Genesis

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This article forms part of the series on the
The Old Testament - Septuagint
or simply "LXX", the Koine Greek version
of the Hebrew Bible.
Pentateuch or "the Law"
1.Genesis | 2.Exodus | 3.Leviticus | 4.Numbers | 5.Deuteronomy
Historical Books
6.Joshua | 7.Judges | 8.Ruth

9.I Kingdoms | 10.II Kingdoms | 11.III Kingdoms | 12.IV Kingdoms
13.I Chronicles | 14.II Chronicles | 15.I Esdras | 16.II Esdras
17.Nehemiah | 18.Tobit | 19.Judith | 20.Esther with additions
21.I Maccabees | 22.II Maccabees | 23.III Maccabees

Books of Wisdom
24.Book of Psalms | 25.Job | 26.Proverbs
27.Ecclesiastes | 28.Song of Solomon
29.Wisdom of Solomon | 30.Wisdom of Sirach
The Prophets
The Minor Prophets, or "The Twelve"

31.Hosea | 32.Amos | 33.Micah | 34.Joel | 35.Obadiah | 36.Jonah
37.Nahum | 38.Habakkuk | 39.Zephania | 40.Haggai | 41.Zachariah
42.Malachi

The Major Prophets

43.Isaiah | 44.Jeremiah | 45.Baruch | 46.Lamentations
47.Letter of Jeremiah | 48.Ezekiel | 49.Daniel with additions

Appendix
IV Maccabees


The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament and contains extremely old oral and written traditions of the people of Israel. The English title, Genesis, comes from the Greek translation (Septuagint, LXX)[1] meaning "origins"; whereas, the Hebrew title is derived from the opening sentence of the book, translated "in the beginning". Tradition has it that this book was mostly written by the Prophet Moses[2] 1,300 years before Christ. The influence of Genesis over all of Holy Scripture is demonstrated by it being quoted over 35 times in the New Testament and hundreds of allusions appearing in both Testaments. The story line of salvation begins in Genesis 3 and is not completed until Revelation 21 and 22, where the eternal kingdom of redeemed believers is illustrated.

A page of the Vienna Genesis, made in sixth century Syria, with an illustration of Jacob/Israel blessing his grandsons Ephraim and Mannasseh.

Authorship and writing

The author does not identify himself in Genesis. However, both the Old Testament [3] and the New Testament [4] ascribe this composition to Moses [5] even though the context of the story ends almost three centuries before Moses he is even born. No compelling reasons have ever come forth to challenge this authorship.

Genesis was written after the Exodus (ca. 1445 B.C.) of the Israelite people, but before the death of Moses (ca. 1405 B.C.).

Background

Genesis begins with the story of the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve and the subsequent, quite sinful, history of the children of Adam. It tells of Noah and the great flood, the tower of Babel, and Abram and Melchizedek.

It then tells of God's call and promise of salvation to Abraham, and the story of Isaac and Jacob, whom God named Israel, ending with the settlement of the twelve tribes of Israel (the families of the twelve sons of Jacob) in Egypt, during the time of Joseph's favor with the Egyptian Pharaoh. In traditional Church language, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called the Patriarchs and are also Forefathers of Christ.

An icon of God creating light, in the form of the stars in the sky, on the fourth day of the Genesis creation story.

Major Theme

This is the book of "beginnings". It is widely accepted [6], that it contains many historical and theological themes revealed by God Himself.


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Purpose and Interpretation

Genesis is not treated as mere history, but as a source of spiritual wisdom, a book inspired by God himself. Out of all historical information available to Moses, he selected only what was related to the religious life of people. It most likely has been edited for this goal over time.

Outline

See also, Genesis (Outline) for a more comprehensive article on the literary structure of this book.

By Content

By content this book is comprised of two sections; the first records four major events and the second four great ment:

  1. Primitive history (Gen. 1–11) and
    1. Creation (Gen. 1, 2);
    2. the Fall (Gen. 3–5);
    3. the Flood (Gen. 6–9); and
    4. the Dispersion (Gen. 10, 11).
  1. Patriarchal history (Gen. 12–50)
    1. Abraham (Gen. 12:1–25:8);
    2. Isaac (Gen. 21:1–35:29);
    3. Jacob (Gen. 25:21–50:14); and
    4. Joseph (Gen. 30:22–50:26).

Literary structure

The literary structure is built around the recurring phrase "the history/genealogy of" and is the basis for the outline

  1. The Creation of Heaven and Earth (1:1–2:3)
  2. The Generations of the Heavens and the Earth (2:4–4:26)
  3. The Generations of Adam (5:1–6:8)
  4. The Generations of Noah (6:9–9:29)
  5. The Generations of Shem: Genealogy of Shem to Terah (11:10–26)
  6. The Generations of Terah (11:27–25:11)
  7. The Generations of Ishmael (25:12–18)
  8. The Generations of Esau (36:1–37:1)
  9. The Generations of Jacob (37:2–50:26)

Liturgical readings

Almost all of Genesis is read by a reader at services of the Orthodox Church during Great Lent and Holy Week.

At Vespers before the Nativity of the Theotokos, the reading is from 28:10-17, the story of Jacob's vision of a ladder which unites heaven and earth. This passage indicates the union of God with men which is realized most fully and perfectly, both spiritually and physically, in Mary the Theotokos, Bearer of God.

References

  1. LXX Septuagint—an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek
  2. For a brief biographical sketch of Moses also read Ex. 1–6
  3. Ex. 17:14; Num. 33:2; Josh. 8:31; 1 Kin. 2:3; 2 Kin. 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh. 13:1; Dan. 9:11, 13; Mal. 4:4)
  4. (Matt. 8:4; Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29; 24:27, 44; John 5:46; 7:22; Acts 15:1; Rom. 10:19; 1 Cor. 9:9; 2 Cor. 3:15)
  5. cf. Acts 7:22. Moses is favoured as the author in light of his educational background..
  6. Not just amongst the Orthodox church but the christian and Judaic faiths.

See also

External links

  1. In the Beginning God Made the Heaven and the Earth
  2. The Earth Was Invisible and Unfinished.
  3. On the Firmament.
  4. Upon the Gathering Together of the Waters.
  5. The Germination of the Earth.
  6. The Creation of Luminous Bodies.
  7. The Creation of Moving Creatures.
  8. The Creation of Fowl and Water Animals.
  9. The Creation of Terrestrial Animals.