
:''This article is about Genesis, the first book of the Tanakh (Old Testament). See Genesis (disambiguation) for other usages of the word.'' Genesis (Greek language: Γένεσις, having the meanings of "birth", "creation", "cause", "beginning", "source" and "origin") is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christianity Old Testament. In Hebrew language, it is called בראשׁית (''Bereshit'' or ''Bərêšîth'', ), after the first word of the text in Hebrew (meaning "in the beginning of"). This follows the pattern of naming the other five books of the Pentateuch. == Introduction == Genesis is presented as a historical work. Beginning with the creation (theology) of the world, it recounts the primal history of humanity and the early history of the Israelites as exemplified in the lives of its patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their families. It contains the historical presupposition and basis of the national religious ideas and institutions of Israel, and serves as an introduction to its history, laws, customs and legends. It is a well-planned and well-executed composition of a writer (or set of writers, see documentary hypothesis), who has recounted the traditions of the Israelites, combining them into a uniform work, while preserving the textual and formal peculiarities incident to their difference in origin and mode of transmission. == Dating and history == Based on the genealogy in Genesis and later parts of the Bible, both religious Jews and Christians have independently worked backwards to find the implied time of the creation (theology) of the world, around the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. This dating is based on a literal reading of the creation account and the bases that the six days in which God created the heavens and the earth were 24-hour days, that Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden existed, and that a complete trace of events from Creation to a history verifiable date is listed in the biblical account. The absence of independent evidence confirming the biblical narrative cause many scholars to question the accuracy or even the veracity of the historical account. This subject is discussed in The Bible and history. == Authorship == Genesis as a completed book makes no claims about its authorship; Jewish tradition from early on assumed that the book was dictated, in its entirety, by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, Egypt. For a number of reasons, this view is no longer accepted by many biblical scholars, non-Orthodox Jews, Catholicisms, and liberal Protestants. Instead, they accept a theory whose roots are based on cultural evolution and philosophical naturalism which teaches that the text of Genesis as we see it today was redacted together around 440 BC from earlier sources. See the Documentary hypothesis entry for more information. Other scholars note that when Genesis was compiled, it was made up of earlier documents which were so little changed that even their literary tradition, which put the author's name at the end of each document, was preserved, thus preserving also the authors' true identities. This retains the concept of Moses being the author of Genesis, though making his role more that of an editor who chose the earlier works to include than as an author who wrote every word. == Christian views == There are numerous references to Genesis in the New Testament. These references assume an authoritative nature for Genesis. While none of these references explicitely state an author for Genesis there are several places which attibute the books of the law(Torah) to Moses (Mark 12:19, 26; Luke 24:27). The author of the gospel of John uses language similar to that in Genesis 1 when personifying the speech of God as the eternal Logos (''Greek language: λογος "reason", "word", "speech"''), that is the origin of all things "with God", and "was God", and "became flesh and tabernacled among us". Many Christians interpret this as an example of apostle teaching of the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ; however, Genesis standing alone does not clearly suggest this teaching, although there are some possible allusions to it, such as in Genesis 1:26 when God refers to himself in the plural. == Main themes == There is only one God, who has created the world. God has called all objects and living beings into existence by his word. The universe when created was, in the judgment of God, good. Genesis expresses an optimistic satisfaction and pleasure in the world. God as a personal being, referred to in anthropomorphic and anthropopathic terms. God may appear and speak to mankind. Genesis makes no attempt to give a philosophically rigorous definition of God; its description is a practical and historical one. God is treated exclusively with reference to his dealings with the world and with man. Mankind is the crown of Creation, and has been made in God's image. All people are descended from Adam and Eve; this expresses the unity of the whole human race. The Earth possesses for man a certain moral grandeur; man must include God's creatures in the respect that it demands in general, by not exploiting them for his own selfish uses. Unlike other ancient religious texts from the near-east and middle-east, Genesis posits the existence of a one and only being that may properly be called God. All other non-human intelligences implied or stated to exist in the text may only be considered angels or the like. God is presented as being the sole creator of nature, and as existing outside of it and beyond it. Some historians believe Genesis to be a more recent example of Monotheism than Zoroastrianism, interpreting the commandment "have no other gods before me" as an artifact of early henotheism among the Jews -- i.e., as evidence that the ''Hebrews'' were not to worship the gods of other peoples, but only their own tribal god. On the other hand, Genesis, in its present form, purports to give a record of beliefs prior to any surviving religious texts, describing the worship of other gods and local deities as a gradual development among the nations, who departed from original monotheism. The primary purpose of the book is not historical or legal, but to explain man's origins, and to describe man's relationship to God, and how man's relationship to man must be seen in that light. God created an eternal, unbreakable covenant with all mankind at the time of Noah; this is known as the Noachide covenant. This universal concern with all mankind is paralleled by a second covenant made to the descendants of Abraham in particular, through his son Isaac, in which their descendants will be chosen to have a special destiny. The Jewish people are Chosen people with God; God says to Abraham "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you; and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed". God often repeats the promise that Abraham's descendants shall be as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore. The article on Biblical cosmology discusses the Bible's view of the cosmos, much of which derives from descriptions in Genesis. == Summary == ===Creation=== The creation narrative in genesis can be split into two sections - the first section starts with an account of the Creation (theology) of the universe by God, which occurs in six days, the second section is more human-oriented, and less concerned with explaining how the Earth, its creatures and its features came to exist as they are today. Within the first section, on the first day God created light; on the second, the firmament of heaven; on the third, he separated water and land, and created plant life; on the fourth day he created the sun, moon, and stars; on the fifth day marine life and birds; on the sixth day land animals, and man and woman. On the seventh day, the Sabbath, God rested, and sanctified the day. Some may wonder whether it was this chapter of the Hebrew Bible that gives us our seven-day week, and may further speculate about the importance of the number seven. Research into the origin of the week tells us that it was widely spread throughout the ancient world, so widely that apart from claims such as Genesis, its origins cannot be determined with certainty. The second section of the creation narrative explains that the earth was lifeless, how God brought moisture to the soil and how man was formed from the dust (Adam translates from Hebrew to mean 'Red Earth'). === Adam and Eve === God formed Adam out of earth ("adama"), and set him in the Garden of Eden, to watch over it. Adam is allowed to eat of all the fruit within it, except that of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." God then brings all the animals to Adam, to serve as company for him. Adam gives names to all the animals, but finds no comfort in his loneliness. God then puts him into a deep sleep, takes a rib from his side, and from it forms a woman (called later "Eve"), to be a companion. Eve is convinced by a talking serpent to eat of the forbidden fruit. Eve wisely questions the serpent and hesitates to take a bite. But after she finds it pleasant, Eve offers the fruit to Adam to eat it as well (the "original sin"). Adam asks no questions. He immediately takes a bite. As punishment the ground is cursed, the death sentence is imposed (although it takes some time to be fulfilled), and Adam and Eve are driven out of the garden. The entrance to the garden is then guarded by ''cherubim'' with a flaming sword. Adam and Eve initially have two sons, Cain and Abel. There is a Chiastic structure in the first few verses relating Cain to Abel. Cain grows envious of the favor found by his brother before God, and slays him. The first murder is that of a brother. Cain is sentenced to wander over the earth as a fugitive. He finally settles in the Land of Nod. Enoch, one of Cain's sons, builds the first city. Another descendant, Lamech, takes two wives. Lamech's sons are the first dwellers in tents and owners of herds, and they are the earliest inventors of musical instruments and workers in brass and iron. Cain's descendants know nothing about God. Another son, Seth, has in the meantime been born to Adam and Eve in place of the slain Abel. Seth's descendants never lose thought of God. The tenth in regular descent is Noah. Adam and Eve also have other sons and daughters. In line with most of the other biblical characters born before the flood whose ages are provided, Adam lived until the age of 930. Note: the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel also appear in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === The Nephilim === The introduction to the story of Noah is one of the more cryptic sections in the Bible. The sons of God (alternatively: "sons of the Rulers") lusted after the daughters of man, and mated with them. The children of these unions were mighty men, called Men of the Name (alternatively: "Men of Renown"). In this time the Nephilim dwelled on the earth. The significance of the Nephilim is not explained. === Noah and the great flood === In response to the wickedness of mankind, God decides to cleanse the world and start again. God selects one man's family, the family of Noah, to survive the flood, as Noah is the most righteous man of his generation. God commands him to build a large ark, since the work of destruction is to be accomplished by means of a great flood. Noah obeys the command, entering the ark together with his family. Into this ark they bring a mating pair of each kind of animal and bird on Earth. Water bursts out of the ground and falls from the sky, and the world is flooded, destroying all living beings save those in the ark. When it has subsided, Noah's family leaves the ark, and God enters into a covenant with Noah and all his descendants, the entire human race. Noah plants a vineyard (ix. 20) and drinks of the produce. When, in a fit of intoxication, Noah is shamelessly treated by his son Ham, he curses the latter in the person of Ham's son Canaan, while his sons Shem and Japheth are blessed. Chapter 10 reviews the peoples descended from Japheth, Ham, and Shem. The dispersion of humanity into separate races and nations is described in the story of the Tower of Babel. Humanity is dispersed by a "confusion of tongues," which God brought about when men attempted to build a tower that should reach up to heaven (xi. 1-9). A genealogy is given of Shem's descendants. Note: the story of Noah also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === Abram and Sarai === Terah, who lives at Ur of the Chaldees, has three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran's son is Lot. Nahor is married to Milcah, and Abram to Sarai, who has no children. God directs Abram to leave his home. Abram obeys, emigrating with his entire household and Lot, his brother's son, to the land of Canaan. Here God appears to him and promises that the land shall become the property of his descendants. Abram is forced by a famine to leave the country and go to Egypt. The King of Egypt takes possession of the beautiful Sarai (whom Abram has misleadingly represented as his sister; she was in fact his half-sister). God smites the King with a disease, which the King recognizes as a sign from God; the King returns Sarai to Abram. Abram returns to Canaan, and separates from Lot in order to put an end to disputes about pasturage. He gives Lot the valley of the Jordan near Sodom. God again appears to Abram, and promises to him the whole country. ===Abram and Melchizedek=== Lot is taken prisoner by invading kings from the East during a war between Amraphel, King of Shinar, and Bera, King of Sodom, with their respective allies. Abram pursues the victors with his armed retainers. Returning with his warband after rescuing Lot and his clan, Abram is met by Melchizedek, the king and high priest of Salem (Jerusalem), who blesses him, and in return Abram gives him a tithe of his booty, refusing his share of the same. See Melchizedek and Tithe. After this exploit God again appears to Abram and promises him protection, a rich reward, and numerous progeny. These descendants will pass four hundred years in servitude in a strange land; but after God has judged their oppressors they shall leave the land of their affliction, and the fourth generation shall return to Canaan. === Hagar and Ishmael === Sarai is childless, so Sarai and Abram decide that they will produce an heir for Abram though his Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar. Abram takes her as a concubine and has a child with her, Ishmael. God again appears to Abram, and enters into a personal covenant with him securing Abram's future: God promises him a numerous progeny, changes his name to "Abraham" and that of Sarai to "Sarah," and institutes the circumcision of all males as an eternal sign of the covenant. === Sodom and Gomorrah === God sends Abraham three angels, whom Abraham receives hospitably. They announce to him that he will have a son within a year, although he and his wife are already very old. Abraham also hears that God's messengers intend to execute judgment upon the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, whereupon he intercedes for the sinners, and endeavors to have their fate set aside. Two of the messengers go to Sodom, where they are hospitably received by Lot. The men of the city wish to lay shameless hands upon them. Having thus shown that they have deserved their fate, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire and brimstone. Only Lot and his two daughters are saved. Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters, which resulted in the births of Ammon and Moab, is also described. Abraham journeys to Gerar, the country of Abimelech. Here once again he represents Sarah as his sister, and Abimelech plans to gain possession of her. He desists on being warned by God. Note: the story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === The birth of Isaac === At last the long-expected son is born, and receives the name of "Isaac" (''Itzhak'': "will laugh" in Hebrew). At Sarah's insistence Ishmael together with his mother Hagar is driven out of the house. They also have a great future promised to them by God. Abraham, during the banquet that he gives in honor of Isaac's birth, enters into a covenant with Abimelech, who confirms his right to the well Beersheba. The story of Isaac also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === The near sacrifice of Isaac === Now that Abraham seems to have all his desires fulfilled, having even provided for the future of his son, God subjects him to the greatest trial of his faith by demanding Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeys; but, as he is about to lay the knife upon his son, God restrains him, promising him numberless descendants. On the death of Sarah Abraham acquires Machpelah for a family tomb. Then he sends his servant to Mesopotamia, Nahor's home, to find among his relations a wife for Isaac; and Rebekah, Nahor's granddaughter, is chosen. Other children are born to Abraham by another wife, Keturah, among whose descendants are the Midianites; and he dies in a prosperous old age. Note: the story of the sacrifice also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === Esau and Jacob === After being married for twenty years Rebekah has twins by Isaac: Esau, who becomes a hunter, and Jacob (''Ya'akov'': "will follow"), who becomes a herdsman. Jacob persuades Esau to sell him his birthright, for which the latter does not care; notwithstanding this bargain, God appears to Isaac and repeats the promises given to Abraham. His wife, whom he represents as his sister, is endangered in the country of the Philistines, but King Abimelech himself averts disaster. In spite of the hostility of Abimelech's people, Isaac is fortunate in all his undertakings in that country, especially in digging wells. God appears to him at Beer-sheba, encourages him, and promises him blessings and numerous descendants; and Abimelech enters into a covenant with him at the same place. Esau marries Canaanite women, to the regret of his parents. Rebekah persuades Jacob to dress himself as Esau, and thus obtain from his blinded by old age father the blessing intended for Esau. To escape his brother's vengeance, Jacob is sent to relations in Haran, being charged by Isaac to find a wife there. On the way God appears to him at night, promising protection and aid for himself and the land for his numerous descendants. Arrived at Haran, Jacob hires himself to Laban, his mother's brother, on condition that, after having served for seven years as a herdsman, he shall have for wife the younger daughter, Rachel, with whom he is in love. At the end of this period Laban gives him the elder daughter, Leah; Jacob therefore serves another seven years for Rachel, and after that six years more for cattle. In the meantime Leah bears him Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; by Rachel's maid Bilhah he has Dan and Naphtali; by Zilpah, Leah's maid, Gad and Asher; then, by Leah again, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah; and finally, by Rachel, Joseph. He also acquires much wealth in flocks. === Jacob wrestles with God === In fear of Laban, Jacob flees with his family, and soon becomes reconciled with Laban. On approaching his home he is in fear of Esau, to whom he sends presents. While sleeping, a being (variously regarded as God, an angel, or a man), appears to Jacob and wrestles with him. The mysterious one pleads to be released before daybreak, but Jacob refuses to release the being until he agrees to bless him. The being announces to Jacob that he shall bear the name "Israel," which means "one who wrestled with God" and is freed. The meeting with Esau proves a friendly one, and the brothers separate reconciled. Jacob settles at Shalem. His sons Simeon and Levi take vengeance on the city of Shechem, whose prince has raped their sister Dinah. On the road from Beth-el Rachel gives birth to a son, Benjamin, and dies. === Joseph the dreamer === Joseph (dreamer), Jacob's favorite son, is hated by his brothers on account of his dreams prognosticating his future dominion, and on the advice of Judah (biblical figure) is secretly sold to a caravan of Ishmaelitic merchants going to Egypt. His brothers tell their father that a wild animal has devoured Joseph. Joseph, carried to Egypt, is there sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. He gains his master's confidence; but when the latter's wife, unable to seduce him, accuses him falsely, he is cast into prison (xxxix.). Here he correctly interprets the dreams of two of his fellow prisoners, the king's butler and baker. When Pharaoh is troubled by dreams that no one is able to interpret, the butler draws attention to Joseph. The latter is thereupon brought before Pharaoh, whose dreams he interprets to mean that seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of famine. He advises the king to make provision accordingly, and is empowered to take the necessary steps, being appointed second in the kingdom. Joseph marries Asenath, the daughter of the priest Poti-pherah, by whom he has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (xli.). When the famine comes it is felt even in Canaan; and Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy corn. The brothers appear before Joseph, who recognizes them, but does not reveal himself. After having proved them on this and on a second journey, and they having shown themselves so fearful and penitent that Judah even offers himself as a slave, Joseph reveals his identity, forgives his brothers the wrong they did him, and promises to settle in Egypt both them and his father (xlii.-xlv.). Jacob brings his whole family, numbering 66 persons, to Egypt, this making, inclusive of Joseph and his sons and himself, 70 persons. Pharaoh receives them amicably and assigns to them the land of Goshen (xlvi.-xlvii.). When Jacob feels the approach of death he sends for Joseph and his sons, and receives Ephraim and Manasseh among his own sons (xlviii.). Then he calls his sons to his bedside and reveals their future to them (xlix.). Jacob dies, and is solemnly interred in the family tomb at Machpelah. Joseph lives to see his great-grandchildren, and on his death-bed he exhorts his brethren, if God should remember them and lead them out of the country, to take his bones with them. The book ends with Joseph's remains being put "in a coffin in Egypt." ==See also== *Cradle of Humanity *Dating the Bible *Patriarchal Age *Tanakh *The Bible and history *The Hebrew Bible ==References== *Bruce Vawter "On Genesis: A New Reading", Doubleday & Co., 1977, An introduction to Genesis by a fine Catholic scholar. Genesis was Vawter's hobby. *E. A. Speiser "Genesis, The Anchor Bible", Volume 1. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1964. (A translation with commentary and philological notes by a noted Semitic scholar. The series is written for laypeople and specialists alike.) ==External links== Online versions and translations of Genesis: *Original text: ** [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0101.htm בראשית ''Bereishit'' - Genesis] (Hebrew language - English at Mechon-Mamre.org) *Judaism translations: ** [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0101.htm Genesis at Mechon-Mamre] (Jewish Publication Society translation) ** [http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=1&CHAPTER=1 Genesis (The Living Torah)] Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation and commentary at Ort.org **[http://www.chabad.org/library/archive/LibraryArchive2.asp?AID=6289 Bereishit-Genesis (Judaica Press)] translation with Rashi's commentary at Chabad.org * Christian translations: ** [http://www.anova.org/sev/htm/hb/01_genesis.htm ''Genesis'' at The Great Books] (New Revised Standard Version) ** ** [http://wikisource.org/wiki/Bible%2C_English%2C_King_James%2C_Genesis ''Genesis'' at Wikisource] (Authorised/King James Version) Related articles: * [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=137&letter=G&search=Genesis Book of ''Genesis'' article] (Jewish Encyclopedia) * [http://www.threetwoone.org/diagrams/offspring-adam-2x-00.gif A detailed chart of Adam's descendents, as told in the book of ''Genesis''] Torah Old Testament books jv:Purwaning Dumadi la:Liber Genesis li:Genesis
==Controversial statements== I think some of teachings may be disputed by various religious groups. For instance Calvinists would probably dispute the claim that evil comes about only by abuse of free will, since to them everything is predetermined. Also, when you say that things are in stark contrast to previous texts in history, are you including Ikhenaton's religion, which was monotheist? —???? (not in the history) I would assume that I was on some alternate Earth if many of these things were not disputed by at least *some* religious groups! ;-) The material I have added was based on the peshat of the text; Orthodox Jews sometimes use this term to mean the "literal" meaning of the text, as opposed to the "derash", the meaning read into the text by a later author. However, I was using the religiously-neutral use of the term "peshat" - the meaning of the text that the original author intended to convey to the original audience. Scholars affirm that it is literally impossible to determine the peshat of any ancient near-eastern text unless one becomes an expert on comparative linguistics, history, myhtology and archaeology. I agree, and I defer to their findings. This, obviously, makes me a heretic according to Orthodox Judaism and many Chrisitian branches. C'est la vie. However, this info is well accepted by the scholars in the Anchor Bible project, which includes scholars from Judaism, Protestant and Catholic Christianity. RK ==Pre-historical texts?== "In stark contrast to the pagan religious texts of middle and near-eastern pre-history..." "The texts of pre-history" - I think we want to find a better way to say this. :-) ==Zoroastrianism vs. Judaism== ''*Some believe Genesis to be one of the older examples of monotheistic belief, second only to Zoroastrianism. However, in Genesis the Hebrew God is primarily a tribal God. The commandment "have no Gods but me" implies that the ''Hebews'' were not to worship the gods of other poeples, but only their own tribal god. A universal conceptualisation of God in judaism is much younger, and came as a result of Greek influence.'' This sounds to me like a bunch of pseudo-scholarly hooey. Please give evidence to support any of these statements, otherwise I think the article should be reverted to the pre-Zoroastrian insertions. User:Mkmcconn 22:54 Apr 18, 2003 (UTC) ==Problem statements== '' It should be noted that some passages contradict other passages. '' ''Although Christians have the idea that the in the beginning was the Word (or power), which is God, this is only hinted at in Genesis.'' Two recent additions. The first sentence says, "it should be noted", and then leaves no notes. I've deleted it only because it there is no content; examples of alleged contradictions are appropriate. The second insertion can be worked with. I'll leave it in to expand upon it. User:Mkmcconn 22:40, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC) ==''Jewish Encyclopedia''== Two things: I am not a big fan of importing any text that is older than my grandmother, since the language and scholarship tends to be questionable by todays standards (much as my grandma's language and scholarship was questionable by today's standards). While here, it is simply a question of adding a precis of the plot, i am not enthralled with the language and style. Furthermore, the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', no matter how scholarly, is coming from a certain perspective--that of Jews at the turn of the century, so in some instances, the POV could be challenged. The second point regards the authorship section--material I haven't touched academically in well over a decade. If we are going to discuss the four author hypothesis, there is plenty of evidence of P in Genesis (the seven of every species for sacrifice comes to mind). And yet, even this scholarship is somewhat outdated, and says nothing of other strands, redaction, sources of legends, political significance (since it tells the stories of Joseph and Judah, it is all the more interesting here), etc. etc. I would rather have contemporary scholarship, even if it means less text, than excessive verbiage that could well turn the average reader off from reading the article. Just some thoughts. User:Danny 01:52, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC) :I agree totally. I just wanted to import a good public domain summary of the main story lines and themes; I was amazed after so long so little had been done on this entry. This new imported text can and should be edited to remove out of date terminology, to remove the Jewish POV bias it has, and to just make it more readable. User:RK 22:51, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC) :I too am worried about the 1906 summary of the documentary hypothesis, and I tried to avoid importing most of the JE's discussion on this issue. The JE has an excellent example of the open scholarship of the time, but it is outdated. Interestingly, the JE's discussion of the documentary hypothesis and related source-criticism are ''not'' Jewish POVs; Orthodox Jews then and now viewed them as non-Jewish Protestant POV, or as secular (if not atheist) POV's! Obviously, I disagree with that latter view. In fact, I think that critical-historical studies, and related fields, are the best efforts of open-minded scholars on the subject; this approach is the origin of what we now call NPOV! However, I agree that the historical studies of 1906 are, shall we say, outdated. Better to have less text that is more up to date than large amounts of text that are wrong. User:RK 22:51, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC) == Jacob wrestles with God == There is some controversy and confusion about this passage. When the Bible was translated in the King James Version, the being was called a "man", since it appeared heretical to claim a man wrestled with God and won. But the Hebrew clearly says he wrestled with God, which is why he was called Isra-El ("Isra" roughly meaning "struggle, and "El" clearly meaning "God".) Later, more accurate translations (such as the NIV) translate the figure as "God". This may be controversial for many people, since it seems doctrinally difficult -- but this is an encyclopedia. We shouldn't change what the text says simply because it's uncomfortable for some. User:Quadell User_talk:Quadell 14:38, Jun 16, 2004 (UTC) : We should document the controversy and confusion, and not fall down on any one side. Some also speculate the "man" was specifically Christ; we should note this too. Also, we can't assume (in the article) that the NIV is a more accurate translation than the KJV; a (vocal) minority disagree (the KJV-only crowd). User:Matt Crypto 14:47, 16 Jun 2004 (UTC) Fine, I removed the reference because I was not aware of the Christian POV on this matter. As far as Jewish sources (midrash) are concerned, the "man" was ''sar'o shel Eisav'', Esau's [protective] angel. Please do retain this POV if you feel the segment should be rewritten. User:Jfdwolff | User_talk:Jfdwolff 16:11, 16 Jun 2004 (UTC) ==Spoilers== Grendelkhan removed the ''spoilers'' tag, correctly, I think. He noted that "I refuse to believe that Genesis has spoilers". For the most part, yes, and I agree with this edit. However, I have a sad experience to recount: I have had some experience in public school education, and to my astonishment I found that more than a few 10th grade inner-city minority students had no idea what the book of Genesis was about. A few didn't even know about Adam and Eve; many believed that Jesus created the world 2,000 years ago. Many did not know about Abraham and Sarah, and very few knew the storylines in any meaningful way. Those that went to a church heard the book mentioned often, but most never actually read it, let alone studied it. (A few years ago if someone told me this I would have called them a liar! I have since been forced to remove all my preconceptions of what people should be assumed to know, on many subjects. I even recently met inner-city high school girls who practiced unprotected vaginal sex, but didn't do oral sex. Why? Because "the baby grows in the stomach, so I can't get pregnant if I don't swallow sperm". Today we have a whole new reality out there. User:RK 02:55, Jul 4, 2004 (UTC) == Authorship/Christian Views == I removed the following recent addition from this article:
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Genesis_(Hebrew_Bible):
Genesis_(Hebrew_Bible)
Genesis_(Hebrew_Bible)
Genesis (Hebrew Bible)
:''This article is about Genesis, the first book of the Tanakh (Old Testament). See Genesis (disambiguation) for other usages of the word.'' Genesis (Greek language: Γένεσις, having the meanings of "birth", "creation", "cause", "beginning", "source" and "origin") is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christianity Old Testament. In Hebrew language, it is called בראשׁית (''Bereshit'' or ''Bərêšîth'', ), after the first word of the text in Hebrew (meaning "in the beginning of"). This follows the pattern of naming the other five books of the Pentateuch. == Introduction == Genesis is presented as a historical work. Beginning with the creation (theology) of the world, it recounts the primal history of humanity and the early history of the Israelites as exemplified in the lives of its patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their families. It contains the historical presupposition and basis of the national religious ideas and institutions of Israel, and serves as an introduction to its history, laws, customs and legends. It is a well-planned and well-executed composition of a writer (or set of writers, see documentary hypothesis), who has recounted the traditions of the Israelites, combining them into a uniform work, while preserving the textual and formal peculiarities incident to their difference in origin and mode of transmission. == Dating and history == Based on the genealogy in Genesis and later parts of the Bible, both religious Jews and Christians have independently worked backwards to find the implied time of the creation (theology) of the world, around the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. This dating is based on a literal reading of the creation account and the bases that the six days in which God created the heavens and the earth were 24-hour days, that Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden existed, and that a complete trace of events from Creation to a history verifiable date is listed in the biblical account. The absence of independent evidence confirming the biblical narrative cause many scholars to question the accuracy or even the veracity of the historical account. This subject is discussed in The Bible and history. == Authorship == Genesis as a completed book makes no claims about its authorship; Jewish tradition from early on assumed that the book was dictated, in its entirety, by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, Egypt. For a number of reasons, this view is no longer accepted by many biblical scholars, non-Orthodox Jews, Catholicisms, and liberal Protestants. Instead, they accept a theory whose roots are based on cultural evolution and philosophical naturalism which teaches that the text of Genesis as we see it today was redacted together around 440 BC from earlier sources. See the Documentary hypothesis entry for more information. Other scholars note that when Genesis was compiled, it was made up of earlier documents which were so little changed that even their literary tradition, which put the author's name at the end of each document, was preserved, thus preserving also the authors' true identities. This retains the concept of Moses being the author of Genesis, though making his role more that of an editor who chose the earlier works to include than as an author who wrote every word. == Christian views == There are numerous references to Genesis in the New Testament. These references assume an authoritative nature for Genesis. While none of these references explicitely state an author for Genesis there are several places which attibute the books of the law(Torah) to Moses (Mark 12:19, 26; Luke 24:27). The author of the gospel of John uses language similar to that in Genesis 1 when personifying the speech of God as the eternal Logos (''Greek language: λογος "reason", "word", "speech"''), that is the origin of all things "with God", and "was God", and "became flesh and tabernacled among us". Many Christians interpret this as an example of apostle teaching of the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ; however, Genesis standing alone does not clearly suggest this teaching, although there are some possible allusions to it, such as in Genesis 1:26 when God refers to himself in the plural. == Main themes == There is only one God, who has created the world. God has called all objects and living beings into existence by his word. The universe when created was, in the judgment of God, good. Genesis expresses an optimistic satisfaction and pleasure in the world. God as a personal being, referred to in anthropomorphic and anthropopathic terms. God may appear and speak to mankind. Genesis makes no attempt to give a philosophically rigorous definition of God; its description is a practical and historical one. God is treated exclusively with reference to his dealings with the world and with man. Mankind is the crown of Creation, and has been made in God's image. All people are descended from Adam and Eve; this expresses the unity of the whole human race. The Earth possesses for man a certain moral grandeur; man must include God's creatures in the respect that it demands in general, by not exploiting them for his own selfish uses. Unlike other ancient religious texts from the near-east and middle-east, Genesis posits the existence of a one and only being that may properly be called God. All other non-human intelligences implied or stated to exist in the text may only be considered angels or the like. God is presented as being the sole creator of nature, and as existing outside of it and beyond it. Some historians believe Genesis to be a more recent example of Monotheism than Zoroastrianism, interpreting the commandment "have no other gods before me" as an artifact of early henotheism among the Jews -- i.e., as evidence that the ''Hebrews'' were not to worship the gods of other peoples, but only their own tribal god. On the other hand, Genesis, in its present form, purports to give a record of beliefs prior to any surviving religious texts, describing the worship of other gods and local deities as a gradual development among the nations, who departed from original monotheism. The primary purpose of the book is not historical or legal, but to explain man's origins, and to describe man's relationship to God, and how man's relationship to man must be seen in that light. God created an eternal, unbreakable covenant with all mankind at the time of Noah; this is known as the Noachide covenant. This universal concern with all mankind is paralleled by a second covenant made to the descendants of Abraham in particular, through his son Isaac, in which their descendants will be chosen to have a special destiny. The Jewish people are Chosen people with God; God says to Abraham "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you; and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed". God often repeats the promise that Abraham's descendants shall be as numerous as the stars in heaven and as the sand on the seashore. The article on Biblical cosmology discusses the Bible's view of the cosmos, much of which derives from descriptions in Genesis. == Summary == ===Creation=== The creation narrative in genesis can be split into two sections - the first section starts with an account of the Creation (theology) of the universe by God, which occurs in six days, the second section is more human-oriented, and less concerned with explaining how the Earth, its creatures and its features came to exist as they are today. Within the first section, on the first day God created light; on the second, the firmament of heaven; on the third, he separated water and land, and created plant life; on the fourth day he created the sun, moon, and stars; on the fifth day marine life and birds; on the sixth day land animals, and man and woman. On the seventh day, the Sabbath, God rested, and sanctified the day. Some may wonder whether it was this chapter of the Hebrew Bible that gives us our seven-day week, and may further speculate about the importance of the number seven. Research into the origin of the week tells us that it was widely spread throughout the ancient world, so widely that apart from claims such as Genesis, its origins cannot be determined with certainty. The second section of the creation narrative explains that the earth was lifeless, how God brought moisture to the soil and how man was formed from the dust (Adam translates from Hebrew to mean 'Red Earth'). === Adam and Eve === God formed Adam out of earth ("adama"), and set him in the Garden of Eden, to watch over it. Adam is allowed to eat of all the fruit within it, except that of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." God then brings all the animals to Adam, to serve as company for him. Adam gives names to all the animals, but finds no comfort in his loneliness. God then puts him into a deep sleep, takes a rib from his side, and from it forms a woman (called later "Eve"), to be a companion. Eve is convinced by a talking serpent to eat of the forbidden fruit. Eve wisely questions the serpent and hesitates to take a bite. But after she finds it pleasant, Eve offers the fruit to Adam to eat it as well (the "original sin"). Adam asks no questions. He immediately takes a bite. As punishment the ground is cursed, the death sentence is imposed (although it takes some time to be fulfilled), and Adam and Eve are driven out of the garden. The entrance to the garden is then guarded by ''cherubim'' with a flaming sword. Adam and Eve initially have two sons, Cain and Abel. There is a Chiastic structure in the first few verses relating Cain to Abel. Cain grows envious of the favor found by his brother before God, and slays him. The first murder is that of a brother. Cain is sentenced to wander over the earth as a fugitive. He finally settles in the Land of Nod. Enoch, one of Cain's sons, builds the first city. Another descendant, Lamech, takes two wives. Lamech's sons are the first dwellers in tents and owners of herds, and they are the earliest inventors of musical instruments and workers in brass and iron. Cain's descendants know nothing about God. Another son, Seth, has in the meantime been born to Adam and Eve in place of the slain Abel. Seth's descendants never lose thought of God. The tenth in regular descent is Noah. Adam and Eve also have other sons and daughters. In line with most of the other biblical characters born before the flood whose ages are provided, Adam lived until the age of 930. Note: the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel also appear in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === The Nephilim === The introduction to the story of Noah is one of the more cryptic sections in the Bible. The sons of God (alternatively: "sons of the Rulers") lusted after the daughters of man, and mated with them. The children of these unions were mighty men, called Men of the Name (alternatively: "Men of Renown"). In this time the Nephilim dwelled on the earth. The significance of the Nephilim is not explained. === Noah and the great flood === In response to the wickedness of mankind, God decides to cleanse the world and start again. God selects one man's family, the family of Noah, to survive the flood, as Noah is the most righteous man of his generation. God commands him to build a large ark, since the work of destruction is to be accomplished by means of a great flood. Noah obeys the command, entering the ark together with his family. Into this ark they bring a mating pair of each kind of animal and bird on Earth. Water bursts out of the ground and falls from the sky, and the world is flooded, destroying all living beings save those in the ark. When it has subsided, Noah's family leaves the ark, and God enters into a covenant with Noah and all his descendants, the entire human race. Noah plants a vineyard (ix. 20) and drinks of the produce. When, in a fit of intoxication, Noah is shamelessly treated by his son Ham, he curses the latter in the person of Ham's son Canaan, while his sons Shem and Japheth are blessed. Chapter 10 reviews the peoples descended from Japheth, Ham, and Shem. The dispersion of humanity into separate races and nations is described in the story of the Tower of Babel. Humanity is dispersed by a "confusion of tongues," which God brought about when men attempted to build a tower that should reach up to heaven (xi. 1-9). A genealogy is given of Shem's descendants. Note: the story of Noah also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === Abram and Sarai === Terah, who lives at Ur of the Chaldees, has three sons, Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran's son is Lot. Nahor is married to Milcah, and Abram to Sarai, who has no children. God directs Abram to leave his home. Abram obeys, emigrating with his entire household and Lot, his brother's son, to the land of Canaan. Here God appears to him and promises that the land shall become the property of his descendants. Abram is forced by a famine to leave the country and go to Egypt. The King of Egypt takes possession of the beautiful Sarai (whom Abram has misleadingly represented as his sister; she was in fact his half-sister). God smites the King with a disease, which the King recognizes as a sign from God; the King returns Sarai to Abram. Abram returns to Canaan, and separates from Lot in order to put an end to disputes about pasturage. He gives Lot the valley of the Jordan near Sodom. God again appears to Abram, and promises to him the whole country. ===Abram and Melchizedek=== Lot is taken prisoner by invading kings from the East during a war between Amraphel, King of Shinar, and Bera, King of Sodom, with their respective allies. Abram pursues the victors with his armed retainers. Returning with his warband after rescuing Lot and his clan, Abram is met by Melchizedek, the king and high priest of Salem (Jerusalem), who blesses him, and in return Abram gives him a tithe of his booty, refusing his share of the same. See Melchizedek and Tithe. After this exploit God again appears to Abram and promises him protection, a rich reward, and numerous progeny. These descendants will pass four hundred years in servitude in a strange land; but after God has judged their oppressors they shall leave the land of their affliction, and the fourth generation shall return to Canaan. === Hagar and Ishmael === Sarai is childless, so Sarai and Abram decide that they will produce an heir for Abram though his Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar. Abram takes her as a concubine and has a child with her, Ishmael. God again appears to Abram, and enters into a personal covenant with him securing Abram's future: God promises him a numerous progeny, changes his name to "Abraham" and that of Sarai to "Sarah," and institutes the circumcision of all males as an eternal sign of the covenant. === Sodom and Gomorrah === God sends Abraham three angels, whom Abraham receives hospitably. They announce to him that he will have a son within a year, although he and his wife are already very old. Abraham also hears that God's messengers intend to execute judgment upon the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, whereupon he intercedes for the sinners, and endeavors to have their fate set aside. Two of the messengers go to Sodom, where they are hospitably received by Lot. The men of the city wish to lay shameless hands upon them. Having thus shown that they have deserved their fate, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire and brimstone. Only Lot and his two daughters are saved. Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters, which resulted in the births of Ammon and Moab, is also described. Abraham journeys to Gerar, the country of Abimelech. Here once again he represents Sarah as his sister, and Abimelech plans to gain possession of her. He desists on being warned by God. Note: the story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === The birth of Isaac === At last the long-expected son is born, and receives the name of "Isaac" (''Itzhak'': "will laugh" in Hebrew). At Sarah's insistence Ishmael together with his mother Hagar is driven out of the house. They also have a great future promised to them by God. Abraham, during the banquet that he gives in honor of Isaac's birth, enters into a covenant with Abimelech, who confirms his right to the well Beersheba. The story of Isaac also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === The near sacrifice of Isaac === Now that Abraham seems to have all his desires fulfilled, having even provided for the future of his son, God subjects him to the greatest trial of his faith by demanding Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeys; but, as he is about to lay the knife upon his son, God restrains him, promising him numberless descendants. On the death of Sarah Abraham acquires Machpelah for a family tomb. Then he sends his servant to Mesopotamia, Nahor's home, to find among his relations a wife for Isaac; and Rebekah, Nahor's granddaughter, is chosen. Other children are born to Abraham by another wife, Keturah, among whose descendants are the Midianites; and he dies in a prosperous old age. Note: the story of the sacrifice also appears in the Qur'an (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an). === Esau and Jacob === After being married for twenty years Rebekah has twins by Isaac: Esau, who becomes a hunter, and Jacob (''Ya'akov'': "will follow"), who becomes a herdsman. Jacob persuades Esau to sell him his birthright, for which the latter does not care; notwithstanding this bargain, God appears to Isaac and repeats the promises given to Abraham. His wife, whom he represents as his sister, is endangered in the country of the Philistines, but King Abimelech himself averts disaster. In spite of the hostility of Abimelech's people, Isaac is fortunate in all his undertakings in that country, especially in digging wells. God appears to him at Beer-sheba, encourages him, and promises him blessings and numerous descendants; and Abimelech enters into a covenant with him at the same place. Esau marries Canaanite women, to the regret of his parents. Rebekah persuades Jacob to dress himself as Esau, and thus obtain from his blinded by old age father the blessing intended for Esau. To escape his brother's vengeance, Jacob is sent to relations in Haran, being charged by Isaac to find a wife there. On the way God appears to him at night, promising protection and aid for himself and the land for his numerous descendants. Arrived at Haran, Jacob hires himself to Laban, his mother's brother, on condition that, after having served for seven years as a herdsman, he shall have for wife the younger daughter, Rachel, with whom he is in love. At the end of this period Laban gives him the elder daughter, Leah; Jacob therefore serves another seven years for Rachel, and after that six years more for cattle. In the meantime Leah bears him Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; by Rachel's maid Bilhah he has Dan and Naphtali; by Zilpah, Leah's maid, Gad and Asher; then, by Leah again, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah; and finally, by Rachel, Joseph. He also acquires much wealth in flocks. === Jacob wrestles with God === In fear of Laban, Jacob flees with his family, and soon becomes reconciled with Laban. On approaching his home he is in fear of Esau, to whom he sends presents. While sleeping, a being (variously regarded as God, an angel, or a man), appears to Jacob and wrestles with him. The mysterious one pleads to be released before daybreak, but Jacob refuses to release the being until he agrees to bless him. The being announces to Jacob that he shall bear the name "Israel," which means "one who wrestled with God" and is freed. The meeting with Esau proves a friendly one, and the brothers separate reconciled. Jacob settles at Shalem. His sons Simeon and Levi take vengeance on the city of Shechem, whose prince has raped their sister Dinah. On the road from Beth-el Rachel gives birth to a son, Benjamin, and dies. === Joseph the dreamer === Joseph (dreamer), Jacob's favorite son, is hated by his brothers on account of his dreams prognosticating his future dominion, and on the advice of Judah (biblical figure) is secretly sold to a caravan of Ishmaelitic merchants going to Egypt. His brothers tell their father that a wild animal has devoured Joseph. Joseph, carried to Egypt, is there sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. He gains his master's confidence; but when the latter's wife, unable to seduce him, accuses him falsely, he is cast into prison (xxxix.). Here he correctly interprets the dreams of two of his fellow prisoners, the king's butler and baker. When Pharaoh is troubled by dreams that no one is able to interpret, the butler draws attention to Joseph. The latter is thereupon brought before Pharaoh, whose dreams he interprets to mean that seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of famine. He advises the king to make provision accordingly, and is empowered to take the necessary steps, being appointed second in the kingdom. Joseph marries Asenath, the daughter of the priest Poti-pherah, by whom he has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (xli.). When the famine comes it is felt even in Canaan; and Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy corn. The brothers appear before Joseph, who recognizes them, but does not reveal himself. After having proved them on this and on a second journey, and they having shown themselves so fearful and penitent that Judah even offers himself as a slave, Joseph reveals his identity, forgives his brothers the wrong they did him, and promises to settle in Egypt both them and his father (xlii.-xlv.). Jacob brings his whole family, numbering 66 persons, to Egypt, this making, inclusive of Joseph and his sons and himself, 70 persons. Pharaoh receives them amicably and assigns to them the land of Goshen (xlvi.-xlvii.). When Jacob feels the approach of death he sends for Joseph and his sons, and receives Ephraim and Manasseh among his own sons (xlviii.). Then he calls his sons to his bedside and reveals their future to them (xlix.). Jacob dies, and is solemnly interred in the family tomb at Machpelah. Joseph lives to see his great-grandchildren, and on his death-bed he exhorts his brethren, if God should remember them and lead them out of the country, to take his bones with them. The book ends with Joseph's remains being put "in a coffin in Egypt." ==See also== *Cradle of Humanity *Dating the Bible *Patriarchal Age *Tanakh *The Bible and history *The Hebrew Bible ==References== *Bruce Vawter "On Genesis: A New Reading", Doubleday & Co., 1977, An introduction to Genesis by a fine Catholic scholar. Genesis was Vawter's hobby. *E. A. Speiser "Genesis, The Anchor Bible", Volume 1. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1964. (A translation with commentary and philological notes by a noted Semitic scholar. The series is written for laypeople and specialists alike.) ==External links== Online versions and translations of Genesis: *Original text: ** [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0101.htm בראשית ''Bereishit'' - Genesis] (Hebrew language - English at Mechon-Mamre.org) *Judaism translations: ** [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0101.htm Genesis at Mechon-Mamre] (Jewish Publication Society translation) ** [http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=1&CHAPTER=1 Genesis (The Living Torah)] Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation and commentary at Ort.org **[http://www.chabad.org/library/archive/LibraryArchive2.asp?AID=6289 Bereishit-Genesis (Judaica Press)] translation with Rashi's commentary at Chabad.org * Christian translations: ** [http://www.anova.org/sev/htm/hb/01_genesis.htm ''Genesis'' at The Great Books] (New Revised Standard Version) ** ** [http://wikisource.org/wiki/Bible%2C_English%2C_King_James%2C_Genesis ''Genesis'' at Wikisource] (Authorised/King James Version) Related articles: * [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=137&letter=G&search=Genesis Book of ''Genesis'' article] (Jewish Encyclopedia) * [http://www.threetwoone.org/diagrams/offspring-adam-2x-00.gif A detailed chart of Adam's descendents, as told in the book of ''Genesis''] Torah Old Testament books jv:Purwaning Dumadi la:Liber Genesis li:Genesis
Genesis (Hebrew Bible)
==Controversial statements== I think some of teachings may be disputed by various religious groups. For instance Calvinists would probably dispute the claim that evil comes about only by abuse of free will, since to them everything is predetermined. Also, when you say that things are in stark contrast to previous texts in history, are you including Ikhenaton's religion, which was monotheist? —???? (not in the history) I would assume that I was on some alternate Earth if many of these things were not disputed by at least *some* religious groups! ;-) The material I have added was based on the peshat of the text; Orthodox Jews sometimes use this term to mean the "literal" meaning of the text, as opposed to the "derash", the meaning read into the text by a later author. However, I was using the religiously-neutral use of the term "peshat" - the meaning of the text that the original author intended to convey to the original audience. Scholars affirm that it is literally impossible to determine the peshat of any ancient near-eastern text unless one becomes an expert on comparative linguistics, history, myhtology and archaeology. I agree, and I defer to their findings. This, obviously, makes me a heretic according to Orthodox Judaism and many Chrisitian branches. C'est la vie. However, this info is well accepted by the scholars in the Anchor Bible project, which includes scholars from Judaism, Protestant and Catholic Christianity. RK ==Pre-historical texts?== "In stark contrast to the pagan religious texts of middle and near-eastern pre-history..." "The texts of pre-history" - I think we want to find a better way to say this. :-) ==Zoroastrianism vs. Judaism== ''*Some believe Genesis to be one of the older examples of monotheistic belief, second only to Zoroastrianism. However, in Genesis the Hebrew God is primarily a tribal God. The commandment "have no Gods but me" implies that the ''Hebews'' were not to worship the gods of other poeples, but only their own tribal god. A universal conceptualisation of God in judaism is much younger, and came as a result of Greek influence.'' This sounds to me like a bunch of pseudo-scholarly hooey. Please give evidence to support any of these statements, otherwise I think the article should be reverted to the pre-Zoroastrian insertions. User:Mkmcconn 22:54 Apr 18, 2003 (UTC) ==Problem statements== '' It should be noted that some passages contradict other passages. '' ''Although Christians have the idea that the in the beginning was the Word (or power), which is God, this is only hinted at in Genesis.'' Two recent additions. The first sentence says, "it should be noted", and then leaves no notes. I've deleted it only because it there is no content; examples of alleged contradictions are appropriate. The second insertion can be worked with. I'll leave it in to expand upon it. User:Mkmcconn 22:40, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC) ==''Jewish Encyclopedia''== Two things: I am not a big fan of importing any text that is older than my grandmother, since the language and scholarship tends to be questionable by todays standards (much as my grandma's language and scholarship was questionable by today's standards). While here, it is simply a question of adding a precis of the plot, i am not enthralled with the language and style. Furthermore, the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'', no matter how scholarly, is coming from a certain perspective--that of Jews at the turn of the century, so in some instances, the POV could be challenged. The second point regards the authorship section--material I haven't touched academically in well over a decade. If we are going to discuss the four author hypothesis, there is plenty of evidence of P in Genesis (the seven of every species for sacrifice comes to mind). And yet, even this scholarship is somewhat outdated, and says nothing of other strands, redaction, sources of legends, political significance (since it tells the stories of Joseph and Judah, it is all the more interesting here), etc. etc. I would rather have contemporary scholarship, even if it means less text, than excessive verbiage that could well turn the average reader off from reading the article. Just some thoughts. User:Danny 01:52, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC) :I agree totally. I just wanted to import a good public domain summary of the main story lines and themes; I was amazed after so long so little had been done on this entry. This new imported text can and should be edited to remove out of date terminology, to remove the Jewish POV bias it has, and to just make it more readable. User:RK 22:51, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC) :I too am worried about the 1906 summary of the documentary hypothesis, and I tried to avoid importing most of the JE's discussion on this issue. The JE has an excellent example of the open scholarship of the time, but it is outdated. Interestingly, the JE's discussion of the documentary hypothesis and related source-criticism are ''not'' Jewish POVs; Orthodox Jews then and now viewed them as non-Jewish Protestant POV, or as secular (if not atheist) POV's! Obviously, I disagree with that latter view. In fact, I think that critical-historical studies, and related fields, are the best efforts of open-minded scholars on the subject; this approach is the origin of what we now call NPOV! However, I agree that the historical studies of 1906 are, shall we say, outdated. Better to have less text that is more up to date than large amounts of text that are wrong. User:RK 22:51, 23 Sep 2003 (UTC) == Jacob wrestles with God == There is some controversy and confusion about this passage. When the Bible was translated in the King James Version, the being was called a "man", since it appeared heretical to claim a man wrestled with God and won. But the Hebrew clearly says he wrestled with God, which is why he was called Isra-El ("Isra" roughly meaning "struggle, and "El" clearly meaning "God".) Later, more accurate translations (such as the NIV) translate the figure as "God". This may be controversial for many people, since it seems doctrinally difficult -- but this is an encyclopedia. We shouldn't change what the text says simply because it's uncomfortable for some. User:Quadell User_talk:Quadell 14:38, Jun 16, 2004 (UTC) : We should document the controversy and confusion, and not fall down on any one side. Some also speculate the "man" was specifically Christ; we should note this too. Also, we can't assume (in the article) that the NIV is a more accurate translation than the KJV; a (vocal) minority disagree (the KJV-only crowd). User:Matt Crypto 14:47, 16 Jun 2004 (UTC) Fine, I removed the reference because I was not aware of the Christian POV on this matter. As far as Jewish sources (midrash) are concerned, the "man" was ''sar'o shel Eisav'', Esau's [protective] angel. Please do retain this POV if you feel the segment should be rewritten. User:Jfdwolff | User_talk:Jfdwolff 16:11, 16 Jun 2004 (UTC) ==Spoilers== Grendelkhan removed the ''spoilers'' tag, correctly, I think. He noted that "I refuse to believe that Genesis has spoilers". For the most part, yes, and I agree with this edit. However, I have a sad experience to recount: I have had some experience in public school education, and to my astonishment I found that more than a few 10th grade inner-city minority students had no idea what the book of Genesis was about. A few didn't even know about Adam and Eve; many believed that Jesus created the world 2,000 years ago. Many did not know about Abraham and Sarah, and very few knew the storylines in any meaningful way. Those that went to a church heard the book mentioned often, but most never actually read it, let alone studied it. (A few years ago if someone told me this I would have called them a liar! I have since been forced to remove all my preconceptions of what people should be assumed to know, on many subjects. I even recently met inner-city high school girls who practiced unprotected vaginal sex, but didn't do oral sex. Why? Because "the baby grows in the stomach, so I can't get pregnant if I don't swallow sperm". Today we have a whole new reality out there. User:RK 02:55, Jul 4, 2004 (UTC) == Authorship/Christian Views == I removed the following recent addition from this article:
despite the fact that the Hebrew Bible was not written until several centuries after his death by Hebrews living in Babylon.This was added half way through the first paragraph of the "Christian views" section. Problems include: it breaks the structure of the paragraph, it's off-topic for the section and it's a little POV. I'm afraid I'm not imaginative enough to find a way to NPOV it. User:Matt Crypto 21:37, 18 Oct 2004 (UTC) : It doesn't need to be there at all. As you said, the section is "Christian views", not a discussion of authorship. The previous section is on authorship, and it already mentions the view that it was written later. And that's all it is, a view, so it is not "a little POV", but very definitely POV. User:Philip J. Rayment 23:43, 18 Oct 2004 (UTC) ::Heya, I wrote it. How can it be NNPOV if it doesn't an opinion; it is an historical fact. As I added it I was a bit confused; how could Christians come to this conclusion? Perhaps someone should change 'authored by Moses' to 'inspired by Moses.' Moses lived many centuries before anything in the OT/Hebrew Bible was written, so if this line is to remain it should include something about the general confusion of modern Christians over who wrote what.User:Yeago 19:33, 21 Oct 2004 (UTC) :::It is ''not'' a historical fact that Moses lived before anything in the Bible was written. It is the ''view'' of some that the Old Testament was not written until the Jews were in exile in Babylon. Others are of the ''view'' that it ''was'' written by Moses, and yet others, as is explained in the Authorship section, are of the ''view'' that Genesis was ''compiled'' by Moses from even earlier documents. So by asserting one particular ''view'', the article was not NPOV. User:Philip J. Rayment 01:15, 22 Oct 2004 (UTC) ::::The 'view' that it was written by Moses is pretty antiquated but if you insist on it being part of this article, that's fine with me. It is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the mistaken 'Christian Views' about the Hebrew Bible/OT.User:Yeago 19:20, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC) :::::It's only "antiquated" in the sense that it has been around a long time. It is still a current view. User:Philip J. Rayment 23:41, 26 Oct 2004 (UTC) ::::::See authorship section. == Removed some essays == An anon posted some info that looks like it came out of an encyclopedia, but without noting source. It may be good stuff, but it's not even a little Wikified, and was just sort of dumped in. I'm removing it to here until someone can properly reintegrate it. See my Talk for more info and oter instances from same user. User:One-dimensional Tangent 03:22, 4 Nov 2004 (UTC) ===BEGIN CUT, from section DATE AND HISTORY=== * o + it-1 pp. 592-594 Day *** DAY Jehovah God introduced this fundamental division of time on the first “day” of the period during which he prepared the earth for mankind, when diffused light evidently penetrated the swaddling bands, thus causing the moisture-covered earth to experience its first day and night as it rotated on its axis through the light of the sun. “God brought about a division between the light and the darkness. And God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night.” (Ge 1:4, 5) Here the word “Day” refers to the daylight hours in contrast with the nighttime. However, the record thereafter goes on to use the word “day” to refer to other units of time of varying length. In both the Hebrew and the Greek Scriptures, the word “day” (Heb., yohm; Gr., he·me´ra) is used in a literal and in a figurative or even symbolic sense. A solar day, the fundamental unit of time, is established by one complete rotation of the earth on its axis, as from the time the sun leaves a meridian, the highest point it attains at midday, until it returns to it. This solar or civil day is currently divided into two periods of 12 hours each. The forenoon period is indicated by the Latin ante meridiem (a.m.) and the afternoon period by the Latin post meridiem (p.m.). However, in Bible times various other methods were used for dividing the day. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, after sunset, and ended it the next day at sunset. The day, therefore, ran from evening to evening. “From evening to evening you should observe your sabbath.” (Le 23:32) This follows the pattern of Jehovah’s creative days, as indicated at Genesis 1:5: “There came to be evening and there came to be morning, a first day.”—Compare Da 8:14. The Hebrews were not the only ones who reckoned a day from evening to evening; the Phoenicians, Numidians, and Athenians also did so. The Babylonians, on the other hand, counted the day from sunrise to sunrise; while the Egyptians and the Romans reckoned it from midnight to midnight (as is commonly done today). Although the Hebrews officially began their day in the evening, they sometimes spoke of it as if beginning in the morning. For example, Leviticus 7:15 says: “The flesh of the thanksgiving sacrifice of his communion sacrifices is to be eaten on the day of his offering. He must not save up any of it until morning.” This usage was doubtless simply a matter of convenience of expression, to indicate overnight. As mentioned in the creation account, the daylight period is also called day. (Ge 1:5; 8:22) In the Bible it is divided up into natural periods: the morning twilight or morning darkness, just before the day’s beginning (Ps 119:147; 1Sa 30:17); the rising of the sun or dawning (Job 3:9); the morning (Ge 24:54); noon or midday (De 28:29; 1Ki 18:27; Isa 16:3; Ac 22:6); the time of the sunset, marking the day’s close (Ge 15:12; Jos 8:29); and the evening twilight or evening darkness (2Ki 7:5, 7). The times for making certain offerings or the burning of incense by the priests were also time periods known to the people.—1Ki 18:29, 36; Lu 1:10. What is the time “between the two evenings”? With reference to the slaying of the Passover lamb on Nisan 14, the Scriptures speak of “the two evenings.” (Ex 12:6) While Jewish tradition tends to present this as the time from noon (when the sun begins to decline) on until sundown, it appears that the correct meaning is that the first evening corresponds with the setting of the sun, and the second evening with the time when the sun’s reflected light or afterglow ends and darkness falls. (De 16:6; Ps 104:19, 20) This understanding was also that offered by the Spanish rabbi Aben-Ezra (1092-1167), as well as by the Samaritans and the Karaite Jews. It is the view presented by such scholars as Michaelis, Rosenmueller, Gesenius, Maurer, Kalisch, Knobel, and Keil. There is no indication that the Hebrews used hours in dividing up the day prior to the Babylonian exile. The word “hour” found at Daniel 3:6, 15; 4:19, 33; 5:5 in the King James Version is translated from the Aramaic word sha·`ah´, which, literally, means “a look” and is more correctly translated a “moment.” The use of hours by the Jews, however, did come into regular practice following the exile. As to “the shadow of the steps” referred to at Isaiah 38:8 and 2 Kings 20:8-11, this may possibly refer to a sundial method of keeping time, whereby shadows were projected by the sun on a series of steps.—See SUN (Shadow That Went Ten Steps Back). The early Babylonians used the sexagesimal system based on a mathematical scale of 60. From this system we get our time division whereby the day is partitioned into 24 hours (as well as into two periods of 12 hours each), and each hour into 60 minutes of 60 seconds each. In the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the practice of dividing the daylight period into hours was common. Thus, at John 11:9 Jesus said: “There are twelve hours of daylight, are there not?” These were generally counted from sunrise to sunset, or from about 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. So, “the third hour” would be about 9:00 a.m., and it was at this time that the holy spirit was poured out at Pentecost. (Mt 20:3; Ac 2:15) When Jesus, tired out from a journey, was sitting at Jacob’s fountain it was about “the sixth hour,” or noon, which was also the time when Peter became very hungry at Joppa. (Joh 4:6; Ac 10:9, 10) It was also about noon when darkness fell over all the earth until “the ninth hour,” or about 3:00 p.m., when Jesus expired on the torture stake. (Mt 27:45, 46; Lu 23:44, 46) This ninth hour was also called “the hour of prayer.” (Ac 3:1; 10:3, 4, 30) So, “the seventh hour” would be about 1:00 p.m. and “the eleventh hour,” about 5:00 p.m. (Joh 4:52; Mt 20:6-12) The night was also divided into hours at that time.—Ac 23:23; see NIGHT. There are times when the Hebrews used ‘day and night’ to mean only a portion of a solar day of 24 hours. For example, 1 Kings 12:5, 12 tells of Rehoboam’s asking Jeroboam and the Israelites to “go away for three days” and then return to him. That he did not mean three full 24-hour days but, rather, a portion of each of three days is seen by the fact that the people came back to him “on the third day.” At Matthew 12:40 the same meaning is given to the “three days and three nights” of Jesus’ stay in Sheol. As the record shows, he was raised to life on “the third day.” The Jewish priests clearly understood this to be the meaning of Jesus’ words, since, in their effort to block his resurrection, they quoted Jesus as saying: “After three days I am to be raised up,” and then they requested Pilate to issue a command for “the grave to be made secure until the third day.”—Mt 27:62-66; 28:1-6; note other examples in Ge 42:17, 18; Es 4:16; 5:1. No names were used by the Hebrews for the days of the week, except for the seventh day, called the Sabbath. (See SABBATH DAY.) Reference was made to the various days by their numerical order. In the days of Jesus and his apostles, the day preceding the Sabbath was called the Preparation. (Mt 28:1; Ac 20:7; Mr 15:42; Joh 19:31; see WEEK.) The practice of naming the days after the names of the planets and other heavenly bodies was pagan. The Romans named the days after the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, but in northern Europe, four of these names were later changed into the Germanic equivalents of the Roman gods whom the days represented. Sometimes the word “day” is used to indicate a measure of distance, as in the expressions “a day’s journey” and “a sabbath day’s journey.”—Nu 11:31; Ac 1:12; see WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. In prophecy a day is at times used to stand for one year. This can be noted at Ezekiel 4:6: “You must lie upon your right side in the second case, and you must carry the error of the house of Judah forty days. A day for a year, a day for a year, is what I have given you.”—See also Nu 14:34. Certain specific numbers of days given in connection with prophecies are: three and a half days (Re 11:9); 10 days (Re 2:10); 40 days (Eze 4:6); 390 days (Eze 4:5); 1,260 days (Re 11:3; 12:6); 1,290 days (Da 12:11); 1,335 days (Da 12:12); and 2,300 days (Da 8:14). The term “day(s)” is also used with reference to a time period contemporaneous with a particular person, as for example, “the days of Noah” and “the days of Lot.”—Lu 17:26-30; Isa 1:1. Other cases where the word “day” is used in a flexible or figurative sense are: “the day of God’s creating Adam” (Ge 5:1), “the day of Jehovah” (Zep 1:7), the “day of fury” (Zep 1:15), “the day of salvation” (2Co 6:2), “the day of judgment” (2Pe 3:7), “the great day of God the Almighty” (Re 16:14), and others. This flexible use of the word “day” to express units of time of varying length is clearly evident in the Genesis account of creation. Therein is set forth a week of six creative days followed by a seventh day of rest. The week assigned for observance by the Jews under the Law covenant given them by God was a miniature copy of that creative week. (Ex 20:8-11) In the Scriptural record the account of each of the six creative days concludes with the statement: “And there came to be evening and there came to be morning” a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth day. (Ge 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) The seventh day, however, does not have this ending, indicating that this period, during which God has been resting from his creative works toward the earth, continued on. At Hebrews 4:1-10 the apostle Paul indicated that God’s rest day was still continuing in his generation, and that was more than 4,000 years after that seventh-day rest period began. This makes it evident that each creative day, or work period, was at least thousands of years in length. As A Religious Encyclopaedia (Vol. I, p. 613) observes: “The days of creation were creative days, stages in the process, but not days of twenty-four hours each.”—Edited by P. Schaff, 1894. The entire period of the six time units or creative “days” dedicated to the preparation of planet Earth is summed up in one all-embracing “day” at Genesis 2:4: “This is a history of the heavens and the earth in the time of their being created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.” Man’s situation does not compare with that of the Creator, who does not reside within our solar system and who is not affected by its various cycles and orbits. Of God, who is from time indefinite to time indefinite, the psalmist says: “For a thousand years are in your eyes but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch during the night.” (Ps 90:2, 4) Correspondingly, the apostle Peter writes that “one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.” (2Pe 3:8) For man, a 1,000-year period represents some 365,242 individual time units of day and night, but to the Creator it can be just one unbroken time period in which he begins the carrying out of some purposeful activity and brings it on to its successful conclusion, much as a man begins a task in the morning and concludes it by the day’s end. Jehovah is the Originator of our universe in which time, space, motion, mass, and energy have all been proved to be inescapably interrelated. He controls them all according to his purpose, and in dealing with his creatures on earth he makes definite time appointments for his own actions toward them, right down to the “day and hour.” (Mt 24:36; Ga 4:4) He keeps such appointments with the utmost punctuality. In the medieval era, religious rationalists such as Maimonides held that it was a gross error to read the creation stories literally; in this view, while the Bible is indeed the word of God, it was designed to teach deep metaphysical truths about the universe, and the surface stories were intended to be read as allegories. The absence of independent evidence confirming the biblical narrative cause many scholars to question the accuracy or even the veracity of the historical account. This subject is discussed in The Bible and history. ===END CUT=== ===BEGIN CUT, from section TWO ACCOUNTS OF CREATION=== Further Creative Activities Involving Earth. Genesis chapter 1 through chapter 2, verse 3, after telling about the creation of the material heavens and earth (Ge 1:1, 2), provides an outline of further creative activities on the earth. Chapter 2 of Genesis, from verse 5 onward, is a parallel account that takes up at a point in the third “day,” after dry land appeared but before land plants were created. It supplies details not furnished in the broad outline found in Genesis chapter 1. The inspired Record tells of six creative periods called “days,” and of a seventh period or “seventh day” in which time God desisted from earthly creative works and proceeded to rest. (Ge 2:1-3) While the Genesis account of creative activity relating to the earth does not set forth detailed botanical and zoological distinctions such as those current today, the terms employed therein adequately cover the major divisions of life and show that these were created and made so that they reproduce only according to their respective “kinds.”—Ge 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25; see KIND. Interestingly, the question of whether God invented the seven-day week is rarely wondered at by readers. Some may wonder whether it was this chapter of the Hebrew Bible that gives us our seven-day week, and may further speculate about the importance of the number seven; surely God would not arbitrarily choose seven days to do this. However, research into the origin of the week tells us that it came from Babylonian culture; one day for each heavenly body (visible to the eye) representing a different deity. The second account of creation is much more human-oriented, and less concerned with explaining how the Earth, its creatures and its features came to exist as they are today, what order they were presented, etc. Instead it explains that the earth was lifeless, how God brought moisture to this dust and how man was formed from this clay (Adam translates from Hebrew to mean 'Red Earth'). ===END CUT=== ===BEGIN CUT, from section THE NEPHILIM=== The reference to the "sons of the true God" are 4 The Neph´i·lim proved to be in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the [true] God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones “The mighty ones.” Heb., hag·gib·bo·rim''´.who were of old, the men of fame.Lit., “name.” (Numbers 13:33) 33 And there we saw the Neph´i·lim, the sons of A´nak, who are from the Neph´i·lim; so that we became in our own eyes like grasshoppers, and the same way we became in their eyes.” * o + it-2 pp. 491-493 Nephilim *** NEPHILIM (Neph´i·lim) [Fellers; Those Who Cause [Others] to Fall Down]. This is a transliteration of the Hebrew word nephi·lim´, plural in its three occurrences in the Bible. (Ge 6:4; Nu 13:33 [twice]) It evidently stems from the causative form of the Hebrew verb na·phal´ (fall) as found, for example, in 2 Kings 3:19; 19:7. The Bible account describing Jehovah’s displeasure with men in the days of Noah before the Flood relates that “the sons of the true God” took for themselves wives from among the attractive daughters of men. It then mentions the presence of “Nephilim,” saying: “The Nephilim proved to be in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones [Heb., hag·gib·bo·rim´] who were of old, the men of fame.”—Ge 6:1-4. Identity. Bible commentators, considering verse 4, have offered several suggestions as to the identity of these Nephilim. Some have thought that the derivation of the name indicates that the Nephilim had fallen from heaven, that is, that they were ‘fallen angels’ who mated with women to produce “mighty ones . . . the men of fame.” Other scholars, focusing their attention particularly on the statement “and also after that” (vs 4), have said the Nephilim were not the ‘fallen angels’ or the “mighty ones,” since the Nephilim “proved to be in the earth in those days” before the sons of God had relations with women. These latter scholars hold the opinion that the Nephilim were simply wicked men like Cain—robbers, bullies, and tyrants who roamed the earth until they were destroyed by the Flood. Still another group, taking into consideration the context of verse 4, conclude that the Nephilim were not themselves angels, but were the hybrid offspring resulting from materialized angels having intercourse with the daughters of men. Same as “gib·bo·rim´.” Certain Bible translations adjust the location of the phrase “and also after that,” placing it near the beginning of verse 4, thus identifying the Nephilim with the “mighty ones,” the gib·bo·rim´, mentioned in the latter part of the verse. For example: “In those days, as well as afterward, there were giants [Heb., han·nephi·lim´] on the earth, who were born to the sons of the gods whenever they had intercourse with the daughters of men; these were the heroes [Heb., hag·gib·bo·rim´] who were men of note in days of old.”—Ge 6:4, AT; see also Mo, NIV, and TEV. The Greek Septuagint also suggests that both the “Nephilim” and “mighty ones” are identical by using the same word gi´gan·tes (giants) to translate both expressions. Reviewing the account, we see that verses 1 to 3 tell of “the sons of the true God” taking wives and of Jehovah’s statement that he was going to end his patience with men after 120 years. Verse 4 then speaks of the Nephilim proving to be in the earth “in those days,” evidently the days when Jehovah made the statement. Then it shows that this situation continued “after that, when the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men,” and describes in more detail the results of the union of “the sons of the true God” with women. Who were the ‘sons of God’ that fathered the Nephilim? Who were “the sons of the true God” that were involved? Were they men who were worshipers of Jehovah (as distinguished from the general run of wicked mankind), as some claim? Evidently not. The Bible implies that their marriage to the daughters of men resulted in whipping up the badness in the earth. Noah and his three sons, along with their wives, were the only ones in God’s favor and were the only ones preserved through the Deluge.—Ge 6:9; 8:15, 16; 1Pe 3:20. Hence, if these “sons of the true God” were merely men, the question arises, Why were their offspring “men of fame” more than those of the wicked, or of faithful Noah? Also, the question might be asked, Why mention their marriage to the daughters of men as something special? Marriage and childbearing had been taking place for more than 1,500 years. The sons of God mentioned at Genesis 6:2, therefore, must have been angels, spirit “sons of God.” This expression is applied to angels at Job 1:6; 38:7. This view is supported by Peter, who speaks of “the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient when the patience of God was waiting in Noah’s days.” (1Pe 3:19, 20) Also Jude writes of “the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place.” (Jude 6) Angels had the power to materialize in human form, and some angels did so to bring messages from God. (Ge 18:1, 2, 8, 20-22; 19:1-11; Jos 5:13-15) But heaven is the proper abode of spirit persons, and the angels there have positions of service under Jehovah. (Da 7:9, 10) To leave this abode to dwell on earth and to forsake their assigned service to have fleshly relations would be rebellion against God’s laws, and perversion. The Bible states that the disobedient angels are now “spirits in prison,” having been ‘thrown into Tartarus’ and “reserved with eternal bonds under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.” This seems to indicate that they are greatly restricted, unable again to materialize as they did prior to the Flood.—1Pe 3:19; 2Pe 2:4; Jude 6. Increased Wickedness. “The mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame” that were produced by these marriages, were not men of fame with God, for they did not survive the Flood, as did Noah and his family. They were “Nephilim,” bullies, tyrants, who no doubt helped to make conditions worse. Their angelic fathers, knowing the construction of the human body and being able to materialize, were not creating life, but lived in these human bodies and, cohabiting with women, brought forth children. Their children, “mighty ones,” were therefore unauthorized hybrids. Apparently the Nephilim did not, in turn, have children. In Mythology. The fame and dread of the Nephilim, it appears, gave rise to many mythologies of heathen people who, after the confusion of languages at Babel, were scattered throughout the earth. Though the historical forms of the Genesis account were greatly distorted and embellished, there was a remarkable resemblance in these ancient mythologies (those of the Greeks being only one example), in which gods and goddesses mated with humans to produce superhuman heroes and fearful demigods having god-man characteristics.—See GREECE, GREEKS (Greek Religion). A Report Intended to Terrorize. The ten spies who brought back to the Israelites in the wilderness a false report on the land of Canaan declared: “All the people whom we saw in the midst of it are men of extraordinary size. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who are from the Nephilim; so that we became in our own eyes like grasshoppers, and the same way we became in their eyes.” No doubt there were some large men in Canaan, as other scriptures show, but never except in this “bad report,” which was carefully couched in language designed to strike terror and cause panic among the Israelites, are they called Nephilim.—Nu 13:31-33; 14:36, 37. ===END CUT=== ==dating and history== :The absence of independent evidence confirming the biblical narrative cause many :scholars to question the accuracy or even the veracity of the historical account. :This subject is discussed in The Bible and history. — why isn't this article plastered with NPOV warnings? "question the accuracy" indeed ;o) I daresay most biblical historians do not even consider accuracy, and rather try to figure out how the text was preserved. What are the earliest extant manuscripts? I googled something around 1000 AD. What is the estimated date of composition? I googled ca. 700 BC. Why do we not have any information about these things here? User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 16:50, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC) :ok, I just found the Documentary hypothesis link. I still think the natural content of "dating and history" would be an account of text-internal (linguistics) and external (manuscripts) dating attempts, and not about "veracity" claims. That would belong under "Christian views", I suppose. User:Dbachmann User_talk:Dbachmann 16:55, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC) I'm just dying to know the independent evidence confirming the Genesis account of the Creation. Since the Creation, as described in Genesis, happened before there were any human witnesses, it will be fascinating. The best we can hope for is that Moses received his information from God. However, nowhere in the text of Genesis is this stated: it's merely an assumption. If Moses was writing down pre-existing oral tradition or recompiling existing texts, then these would have to be based on SOMETHING. Would Adam have related the tale of his downfall to his descendants? User:Exile 09:49, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC) :Why do you want to know the independent evidence when the article states that there is none? Although I don't really agree with that, as there is independent evidence, albeit disputed and not conclusive. For example, Genesis 1 says that God made living things to reproduce after their own kind, and what we know from breeding and genetics is that that is just what happens. But of course as that is something we can observe, it could be argued that the ancients observed the same thing; it doesn't prove the creation narrative as such. :I don't know why you think that the best we can hope for is that Moses received it from God. The Authorship section mentions the possibility that Moses compiled it from older text, and yes, why wouldn't/couldn't Adam have written it down and passed it on to his descendants? :User:Philip J. Rayment 10:40, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC)
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