Genesis

Genesis, first book of the Old Testament and first of the Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch), the oldest part of the Old Testament. Its name comes from the Greek for “birth” or “beginning,” a translation of the first word in the original Hebrew text. The Book of Genesis begins with the creation of the world, and includes the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah. Chapters 12–36 deal with the origins of the Hebrew people and the accounts of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Genesis ends with the story of Joseph and the arrival of Jacob and his sons in Egypt (Chapters 36–50).