BU Blog | Genesis

Though Genesis does not name its author as do the other books of the Pentateuch, its language and writing style are similar enough to conclude that Moses wrote it as well, probably between 1440 and 1400 B.C. Jesus and the apostles imply by their quotes in the NT that they regarded Moses as the author of Genesis. In Greek, Genesis means “origin,” or “beginning.” The Jews know the book as Bereshith, the first word in the Hebrew text, meaning “in the beginning.” The Talmud calls it the “Book of Creation of the World.”

No official records exist of pre-flood history, though legends about it abounded. (For example, post-flood Babylonian records describe pre-flood kings who descended from heaven and reigned for many thousands of years.) In contrast, archaeological finds have revealed much about post-flood history. The earliest written records of Mesopotamian civilization come from the 35th century B.C., which some scholars estimate was shortly after the flood, and begin with the Sumerians, a highly civilized nation with an organized political structure and sophisticated craftsmanship, architecture and art. The Sumerians developed the earliest form of writing in order to keep record of deliveries and rations.

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