Hypertext Webster Gateway: "genesis"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Genesis
The five books of Moses were collectively called the Pentateuch,
a word of Greek origin meaning "the five-fold book." The Jews
called them the Torah, i.e., "the law." It is probable that the
division of the Torah into five books proceeded from the Greek
translators of the Old Testament. The names by which these
several books are generally known are Greek.
The first book of the Pentateuch (q.v.) is called by the Jews
Bereshith, i.e., "in the beginning", because this is the first
word of the book. It is generally known among Christians by the
name of Genesis, i.e., "creation" or "generation," being the
name given to it in the LXX. as designating its character,
because it gives an account of the origin of all things. It
contains, according to the usual computation, the history of
about two thousand three hundred and sixty-nine years.
Genesis is divided into two principal parts. The first part
(1-11) gives a general history of mankind down to the time of
the Dispersion. The second part presents the early history of
Israel down to the death and burial of Joseph (12-50).
There are five principal persons brought in succession under
our notice in this book, and around these persons the history of
the successive periods is grouped, viz., Adam (1-3), Noah (4-9),
Abraham (10-25:18), Isaac (25:19-35:29), and Jacob (36-50).
In this book we have several prophecies concerning Christ
(3:15; 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; 49:10). The author of
this book was Moses. Under divine guidance he may indeed have
been led to make use of materials already existing in primeval
documents, or even of traditions in a trustworthy form that had
come down to his time, purifying them from all that was
unworthy; but the hand of Moses is clearly seen throughout in
its composition.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Genesis \Gen"e*sis\, n. [L., from Gr. ge`nesis, fr. the root of
gi`gnesqai to beget, be born; akin to L. genus birth, race.
See {Gender}.]
1. The act of producing, or giving birth or origin to
anything; the process or mode of originating; production;
formation; origination.
The origin and genesis of poor Sterling's club.
--Carlyle.
2. The first book of the Old Testament; -- so called by the
Greek translators, from its containing the history of the
creation of the world and of the human race.
3. (Geom.) Same as {Generation}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
genesis
n 1: an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of
subsequent events [syn: {origin}, {origination}, {inception}]
2: the first book of the Old Testament: tells of creation; Adam
and Eve; the Fall of Man; Cain and Abel; Noah and the
flood; God's covenant with Abraham; Abraham and Isaac;
Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his brothers [syn: {Genesis}]
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