Genesis
First book of the Bible. Origin of the world, the flood, and the patriarchs. Tradition assigns authorship to Moses, drawing on older Hebrew sources.
- placeEgypt
Ancient kingdom of the Nile. Refuge of Abraham and Joseph, then a house of slavery, then the place from which …
- placeUr
Ancient Sumerian city on the Euphrates in southern Mesopotamia. Abraham's birthplace, called 'Ur of the Chalde…
- figureAbraham
Father of the Hebrew people. Called from Ur to Canaan and given the covenant promise. Lived around 2000 BC.
- figureAdam
The first man, formed by God from the dust of the ground and given the breath of life (Gen.2.7). With his wife…
- figureEnosh
Son of Seth, grandson of Adam. In his day “men began to call upon the name of the LORD” (Gen.4.26). Fourth in …
- figureIsaac
Son of promise born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Gen.21). Bound on Mount Moriah, husband of Rebekah,…
- figureJacob
Younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, renamed Israel after wrestling at Peniel (Gen.32.28). Father of the twelve t…
- figureJoseph
Eleventh son of Jacob, sold by his brothers into Egypt, rising from slavery and prison to be second only to Ph…
- figureMethuselah
Son of Enoch, grandfather of Noah, and the longest-lived person in scripture at 969 years (Gen.5.27). He died …
- figureNoah
Tenth of the pre-flood patriarchs, son of Lamech, builder of the ark. The only righteous man of his generation…
- figureSeth
Third named son of Adam and Eve, born after Abel’s murder (Gen.4.25). Through Seth runs the godly line that le…
- figureShem
Eldest son of Noah, ancestor of the Semitic peoples and of Abraham. Through Shem’s line God’s redemptive promi…
- customsFoot-washing
The hospitality act of washing the dust off a guest's feet on arrival. In a society of dusty roads and open sa…
- cultureDove
The rock dove (Columba livia), kept in dovecotes for food and offering. Scripture uses it for peace, purity, a…
- conceptAdonai
'My Lord' in Hebrew. The reverent substitute Jewish readers used (and still use) in place of the divine name Y…
- conceptCovenant
A binding agreement between two parties, sealed by a sign — a meal, a sacrifice, a mark on the body. Used thro…
- conceptEl Elyon
'God Most High' — the name by which Melchizedek blesses Abraham and by which the Psalms acclaim God's universa…
- conceptEl Shaddai
'God Almighty' — the name by which God revealed himself to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Tradition…
- conceptElohim
The most common Hebrew word for 'God' — grammatically plural, treated as singular when referring to the God of…
- conceptJehovah-Jireh
'The LORD will provide' — the name Abraham gave the place on Mount Moriah where God provided a ram in place of…
- mapSodom and Gomorrah
Two of the five “cities of the plain” destroyed by fire and sulphur in Genesis 19. The biblical text places th…
- objectCubit
The standard ancient unit of length — about 45 cm, the distance from a man's elbow to his fingertips. Noah's a…