Genesis

Genesis (meaning: beginning, from Greek geneseos; Hebrew Bereshit, in the beginning) is the first book of the Bible and of the Pentateuch, covering the origins of the cosmos, humanity, sin, the nations, and the covenant people of Israel. It divides naturally into two major sections: the primeval history (chapters 1–11), encompassing creation, the fall, Cain and Abel, the flood, and the Tower of Babel; and the patriarchal narratives (chapters 12–50), following Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The book establishes the theological foundations on which the entire biblical narrative rests.

Genesis was traditionally attributed to Moses and is accepted as Mosaic in both Jewish tradition and the New Testament. Its literary structure is organized by the recurring formula these are the generations of (toledoth), which appears eleven times and connects the book's major episodes into a unified narrative of origins. Key theological themes include God as sole creator, humanity as bearing the divine image, sin and its consequences, God's covenant faithfulness, and the election of Abraham's family as the vehicle of blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1–3). Genesis ends in Egypt with Joseph's bones awaiting transport to Canaan — a narrative thread completed in the Exodus.