Changes

[[Image:Creation of the sun.JPG|right|thumb|250px|''Creation of the Sun'', by [[Michelangelo]]]]

[[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]].<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'''''.

'''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.

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 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]].

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.

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

===The Flood===

===The 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]].

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.

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:

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:

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.

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==

== Authorship ==

''See also [[Genesis authorship]]''.

''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>

<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:

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.

* 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.

== See also ==

== See also ==

*[[Sistine Chapel]]

*[[Sistine Chapel]]

*[[Dead Sea Scrolls]]

*[[Dead Sea Scrolls]]