Portal:Bible/Featured chapter/Genesis

The Bible starts with the creation account, which occurs in six days. On the first day God creates light; on the second, the firmament of heaven; on the third, he separates water and land, and creates plant life; on the fourth day he creates the sun, moon, and stars; on the fifth day marine life and birds; on the sixth day land animals, and man and woman.

PEOPLE: God - Spirit of God - the first man and woman

PLACES: Empty space, which becomes the universe, particularly the earth.

RELATED ARTICLES:

On the seventh day, the

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Garden of Eden - Pishon - Gihon - Hiddekel - Euphrates

RELATED ARTICLES:

Eve is convinced by a talking

PLACES: Garden of Eden

RELATED ARTICLES:

Cain and Abel are sons of Adam and Eve. They both offer sacrifice to the Lord, but the Lord favours Abel's sacrifice, and subsequently Cain murders Abel. The Lord questions Cain about Abel's location. Cain answers Am I my brother's keeper? Seeing through Cain's deception, the Lord curses Cain to wander the earth. Cain is overwhelmed by this and appeals in fear of being killed by other men, and so the Lord places a mark on Cain so that he would not be killed. Cain then departs to the Land of Nod. He fathers a lineage of children, and founds a city, which he named Enoch after the name of his son.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Land of Nod - City of Enoch

RELATED ARTICLES:

The

PEOPLE:

The sons of God take wives of the daughters of men, and have

PEOPLE: Sons of God - daughters of men - Nephilim - יהוה‎ YHWH God - Noah - Shem - Ham - Japheth - Wives aboard Noah's Ark

PLACES: no locations mentioned

RELATED ARTICLES:

When

PEOPLE: Noah - יהוה‎ YHWH God - Shem - Ham - Japheth - Noah's wife - the wives of Noah's sons

PLACES: no locations mentioned

RELATED ARTICLES:

Finally, the

PEOPLE:

PLACES: mountains of Ararat

RELATED ARTICLES:

God makes a

PEOPLE:

PLACES: no locations mentioned

RELATED ARTICLES:

An extensive list of descendants of Noah, known as the

PEOPLE:

PLACES:

Mankind settles in Shinar. Here, they attempt to build a city and a tower whose top might reach unto Heaven. To prevent this project from succeeding, God confuses their languages so that each spoke a different language. Abram, a Shemite living in Ur, takes Sarai as his wife, and they have no children.

PEOPLE: people of Earth -

PLACES: Shinar - Ur -Chaldea - Canaan - Haran

RELATED ARTICLES:

God directs

PEOPLE:

RELATED ARTICLES: Lech-Lecha

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Egypt - Euphrates

RELATED ARTICLES:

God again appears to Abram, and enters into a personal covenant with him securing Abram's future: God promises him a numerous progeny, changes his name to "

PEOPLE: Abram - יהוה‎ YHWH

PLACES: Canaan

RELATED ARTICLES:

God sends Abraham three angels, whom Abraham receives hospitably. They announce that he will have a son within a year, although he and his wife are already very old. Also that God intends to execute judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, whereupon he intercedes for the sinners.

PEOPLE: יהוה‎ YHWH - Abraham - Sarah

PLACES: Mamre

RELATED ARTICLES:

Two angels go to Sodom, where they are hospitably received by Lot. The men of the city wish to have sexual relations with them. Having thus shown that they have deserved their fate, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire and brimstone. Only Lot and his two daughters are saved. Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughters, which resulted in the births of Ammon and Moab, is also described.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Sodom - Gomorrah - Zoar

RELATED ARTICLES:

Abraham journeys to Gerar, the country of Abimelech. Here once again he represents Sarah

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Kadesh - Shur - Gerar

RELATED ARTICLES:

At last the long-expected son is born, and receives the name of "Isaac" At Sarah's insistence Ishmael together with his mother Hagar is driven out of the house. They also have a great future promised to them by God. Abraham, during the banquet that he gives in honor of Isaac's birth, enters into a covenant with Abimelech, who confirms his right to the well Beersheba.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Beersheba – Paran – Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES:

God asks

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Moriah - Jehovahjireh - Beersheba

RELATED ARTICLES:

Sarah, age 127, dies in

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Kirjatharba (Hebron) - Canaan - Machpelah - Mamre

RELATED ARTICLES: Chayei Sarah

Abraham sends his servant to his homeland to find a wife for Isaac. When the servant arrives in Nahor, he prays to God to determine who would be a good wife. Rebeccah shows kindness, proving she is worthy. He gives her special jewelry and clothing as a bridal gift. Rebeccah's family sends her away to marry Isaac.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Canaan - Nahor, Mesopotamia - Beerlahairoi

RELATED ARTICLES:

Abraham marries Keturah and has children. Abraham is buried at Machpelah. Ishmael dies also. Isaac and Rebeccah have twins: Esau and Jacob. Esau sells Jacob his birthright.

PEOPLE:

RELATED ARTICLES: Chayei Sarah – Toledot

A famine obliges

PLACES: Gerar - Beersheba

RELATED ARTICLES: Toledot

PLACES: Beersheba (Genesis 26, 28)

RELATED ARTICLES: Toledot

RELATED ARTICLES: Toledot - Vayetze

Jacob stops in Haran by a well and meets Laban's younger daughter, his cousin Rachel. He loves her immediately, and asks for her hand in marriage in return for working seven years for Laban. But when the seven years are complete, Laban deceives Jacob by switching his older daughter, Leah, as the veiled bride. In the morning, Laban agrees to give Rachel in marriage as well if Jacob works another seven years for him. Jacob loves Rachel more than anything in the world, and Leah feels hated. God opens Leah's womb and she gives birth to four sons in succession: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

PEOPLE: Jacob - Laban - Rachel - Leah - Zilpah - Reuben - Simeon - Levi - Judah

PLACES: Haran

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayetze

Rachel offers her handmaid to Jacob and two sons are born. Leah desires more children and offers her handmaid to her husband, and the latter bears two more sons. Leah produces another two sons and a daughter, and Rachel herself bears a son. Jacob desires to return home, but Laban is reluctant to release him. Laban offers to pay Jacob, and Jacob suggests that Laban remove all the spotted, speckled and brown goats and sheep from the flock; whichever ones would be born after that would be Jacob's wages. Jacob plants rods of poplar, hazel, and chestnut in front of the flocks' watering holes, and the animals give birth to spotted, speckled and brown foals. Thus Jacob becomes quite wealthy.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Laban resides in Haran (Genesis 29)

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayetze

Laban's sons notice that Jacob is taking the better part of their flocks, and Laban's friendly attitude towards Jacob begins to change. God tells Jacob he should now leave, and he does so without informing Laban. Before they leave, Rachel steals Laban's religious icons. Laban pursues Jacob. The night before he catches up, God speaks to him in a dream and warns him not to say anything good or bad to Jacob. When the two meet, Laban plays the part of the injured father-in-law and demands his icons back. Knowing nothing about Rachel's theft, Jacob says whoever stole them should die, and offers to let him search. Rachel hides the icons by sitting on them. Jacob and Laban part from each other in peace.

PEOPLE:

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayetze

Approaching home Jacob is in fear of Esau, to whom he sends gifts. While sleeping, a man wrestles with him. The "man" pleads to be released, but Jacob demands a blessing. He announces to Jacob that he shall bear the name "Israel" ("one who wrestled with God").

PEOPLE: Jacob - Angels - יהוה‎ YHWH God

PLACES:

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayetze - Vayishlach

In the morning Jacob assembles his wives and 11 sons, placing Rachel and her children in the rear and Leah and her children in the front. Jacob himself takes the foremost position. Esau's spirit of revenge, however, has by this time been appeased. Their reunion is an emotional one. Esau offers to accompany them on their way back to Israel, but Jacob protests that his children are still young and tender; they will eventually catch up with Esau at Mount Seir. Jacob arrives in Shechem, where he buys a parcel of land.

PEOPLE:

PLACES:

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayishlach

Dinah is spotted by the prince of the region, who is also called Shechem. He takes her to his palace and defiles her. Dinah's brothers are outraged by what has happened. Hamor and Shechem try to pacify them by suggesting a proper wedding, a huge dowry, and a permanent treaty benefitting both peoples. Dinah's brothers concede on condition that all the men be

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Shechem

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayishlach

As Jacob and his entourage near the border of Canaan, Rachel goes into labor and dies as she gives birth to her second—and Jacob's twelfth—son, Benjamin. Jacob buries her and erects a monument over her grave, which is located just outside Bethlehem. Jacob is finally reunited with his father Isaac in Mamre, outside Hebron. When Isaac dies at the age of 180, Jacob and Esau bury him.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Bethel (Luz, Canaan) - Shechem - Paddan Aram - Ephrath (Bethlehem) - Mamre - Arbah (Hebron)

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayishlach

A history of Esau's family and of the kings of Edom.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Canaan - Mount Seir - Dinhabah - Avith - Pau

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayishlach

Joseph, Jacob's favorite son, is hated by his brothers on account of his dreams prognosticating his future dominion, and on the advice of Judah is secretly sold to a caravan of Ishmaelitic merchants going to Egypt. His brothers tell their father that a wild animal has devoured Joseph. Joseph, carried to Egypt, is there sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials.

PEOPLE:

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayeshev

Judah marries and has three sons, Er, Onan, Shelah. Er marries Tamar, but dies childless. According to custom his widow is given in marriage to his brother Onan, who is slain for misconduct; and she is then promised to the third son, Shelah. This promise is not fulfilled, and Tamar disguises herself as a temple prostitute and offers herself to her father-in-law Judah. She claims his staff and signet as pledge of payment. When she later becomes pregnant and Judah accuses her of fornication, she produces the staff and signet and identifies Judah himself as the father. Tamar had twin sons, Zarah and Pharez.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Chezib - Timnath

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayeshev

Joseph, carried to Egypt, is there sold as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. Joseph prospers in Potiphar's household and is eventually made head of the servants. Potiphar's wife attempts to seduce Joseph. When Joseph demurs, Potiphar's wife falsely accuses Joseph of attempting to molest her and supports her false accusation with a piece of Joseph's garment. As a result, Joseph is sent to prison.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayeshev

Two servants of Pharaoh's household are in jail with Joseph and ask him to interpret their dreams. Joseph correctly predicts the future based on their dreams: one will be reinstated in his post while the other will be

PEOPLE: Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker -

PLACES: Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayeshev - Ancient Egypt

At the end of two years, Pharaoh is troubled by dreams that no one is able to interpret. The chief cupbearer remembers Joseph and at his suggestion, Joseph is brought from prison to interpret the king's dreams. Joseph predicts seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES: Miketz - Ancient Egypt

During the famine, Joseph's brothers, except for Benjamin, came down to Egypt to buy grain. On reaching Egypt, Joseph's brothers, not recognizing him, bowed before him, thus fulfilling in part his earlier dream. However, in order to fulfill the dream completely, Joseph needed Benjamin to come to Egypt as well, so he disguised his identity from his brothers and devised a plot: he accused them of being spies and imprisoned them for three days. He then sent them away with grain, retaining Simeon as a hostage, while ordering them not to return without Benjamin.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Canaan - Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES: Miketz - Ancient Egypt

When their food stores run out and the famine worsens, Judah becomes surety for his brother Benjamin, and prevails upon his father to let him go down to Egypt according to the request of Joseph. Jacob agrees to Judah's promise to protect Benjamin from harm. The brothers return to Joseph, and when Joseph sees Benjamin he is overcome with emotion. Joseph receives them kindly and throws a feast for them.

PEOPLE: sons of Jacob - Jacob - Judah - Benjamin - Joseph - Simeon - Egyptians

PLACES: Canaan - Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES: Miketz - Ancient Egypt

Joseph tests his brothers further by accusing Benjamin of theft. Judah makes a most touching and persuasive plea for the release of Benjamin, offering himself as a slave instead.

PEOPLE: Joseph - sons of Jacob - Benjamin - Judah

PLACES: Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES: Miketz - Vayigash - Ancient Egypt

Convinced of his brothers' repentance and overcome with emotion, Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. He forgives them the wrong they did him and sends for his father Jacob and all their families and possessions to come to settle in Egypt.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Egypt - Canaan

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayigash - Ancient Egypt

Jacob brings his whole family, numbering 66 persons, to Egypt, this making, inclusive of Joseph and his sons and himself, 70 persons. Pharaoh receives them amicably and assigns to them the land of Goshen

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Beersheba - Egypt - Goshen

RELATED ARTICLES: Vayigash - Ancient Egypt

During this period of famine, all the cattle and all the land, and at last the Egyptians themselves, become the property of Pharaoh. Jacob's last seventeen years are spent in tranquility in Egypt. Shortly before his death he makes Joseph take an oath that Joseph will bury him with his fathers.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Canaan - Land of Goshen - Egypt - Rameses

RELATED ARTICLES:

When Jacob feels the approach of death he sends for Joseph and his sons, and receives Ephraim and Manasseh among his own sons. The intention of Joseph was that the right hand of the aged patriarch should be placed on the head of the elder of the two; but Jacob set Ephraim the younger before his brother, "guiding his hands wittingly."

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Egypt

RELATED ARTICLES:

Jacob calls his sons to his bedside and reveals their future to them. He also

PEOPLE: Jacob (Israel) - Reuben - Tribe of Simeon - Levi - Judah - Zebulun - Issachar - Dan - Gad - Asher - Naphtali - Joseph - Benjamin -

PLACES: Jacob dies in the Land of Goshen in Egypt.

RELATED ARTICLES: Vaychi - Ancient Egypt

With Pharaoh's permission, Joseph led a huge state funeral back to the land of Canaan, with the 12 sons carrying their father's coffin and many Egyptian officials accompanying them. Joseph lived to the age of 110. Shortly before his death he made the Israelites take an oath that they would resettle his bones in Canaan.

PEOPLE:

PLACES: Egypt - Land of Goshen - Atad - Jordan - Canaan

RELATED ARTICLES: