This book is part of the Torah – the first 5 books of the Bible.
Date
The oral tradition of this material is ancient, but it probably wasn’t compiled into written form until the exile or the return.
Overview
The early chapters of Genesis grapple with some very fundamental questions:
- What were the beginnings of human existence?
- How did we come about?
- And what were the origins of sin and evil and death – where did all that come from?
These are questions humanity has been asking from the very start.
These early chapters also deal with fundamental images of God: Is God someone who lavishly loves and gives? Or is God one who is just waiting to punish humanity’s failures?