What is the purpose of Genesis 1-11?

Answer 1

The authors of Genesis never left records of the reasons for writing the book, but we can form some informed opinions its purpose. To do this, it is important to understand when the book was written and in what context.

Tradition holds that Genesis was written by Moses during the forty year Exodus period. If so, we can say that Moses obeyed God, whose purpose was to inform the Hebrew people of their glorious past.

However, modern scholars say that the Book of Genesis was really written many centuries after the time attributed to Moses. They say that, during the seventh-century BCE reign of King Josiah, an anonymous author, now known as the Deuteronomist, collected written material from earlier sources whom scholars now know as the Elohist and the Yahwist, and created the earliest compiled form of Genesis. The 'Priestly Source' added to Genesis during or after the Babylonian Exile, then the 'Redactor' finalised the book into the form we know today.

The source material put together by the Elohist and the Yahwist no longer exists in its original form, but can be readily identified by scholars reading Genesis in Hebrew. These sources had simply collated the myths, legends and oral traditions of their people.

The Deuteronomist wrote at a time when the Hebrew religion was undergoing fundamental change. The monarchy in Judah wanted to unite the nation and saw religion as important to that objective. By combining the Elohist traditions of the northern kingdom, Israel, and the somewhat different Yahwist traditions of Judah, the Deuteronomist sought to bring the people together in common worship. Historical documentation The word 'genesis' means 'beginnings', and the writer documents the earliest history of the world and its inhabitants. He later records the history of the Hebrew race. The origin of sin is documented in the Fall, as is the establishment of God's Covenant with Israel. It has both a historical and biographical purpose, since it contains details about key Jewish patriachs and also extensive genealogical information on individuals and nations.

• Answer 2

It teaches of the Creation, early history, and people who served God.

Is it trustworthy?

1) No parchment or inscription has ever been found that would support the JEPD (multiple-authors) hypothesis for the Torah (including Genesis). Those ancient writers who mention or translate the Torah (Josephus, Samaritans, Targum, Septuagint etc.), describe it in its complete form.
2) Archaeological finds, such as the Ugarit documents and those of Nuzu, Mari, Susa, Ebla, and Tel el-Amarna, have repeatedly caused the critics to retract specific claims. The entire social milieu portrayed in Genesis and the entire Torah, once criticized as anachronistic, has been shown to be historically accurate, including customs of marriage, adoption, contracts, inheritance, purchases, utensils, modes of travel, people's names and titles, etc. Professor Gleason Archer Ph.D of Harvard University states: "In case after case in which historical inaccuracy was alleged as proof of late and spurious authorship of the biblical documents, the Hebrew record has been vindicated by the results of excavations, and the condemnatory judgment of the Documentary theorists has been proved to be without foundation."
3) "Whoever wrote the narrative of Joseph was quite familiar with Egyptian life, Egyptian literature and culture. In particular he was expertly informed concerning the Egyptian royal court" (Prof. Alan Sherman).
4) Some JEPD theorists question the very existence of Abraham. In so doing, they not only ignore the continuous tradition of the entire Jewish nation, but also the statements of other ancient writers as far back as 2,300 years ago. These include Berosus, Alexander Polyhistor, Melo, Eupolemus, Artapanus, Hecateus, and Nicolaus Damascenus. Abraham was a historical person, as recorded in the Book of Genesis (ch.11-25); and his gravesite is known to this day, in the Machpelah at Hebron, Israel. He is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
5) The critics attempt to break down the continuity of the Torah based on style and vocabulary. Their breakdown often cuts verses into three or four parts, claiming a different writer for each part. But in dealing with so many different topics and eras, it stands to reason that the Torah would use different styles. The narrative of Genesis would not function in a style appropriate to the laws of Leviticus. Just as Shakespeare's plays and sonnets differ yet had one author, (and the same goes for your own resume and shopping lists), so the Torah employs styles depending on the subject matter.
Also, those familiar with Torah-commentators recognize that every question asked by the bible critics was asked, and answered, centuries ago.
Some specific examples:
1) Some claim that giants (Genesis ch.6) could not have existed. But the fact that giants are mentioned not only in Israelite traditions, but also by the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Hindus, Norse, Basques, Japanese and others, in our opinion warrants more than mere dismissal.
2) It was claimed that the camel hadn't been domesticated in Abraham's time. But the Canophorin tablet, dating from 18th century BCE gives a list of fodder for camels and other household animals. And a cylinder seal from Mesopotamia, dating from the patriarchal era, shows riders sitting on camels.
3) The term "achol et kaspeinu" ("our money was eaten," Genesis 31:15) is spoken by Rachel and Leah concerning an inheritance from their father Laban. This term is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Five documents have been unearthed in which 18th century BCE Akkadian marriage contracts use this exact terminology, in the same context. We thus verify that no postulated late redactor could possibly be credited with such specific knowledge of an era centuries before his own.
4) The names Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Laban, Balaam and Joseph were used in the Patriarchal period and dropped out of usage thereafter. These names appear in archaeological inscriptions from that period and no later period. How did those verses get appropriate names for that period of time (if they were invented a thousand years later)?
5) Joseph is sold for twenty pieces of silver. That was the accurate price of a slave in Joseph's time, and at no other time. Slaves were cheaper beforehand, and they got increasingly expensive later. How would a later redactor know the right price?
Some indications of the Divine origin of the Torah:
1) No other religion claims a national revelation, because that is something that cannot be fabricated.
2) No Israelite of any tribe, had the Torah been a human invention, would have made Abraham the father of Ishmael, his firstborn (Genesis ch.16). No Israelite would have written that Isaac fathered their enemy Esau (Gen.ch.25). Nor would he have admitted the stigma that the Israelites had been slaves (Exodus ch.1). No Israelite would have penned the prohibition against warring with Ammon and Moab (Deut.2:4,9,19).
3) In no other religious text can one find such criticism of its own protagonists. No one is immune to having his faults exposed: Abraham (Genesis 16:5), Reuben (Gen.ch.35), Simeon and Levi (Gen.ch.34 and 49), Judah (Gen.ch.38), Joseph's brothers (Gen.ch.37), Moses (Numbers ch.20), Aaron (Exodus 32:2-4), Samson (Judges 14:1-3), Saul (1 Samuel ch.15), David (2 Samuel ch.11-12), and many others.
4) No other ancient record has such a coherent and detailed account of the genealogy of nations (Genesis ch.10).
5) A few examples of fulfilled prophecies:
Noah's blessing of "God will enlarge Japheth" (Genesis ch.9) has been fulfilled through the empires of Persia, Greece, Rome, Russia and America.
God's promise to make Ishmael into a great nation (Genesis ch.17) has been fulfilled through the wide band of Arab and Muslim countries stretching from western Africa to Indonesia, well over 1.5 billion people.
The prophecy that the Torah would never die out (see Gen.32:33, Deut.31:21, Esther 9:28, Isaiah 59:21) has been fulfilled, against all odds. And the Israelites have also survived (Genesis 12:2), outliving many other nations.
The prophecy that the Israelites would inherit the Holy Land (Genesis ch.28) was fulfilled in the time of Joshua. And the prophecy that Ephraim would become greater than Menasheh (Genesis ch.48) also came true through his descendant, Joshua, since Menasheh produced no one comparable.
Joseph's prophetic dreams (Genesis ch.37) were fulfilled during his sojourn in Egypt (Gen. ch.41-42).
Jacob's prophecy of redemption (Gen.48:21) came true when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus ch.12). His words of greatness for Judah (Gen.49:8:10) came true through the Davidic royal dynasty. His prediction that Dan would topple the enemy (Gen.49:17) came true through Samson's depredations against the Philistines (Judges 13-16).

Answer 2

Every book has a 'beginning' and that is what Genesis means. It tells of the renewal of the face of the Earth that already exists under water and in darkness and the pinnancle of this renewing with the creation of Mankind:

Psalm 104:30

New King James Version (NKJV)

30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;

And You renew the face of the earth.

Answer 3

A:Read literally, the Book of Genesis tells the early history of the world and of the Hebrew people. This is clearly not true, and historians can put together a reliable history most unlike that in Genesis. Other sources comparable to Genesis provide a very different history, but enable us to see the real meaning of Genesis. It is a collection of the traditions, legends and myths of the Hebrew people, mainly from the period around 1000 BCE but with some quite late material added.

Answer 4

1) From the genealogies we learn the date of Creation (3760 BCE). 2) We learn the Semitic origins of the Israelites.

3) Also, a number of those named (in Genesis ch.5 and 11) were extremely righteous, including Adam, Seth, Mahallalel, Enoch, Methusaleh, Noah, Shem, Arpachshad, and Eber. They deserve at least this brief epitaph.

4) We get an example of the historicity of the Hebrew record, since Archaeology has confirmed many of the ancient names.

In 1934-39, excavations were conducted at ancient Mari on the Euphrates River. They found that ancient towns were named after the ancestors (Genesis ch.11) of Abraham:

The "city of Nahor" was found near the city of Haran which exists to this day. Equally clear signs of early Hebrew residence appear in the names of other towns nearby: Serug (Assyrian Sarugi), Terah (Til Turakhi, "Mound of Terah"), and Peleg (Paliga, on the Euphrates near the mouth of the Habur). All these names are found in Genesis ch.11.

Answer 5

The authors of Genesis never left records of the reasons for writing the book, but we can form some informed opinions its purpose. To do this, it is important to understand when the book was written and in what context.

Tradition holds that Genesis was written by Moses during the forty year Exodus period. If so, we can say that Moses obeyed God, whose purpose was to inform the Hebrew people of their glorious past.

However, modern scholars say that the Book of Genesis was really written many centuries after the time attributed to Moses. They say that, during late monarchy, a first Redactor collected written material from earlier sources whom scholars now know as the Elohist and the Yahwist, and created the earliest compiled form of Genesis. The 'Priestly Source' added to Genesis during or after the Babylonian Exile, then the final 'Redactor' completed the book into the form we know today.

The source material put together by the Elohist and the Yahwist no longer exists in its original form, but can be readily identified by scholars reading Genesis in Hebrew. These sources had simply collated the myths, legends and oral traditions of their people.

First redaction took place at a time when the Hebrew religion was undergoing fundamental change. The monarchy in Judah wanted to unite the nation and saw religion as important to that objective. By combining the Elohist traditions of the northern kingdom, Israel, and the somewhat different Yahwist traditions of Judah, the redactor sought to bring the people together in common worship.

For more information, please visit:
http://christianity.answers.com/bible/the-pentateuch-explained
http://christianity.answers.com/bible/the-book-of-genesis

Answer 6

1) From the genealogies we learn the date of Creation (3760 BCE). 2) We learn the Semitic origins of the Israelites. 3) Also, a number of those named (in Genesis ch.5 and 11) were extremely righteous, including Adam, Seth, Mahallalel, Enoch, Methusaleh, Noah, Shem, Arpachshad, and Eber. They deserve at least this brief epitaph.

4) We get an example of the historicity of the Hebrew record, since archaeology has confirmed many of the ancient names.

In 1934-39, excavations were conducted at ancient Mari on the Euphrates River. They found that ancient towns were named after the ancestors (Genesis ch.11) of Abraham:
The "city of Nahor" was found near the city of Haran which exists to this day. Equally clear signs of early Hebrew residence appear in the names of other towns nearby: Serug (Assyrian Sarugi), Terah (Til Turakhi, "Mound of Terah"), and Peleg (Paliga, on the Euphrates near the mouth of the Habur). All these names are found in Genesis ch.11.

Answer 7

It teaches of the Creation, early history, and people who served God.

See also the Related Links.Link: Is there evidence for Creation?

Link: Evidence of the Flood

Link: Lifespans of the ancients

1) No parchment, scroll, or inscription has ever been found that would support the JEPD (multiple-authors) hypothesis for the Torah (including Genesis). Those ancient writers who mention, describe, summarize or translate the Torah (Josephus, Samaritans, Targum, Septuagint etc.), describe it in its complete form.

• Link: The authorship of the Hebrew Bible
  

Among the Jews, the entire Hebrew Bible has been handed down through the generations, in an unbroken chain of tradition for which we possess the names of the leading sages in every single generation. Every verse is elucidated in the Talmud and midrashim.

• Link: Does Genesis have two Creation-accounts?
  

2) Archaeological finds, such as the Ugarit documents and those of Nuzu, Mari, Susa, Ebla, and Tel el-Amarna, have repeatedly caused the critics to retract specific claims. The entire social milieu portrayed in Genesis and the entire Torah, once criticized as anachronistic, has been shown to be historically accurate, including customs of marriage, adoption, contracts, inheritance, purchases, utensils, modes of travel, people's names and titles, etc. Professor Gleason Archer Ph.D of Harvard University states: "In case after case in which historical inaccuracy was alleged as proof of late and spurious authorship of the biblical documents, the Hebrew record has been vindicated by the results of excavations, and the condemnatory judgment of the Documentary theorists has been proved to be without foundation."

• Link: Criticizing the critics
  

3) "Whoever wrote the narrative of Joseph was quite familiar with Egyptian life, Egyptian literature and culture. In particular he was expertly informed concerning the Egyptian royal court" (Prof. Alan Sherman).

• Link: More from Archaeology

Answer 8

To give the background and setting for the appearance of the Israelites.