonian influence on Hebrew writings. This means that it could not have been taken from Babylonian legends, and the claim that it did is an anachronism. If the later date is correct, then Genesis was written after the Babylonian culture and influence had been replaced by Persian culture and influence and too late to have been affected by Babylonian influence on Hebrew writings. This means that it could not have been taken from Babylonian legends, and the claim that it did is an anachronism. Either way, the claim that the Genesis flood account was taken from Babylonian legends is an anachronism. Since a statement cannot be both true and anachronistic at the same time, and the claim that the Genesis flood story was taken from Babylonian legends is anachronistic, it therefore cannot be true.

===Abraham===
[[Image:abraham_sacrificing_isaac.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Abraham Sacrificing Isaac'' by Rembrandt]]
''See also:'' [[Abraham]]

Chapters 11 to 23 and the start of chapter 25 tell the story of Abram

Abram leaves the city of [[Ur]] with his wife, Sarai, on a journey towards [[Canaan]], where God has shown him what He was going to do: "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves."

Sarai, being unable to have children, tells Abram to take [[Hagar]], his [[Egypt]]ian maid, as his [[wife]]. Hagar becomes pregnant with [[Ishmael]], and God makes a promise that the child will be "a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man's hand against him," with descendants beyond number.

God also makes a covenant with Abram: Abram will have many descendants as well as possession of the land of Canaan. Abram's name is changed to "[[Abraham]]”, and Sarai becomes "[[Sarah]]." A sign of the new covenant is the [[circumcision]] of all males. Abraham is also told that Sarah will bear a son who will be named [[Isaac]], and it is through Isaac and his descendants that the covenant will be established; although Ishmael is to be a great nation, he is left out of God’s covenant.

Two [[angel]]s appeared to Abraham and told him that Sarah, barren for years, will bear a son.  They also tell him that the wickedness of the cities of [[Sodom]] and [[Gomorrah]] is very great, and God will shortly punish them.
Abraham asks if the cities can be spared if so much as ten righteous men are found inside.

The two angels are received by Abraham's nephew [[Lot]], much to the consternation of the townspeople who surround the house and demand sexual acts with the strangers.
The townspeople are blinded, and the angels warn Lot and his family to flee immediately for the mountains and never look back.  Both Sodom and Gomorrah are consumed by [[fire]] and [[brimstone]].
Lot’s wife turns back to look and is turned into a pillar of salt.

Sarah gives birth to Isaac, and at her insistence demands that Hagar and Ishmael be driven into the wilderness. While Ishmael is near dying, an angel speaks to Hagar and promises that God will not forget them, and will make the descendants of Ishmael a great nation.

God puts [[Abraham]] to the test by demanding the sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham sets out to obey God by carrying out is request.
But just as he is about to thrust the knife into Isaac, God restrains him and promises descendants beyond numbering.  Abraham dies later, "full of years", and is laid to rest in the Tomb of Machpelah in [[Hebron]], which he had purchased shortly before as a place of rest for Sarah.

===Isaac and Jacob===
Isaac had prayed to God that He would give his wife [[Rebekah]] a child, even though Rebekah was unable to get [[pregnancy|pregnant]].  God grants Isaac's request, and Rebekah gives birth to the twins [[Esau]] and [[Jacob]]
However, prior to the birth, God predicted division between the two, with the elder serving the younger.  Esau, the elder, despised his own birthright and sold it to Jacob for a bowl of red porridge, allowing Jacob to enter his father’s tent and deceitfully take the blessing intended for Esau.  He flees to [[Haran]], the home of his uncle [[Laban]].  Along the way, he has a dream of a ladder to Heaven, where God tells him of prosperity for himself and his descendants.  Jacob names the spot [[Bethel]] in commemoration.

Jacob had two wives, [[Leah]] and [[Rachel]], and two [[concubine]]s, [[Zilpah]] (Leah's handmaid), and [[Bilhah]] (Rachel's handmaid).  Together they bore Jacob twelve sons:
*From Leah: [[Reuben]], [[Simeon]], [[Levi]], [[Judah]], [[Issachar]], [[Zebulun]].
*From Rachel: [[Joseph]], [[Benjamin]].
*From Zilpah: [[Gad]], [[Asher]].
*From Bilhah: [[Dan]], [[Naphtali]].

===Joseph===
Joseph was Jacob's favorite son and was given a special colorful [[coat]], which provoked jealousy in his brothers, who were also angered by Joseph's dreams indicating his brothers would bow down before him.
So his brothers took the opportunity one day to sell him into [[slavery]] and claim to a distraught Jacob that Joseph was killed by a wild animal.

His ability to explain [[dream]]s while a slave in Egypt came to the attention of [[Pharaoh]], who was troubled by a dream of seven skinny [[cattle|cows]] and withered stalks of [[corn]] which ate seven fat cows and healthy stalks of corn.  Joseph interpreted the dream as that of Egypt going through seven years of plentiful [[harvest]]s, followed by seven years of severe [[famine]], and followed it up by recommending that Pharaoh appoint a wise man over Egypt to ensure enough is collected and stored during the plentiful years to act as a hedge against the years of famine.  Pharaoh responds by appointing Joseph himself to this position.
During the famine "all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth."

Jacob, not knowing Joseph was still alive, sent his sons to buy [[grain]] in Egypt. The brothers appeared before Joseph, but did not recognize him. Joseph however, recognized them, and after a series of tests that convinced Joseph their characters had changed, revealed himself to them, convinced them that what happened in the past was God’s plan, and told them to bring Jacob and their families to live in Egypt.

Genesis ends with the blessing of Jacob’s children, his death, and the death of Joseph, who exhorts his brothers to carry his bones to the [[Promised Land]] when they eventually reach there.

== Authorship ==
[[File:Prophet Moses.jpg|right|thumbnail|300px|[[Moses]] lead the Israelites out of [[Egypt]].]]
''See also [[Genesis authorship]]''.
<br>Biblical tradition within and without the [[Old Testament]], [[Jesus]] in the [[New Testament]], as well as extra-Biblical writers such as [[Josephus]], [[Origen]], the early church fathers and many others, have claimed [[Moses]] as the author of Genesis, written during the time of the [[Hebrew]] wanderings in the Wilderness, between 1440-1400 B.C.  Certainly, Moses was able to have written Genesis in Hebrew, [[Akkadian]], or Egyptian.  He was well-educated and trained in the Egyptian court.  [[Archaeology]] demonstrates that such a man would have had the education necessary to accomplish this during that time in history.<ref>Unger, pp. 35-35</ref>

The higher critical view is that [[Moses]] did not write Genesis.  Some biblical scholars identified five separate authors of the five "books of Moses."<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_tora.htm Who Wrote The Pentateuch, The Five Books of Moses?]</ref><ref>[http://lectionary.org/EXEG-English/OT/EOT01-Gen/Authorship-Genesis%20&%20Pentateuch.html Introduction to Genesis & the Pentateuch]</ref> This idea is called the ''Documentary Hypothesis''. Although unidentified, each of these authors has been given the name of a letter:
* J who calls God ''YHWH'' (the ''Jehovist'' account), and who possibly wrote in the south of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], written c. 850 B.C.
* E who uses ''Elohim'' ('the gods', 'the spirits') as God's name, and possibly wrote in [[Ephraim]], written c. 750 B.C.
* D who wrote the book of [[Deuteronomy]], about 650 B.C.
* P who wrote an alternate history in what was called the ''Priestly Code'', about 550 B.C.
* R who joined the writings of J, E, D and P to form a single work.
**(Though recent Scholarship has moved toward a four-source hypothesis, with the Priestly writer functioning as the final contributor and editor.)
Under this hypothesis, looking at the Creation story
* Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 were written by P.
* Genesis 2:4 was written by R
* Genesis 2:5 through 4:26 were written by J.
This idea has gained popularity among critics since it was first proposed in the late 19th century.  However, it is inevitably a product of modern rationalistic research and the application of literary criteria. Opponents of this research point to the fact that it is difficult to reconcile with the historical, miraculous, and prophetic elements which they claim to be basic to the first five books of the Bible.<ref>Unger, p. 397; Young, pp. 183-276</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Sistine Chapel]]
*[[Dead Sea Scrolls]]
*[[Midrash]] for the treatment in Jewish literature of the offering by Abraham of his son Isaac.
*For the rock band Genesis, please see [[Genesis (band)]]
*[[Genesis (Translated)]]

== External links ==

*[https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-genesis/ Guide to the Book of Genesis], Bible Project
*[https://www.bibleref.com/Genesis/index.html Genesis], Bibleref.com (Study material)
*[https://answersingenesis.org/genesis/ Book of Genesis], [[Answers in Genesis]] ministry
*[https://creation.com/genesis-the-seedbed-of-all-christian-doctrine Genesis—the seedbed of all Christian doctrine], [[Creation Ministries International]]
*[http://www.creationapologetics.org/table.html Table of Nations chart]
*[http://www.creationapologetics.org/creation.html Creation timeline]

==References==

<references/>

==Sources==
*Holy Bible, King James Version (''Thompson Chain Reference''), B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co. Indianapolis, IN 1982.
*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Dictionary'', Moody Press, Chicago, IL 1966.
*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Handbook'', Moody Press, Chicago, IL 1967.
*Young, Edward J. ''Introduction to the Old Testament'', W.B. Eardmans Pub. Co. Grand Rapids, MI 1949.



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