Genesis







Introduction
Prehistory
Ancestor Stories
Abraham and Sarah
Isaac and Rebekah
Jacob, Rachel, and Leah
Joseph
Historical Analysis of the Ancestor Stories
Summary and Conclusions





I.
Introduction





II.
The Prehistory






A.
Stories of Cosmic Origins (Genesis 1-2)







1.
Intrinsic Literary Analysis



a.
The First Creation Account (P Source?): 1:1-2:4a



b.
The Second Creation Account (JE Source?): 2:4b-25







2.
Creation Accounts from Mesopotamia and the Context of Israel’s Creation Stories



a.
The Atrahasis Epic



b.
The Enuma Elish



c.
The Unique Perspective of Israel's Stories






B.
Stories of Communal Origins (Genesis 3-13)







1.
Intrinsic Literary Analysis



a.
The Garden of Eden (Genesis 3)



b.
Cain and Abel (4:1-16)



c.
Genealogies (4:17—26; all of chapter 5)



d.
The “Sons of God” and the Daughters of Man (6:1—4)



e.
The Flood: The Undoing of Creation (6:5—9:17)



f.
God’s “Repentance” and the Re-creation (8:13—9:17)



g.
Noah’s Sons and His Nakedness: An Etiological Episode Explaining the Cursed Status of Canaan (9:18—28)



h.
Genealogy (Genesis 10)



i.
Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)



j.
Genealogy (Genesis 11:10-32)







2.
Historical Analysis



a.
The Functions of Narratives of Prehistory



b.
What can we know about the prehistory of the Hebrew people according to the empirical historical method? 





III.
The Origins of the People of God (Genesis 12-50)






A.
Intrinsic Literary Analysis: The Ancestor Stories


1.
Organization of the Ancestor Stories


2.
Main Themes and Literary Motifs


3.
The Abraham and Sarah Cycle (12-25)



a.
The Promise and Abram’s Response



b.
Characterization of Abraham, “the Father of the Nation”



c.
From Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah: the Importance of Names in Hebrew Thought



d.
The Birth of Isaac (Chapter 21)



e.
The “Sacrifice” of Isaac (Chapter 22)



f.
The Character of Sarah



g.
Hagar and the Naming of El Roy



h.
Weaknesses of the Ancestors Acknowledge







4.
The Isaac & Rebekah/Jacob & Rachel Cycle (Genesis 25—36)



a.
Introduction



b.
The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24)



c.
Conflict (25-27)



d.
Flight (27:41-28:5)



e.
Encounter (Dream) at Beth-el (28:10-22)



f.
Time with Laban (29-30)



g.
Flight toward Home (31-32)



h.
Struggle at the River Jabbok (32:22—32)



i.
Reunion with Esau (33:1—17)



j.
Second Encounter at Beth-el (35:1—15)



k.
Birth of Benjamin/Death of Rachel (35:16—21)



l.
Death of Isaac (35:27—29)



m.
Conclusion







5.
Genealogies (36)







6.
The Joseph Cycle (37—50)



a.
Contrasts between the Joseph Cycle and the Other Ancestor Stories



b.
Joseph’s Early Character and the Response of His Brothers (37:2—36)



c.
The Judah and Tamar Interlude (38)



d.
Joseph’s Experiences in Egypt



e.
The Family of Jacob Moves to Egypt (46:1—47:12)



f.
The Famine in Egypt (47:13—26)



g.
Jacob’s Adoption/Blessing of Joseph’s Sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Chapter 48)






B.
Historical Analysis of the Ancestor Stories





IV.
Summary and Conclusions