When Was Genesis Written

QUESTION: When was Genesis written?

ANSWER:

When we Genesis written? The first book of the Old Testament is named Genesis and means “the beginning.” Genesis is the historical account of the beginning of the earth and all the creatures of the earth (including mankind), as well as the beginning of all the vital relationships which form the foundation of life: God’s relationship to man, man’s relationship to God, God’s relationship with the devil, man’s relationship with the devil, and man’s relationship to man.

When was Genesis written, given that man had not been created at the dawning of time or that man could not have witnessed all that transpired? Bible scholars believe that Genesis was written by Moses, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, during the forty years that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness (1450 - 1410 B.C.). Moses was chosen by God to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The details of his life are recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus.

Chapter 1 of the book of Genesis describes the creation of earth and the creatures of the earth. Chapter 2 describes the creation of man. Chapters 3 through 5 describe the “fall” (or rebellion) of man after having been made in the image and likeness of God. The result of the fall was that all of mankind became sinful creatures. Chapters 6 through 8 describe God’s judgment on mankind with a flood that destroyed every living creature except Noah, Noah’s family, and all of the creatures that were with Noah aboard the ark.

Chapters 9 through 50 detail God’s relationship with the patriarchs of the Christian faith: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through these relationships, God established a covenant with the family of man which would be fulfilled through the Lord’s incarnation as Jesus Christ, over 2,000 years ago. Most scholars believe Jesus was born in 6 or 5 B.C.