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{{OldTestament}}
[[image:Viennagenesis.jpg|right|thumb|A page of the Vienna Genesis, made in sixth century Syria, with an illustration of Jacob/Israel blessing his grandsons Ephraim and Mannasseh.]][[image:creationstars.jpg|left|thumb|An icon of God creating light, in the form of the stars in the sky, on the fourth day of the Genesis creation story.]]
The '''Book of Genesis''' is the first book of the [[Old Testament]] and contains extremely old oral and written traditions of the people of Israel. The English title, '''Genesis''', comes from the Greek translation ([[Septuagint]], LXX)<ref>LXX Septuagint—an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek</ref> meaning "origins"; whereas, the Hebrew title is derived from the opening sentence of the book, translated "in the beginning". Tradition has it that this book was mostly written by the [[Prophet]] [[Moses]]<ref>For a brief biographical sketch of Moses also read Ex. 1–6</ref> 1,300 years before [[Christ]]. The influence of Genesis over all of Holy Scripture is demonstrated by it being quoted over 35 times in the [[New Testament]] and hundreds of allusions appearing in both Testaments. The story line of salvation begins in Genesis 3 and is not completed until Revelation 21 and 22, where the eternal kingdom of redeemed believers is illustrated.
== Authorship and writing ==
It then tells of [[God]]'s call and promise of [[salvation]] to [[Abraham]], and the story of [[Isaac]] and [[Jacob]], whom God named Israel, ending with the settlement of the twelve tribes of Israel (the families of the twelve sons of Jacob) in Egypt, during the time of Joseph's favor with the Egyptian Pharaoh. In traditional Church language, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called the [[Patriarch]]s and are also [[Forefather]]s of Christ.
== Major Theme ==
