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Understanding Genesis
"This book...is designed to make the Bible of Israel intelligible, relevant, and hopefully, inspiring to a sophisticated generation, possessed of intellectual curiosity and ethical sensitivity...It is based on the belief that the study of the Book of Books must constitute a mature intellectual challenge, an exposure to the expanding universe of scientific biblical scholarship...Far from presenting a threat to faith, a challenge to the intellect may reinforce faith and purify it."--from the Introduction
267 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 1970
111 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Nahum M. Sarna
20 books13 followersNahum Mattathias Sarna (Hebrew: נחום סרנא; March 27, 1923 – June 23, 2005) was a modern biblical scholar who is best known for the study of Genesis and Exodus represented in his Understanding Genesis (1966) and in his contributions to the first two volumes of the JPS Torah Commentary (1989/91). He was also part of the translation team for the Kethuvim section of the Jewish Publication Society's translation of the Bible, known as New Jewish Publication Society of America Version.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 17, 2025
This book is almost 60 years old, which at first seemed to me to be rather problematic in my reading program on the earliest history of Israel/Palestine. But, apparently, Nahum N. Sarna (1923-2005, Brandeis University US) is still well regarded for his pedagogical work in translating the biblical texts to a contemporary audience. In this book he emphasizes the relationship and the striking differences of the Biblical book of Genesis with Mesopotamian myths, such as on the creation, the flood, and so on. According to Sarna, Genesis was a clear reckoning with those ‘pagan’ stories, and that comes across well. The other components of the Genesis story are also well described and interpreted.
This book is much less up-to-date with regard to the historical background of the biblical stories. For example, Sarna clearly still assumes that the patriarchal stories (Abraham and his descendants) are based on a historical core, and that the extensive Joseph story (the stay in Egypt) is also historically true. He even refers to the classical Hyksos theory, which has now been dismissed by almost all experts. Perhaps there are better introductions that deal with both the substantive relevance and the historical value of the book of Genesis in a much better way. Of course, as a mythical and religious document this Bible-book still appeals to the imagination.
This book is much less up-to-date with regard to the historical background of the biblical stories. For example, Sarna clearly still assumes that the patriarchal stories (Abraham and his descendants) are based on a historical core, and that the extensive Joseph story (the stay in Egypt) is also historically true. He even refers to the classical Hyksos theory, which has now been dismissed by almost all experts. Perhaps there are better introductions that deal with both the substantive relevance and the historical value of the book of Genesis in a much better way. Of course, as a mythical and religious document this Bible-book still appeals to the imagination.
April 3, 2015
I first heard about the Jewish scholar, Nahum Sarna, on our trip to Israel last year. Our guide, Ray Vander Laan, referenced his work repeatedly and recommended that we read his books. After receiving Understanding Genesis (as well as Exploring Exodus) for Christmas, I was eager to receive what Sarna had to offer.
Sarna’s Understanding Genesis: The Heritage of Biblical Israel is a thirteen chapter journey through the book of Genesis. It is not a commentary as much as an introduction to the world of Genesis. So, not every story is covered and Sarna does not proceed verse-by-verse through any section. Instead, “the book…is designed to make the Bible of Israel intelligible, relevant and, hopefully, inspiring to a sophisticated generation” (from the introduction). Through rigorous use of textual and archaeological data, Understanding Genesis attempts to expose the Biblical text to the challenging questions of modern scholarship in order to get a greater sense of the purpose and power of the Bible.
His approach is both historical and theological. In the first half of the book, Sarna argues extensively that much of the material of Genesis 1-11 is drawn from shared stories of the ancient near east. Yet, these stories are not merely borrowed or adapted, but wholly transformed by the monotheism of biblical Israel. Unlike its pagan neighbors, who spoke of whimsical and untrustworthy gods, Genesis portrays God as wholly sovereign and wholly good.
In the second half of the book (Genesis 12-50), the focus shifts to the calling of Israel, its covenant relationship with God, and its place in salvation history. Again, the ethical monotheism of Israel is a stark contrast to its pagan neighbors. Sarna argues for the authenticity of these narratives in large part because of how little they fit in with later Israelite religion. If Israel were to make up these stories, they would not have made them so embarrassing. The patriarchs are continually broken, immoral people who serve a faithful God.
Nahum Sarna is a Jewish biblical scholar and Understanding Genesis is written from a uniquely Jewish perspective. Naturally, Sarna sees no allusions to Christ or his redemptive work. Sarna’s work is best when he addresses the tough historical questions related to the text. He is not a minimalist, so he is willing to consider that many of the stories are historical (or at least have a historical core). Even though I don’t agree with his historical assessment at every point, his approach and fearlessness produce some insightful results. Instead of undermining confidence in Scripture, Sarna sees the best archaeological and historical data as supporting Scripture.
Additionally, Understanding Genesis shines when Sarna attempts to grapple with the theological purpose in telling the narratives of Genesis. Scripture was not sanitized as it was written, but its composition was not neutral either. The shaping of stories has theological significance and must be read as revealing truth about God, humanity, and their relationship.
However, there are times where this delicate balance between historical and theological reading of Genesis is not held together well. Sarna occasionally gets bogged down in historical reconstruction and skips over entire stories, depriving readers of their theological significance. The book is uneven in coverage. For instance, the Battle of the Kings in Genesis 14 receives as much coverage as the whole story of Jacob and Esau, and the quest for the geographical location of Sodom and Gomorrah takes up the same amount of space as the theological importance of the story of its destruction.
Overall, I found Understanding Genesis to be thought-provoking and informative. It is a somewhat challenging book that I would recommend only to those already quite familiar with the book of Genesis.
Sarna’s Understanding Genesis: The Heritage of Biblical Israel is a thirteen chapter journey through the book of Genesis. It is not a commentary as much as an introduction to the world of Genesis. So, not every story is covered and Sarna does not proceed verse-by-verse through any section. Instead, “the book…is designed to make the Bible of Israel intelligible, relevant and, hopefully, inspiring to a sophisticated generation” (from the introduction). Through rigorous use of textual and archaeological data, Understanding Genesis attempts to expose the Biblical text to the challenging questions of modern scholarship in order to get a greater sense of the purpose and power of the Bible.
His approach is both historical and theological. In the first half of the book, Sarna argues extensively that much of the material of Genesis 1-11 is drawn from shared stories of the ancient near east. Yet, these stories are not merely borrowed or adapted, but wholly transformed by the monotheism of biblical Israel. Unlike its pagan neighbors, who spoke of whimsical and untrustworthy gods, Genesis portrays God as wholly sovereign and wholly good.
In the second half of the book (Genesis 12-50), the focus shifts to the calling of Israel, its covenant relationship with God, and its place in salvation history. Again, the ethical monotheism of Israel is a stark contrast to its pagan neighbors. Sarna argues for the authenticity of these narratives in large part because of how little they fit in with later Israelite religion. If Israel were to make up these stories, they would not have made them so embarrassing. The patriarchs are continually broken, immoral people who serve a faithful God.
Nahum Sarna is a Jewish biblical scholar and Understanding Genesis is written from a uniquely Jewish perspective. Naturally, Sarna sees no allusions to Christ or his redemptive work. Sarna’s work is best when he addresses the tough historical questions related to the text. He is not a minimalist, so he is willing to consider that many of the stories are historical (or at least have a historical core). Even though I don’t agree with his historical assessment at every point, his approach and fearlessness produce some insightful results. Instead of undermining confidence in Scripture, Sarna sees the best archaeological and historical data as supporting Scripture.
Additionally, Understanding Genesis shines when Sarna attempts to grapple with the theological purpose in telling the narratives of Genesis. Scripture was not sanitized as it was written, but its composition was not neutral either. The shaping of stories has theological significance and must be read as revealing truth about God, humanity, and their relationship.
However, there are times where this delicate balance between historical and theological reading of Genesis is not held together well. Sarna occasionally gets bogged down in historical reconstruction and skips over entire stories, depriving readers of their theological significance. The book is uneven in coverage. For instance, the Battle of the Kings in Genesis 14 receives as much coverage as the whole story of Jacob and Esau, and the quest for the geographical location of Sodom and Gomorrah takes up the same amount of space as the theological importance of the story of its destruction.
Overall, I found Understanding Genesis to be thought-provoking and informative. It is a somewhat challenging book that I would recommend only to those already quite familiar with the book of Genesis.
Want to read
December 27, 2011Recommended for people (like me) who are interested in the historical basis of the bible.
June 9, 2023
A lot of history, especially about Egypt and Sodom & Gomorrah's death in fire (prior to being flooded by the Dead Sea) has been discovered since this was written, but the Higher Criticism approach (not in the face of "the fundamentals", but preferring that method of analysis over the more Biblically centered one) of the book is unabbrasive and careful. The comparisons between Jewish and neighboring stories and practices is illuminating, even though it assumed much that is in the Bible is from elsewhere, instead of the other way around, often without a stated reason.
Be warned, if you're not a nerd, you may become one after reading this, and if you are, you'll get it.
In replying to a comment, my attention was sharpened a bit, and so I am adding to the review.
Since 1960 was a very long time ago, a lot has been very intriguingly fleshed out (the end of Sodom and Gomorrah is the flashiest, literally). For example, genetic paleoarchaeology shows Jews are very closely related to Pushtuns, which casts the Abrahamic wanderings, a renomadization from Mesopotamia is referenced, in a rather new light. Similarly, the recent Egyptian archaeology showing Nubian and desert nomad cultural and military-cultural dominance, despite our prejudice in favor of viewing fully settled peoples, as in the Nile Delta, as more advanced, would make some of the Professor's points better, and lead to better insights.
Be warned, if you're not a nerd, you may become one after reading this, and if you are, you'll get it.
In replying to a comment, my attention was sharpened a bit, and so I am adding to the review.
Since 1960 was a very long time ago, a lot has been very intriguingly fleshed out (the end of Sodom and Gomorrah is the flashiest, literally). For example, genetic paleoarchaeology shows Jews are very closely related to Pushtuns, which casts the Abrahamic wanderings, a renomadization from Mesopotamia is referenced, in a rather new light. Similarly, the recent Egyptian archaeology showing Nubian and desert nomad cultural and military-cultural dominance, despite our prejudice in favor of viewing fully settled peoples, as in the Nile Delta, as more advanced, would make some of the Professor's points better, and lead to better insights.
April 2, 2024
I first found out about this book through the Christian apologetics channel @InspiringPhilosophy on YouTube, where it was mentioned as source of reference in the Genesis series. There, it was argued that the creation story wasn't meant to be interpreted literally but rather metaphorically, a position which I myself subscribe to as well. This was the reason why this book had caught my interest when it was quoted in the video.
As the title of the book already reveals it to us, the biblical scholar Nahum Sarna investigates the historic and cultural context of the narrative contained in the first book of the Bible. The author's motive behind the book was to argue against the fundamentalist's position that a critical analysis of the biblical texts would pose a threat to faith and "that spiritual relevance can be maintained only at the expense of the intellect [...]". I agreed with him that "a challenge to the intellect may reinforce faith and purify it.", as he put it in the introduction of the book.
I had also always struggled with a literalist reading of the genesis story and was therefore particularly interested in the first three chapters of the book. Sarna claims that not only does a literalist understanding of the narrative disregard the mental process, worldview and modes of self-expression of the biblical writer, but it also misses many deeper meanings and messages that can be otherwise found within the text if one reads it exegetically. Another point that makes a lot of sense and which I agreed with.
Sarna further points out that the biblical narrative is "not science", in the subchapter of Chapter 1 by explaining that "biblical man [...] did not base his views of the universe and its laws on the critical use of empirical data. He had not, as yet, discovered the principles and methods of disciplined inquiry, critical observation or analytical experimentation" and that "his thinking was imaginative, and his expressions of thought were concrete, pictorial, emotional, and poetic." From this follows that it doesn't make much sense to read the creation account through the lens of our western modern scientific understanding.
Once this has been made clear, there ceases to be any conflict between science and religion. Thus, those who still claim that religious faith and an adherence to science cannot be reconciled can be proven wrong with this. There never was a conflict between those two (in my opinion).
Furthermore, the author shows us how some literary material has potentially been borrowed from other Near Eastern myths. The two main examples being the the creation myth contained within the Enuma Elish and the Epic of Gilgamesh, which has a similar flood story. While the author argues that the biblical writers have very likely been in contact with those stories and thus could have used it for inspiration, he also makes it clear how the biblical account completely breaks off from the previous pagan mythologies and notions about the world. Although the story in Genesis may share some similarities with other Mesopotamian myths, its aim to teach us about a monotheistic, omnipotent and omniscient God stands in stark contrast to the pagan traditions. The biblical writer thus wanted to make us understand that the God of the Bible stands above nature and all the pagan gods. This was certainly an interesting observation.
Moreover, I was fascinated by Sarna's analysis of the deeply symbolic meaning behind the numerology contained in the genealogies of the biblical personages. He claims that the ages of the people were not to be understood literally but that the numbers rather had a sacred significance. It also needs to be taken into account that the biblical writers used a different counting system and that they didn't aim to offer us a scientifically accurate historical record. According to Sarna, they employed a "schematized chronology" which is a "featuring of neatly balanced periods of time" and which "constitutes the poetic superstructure [...] for the biblical exposition of certain profound ideas about human events and their inner, deeper, meaning". Thus, the "numbers inform us, not about the precise passage of time, [...] but about the ideas that animate the biblical narrative". All of this was definitely a very enlightening revelation to me.
Some of the shortcomings of the book have already been mentioned in an older review of this book, namely that many parts of the genesis narrative have been left out and that the author spends more time analyzing some passages more than others, which would have been more interesting. I also couldn't agree with some of Sarna's claims. To me it seemed that he often jumped to the assumption that the material for a particular story had been borrowed from another near-eastern myth or tale and then reworked to convey a different message. This sometimes made it seem like the author was promoting the idea that the books of Genesis is an amalgamation of other ancient local myths. Or else I misunderstood him.
A Christian reader of this book will also be a bit disappointed by the lack of mentioning of the many hidden prophecies about Jesus, given that this was written by a Jewish scholar. We therefore get an exclusively Jewish perspective on the story of the book of Genesis. Despite all of that, it is still a very enrichening read which will help one gain a deeper understanding of the Bible.
To conclude, I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the judeo-christian religion or anyone who is studying theology since it meets all the demands of academic rigor. There are numerous references and sources which one can look up after each chapter and at the end of the book, not only English ones but also German and French sources. The author certainly invested a "lifetime of learning" into the writing of this book, as it is said on its cover.
A Christian who is serious about his or her Bible studies will also greatly benefit from reading this book, just like I was. Beware however, that one must have read the whole book of Genesis beforehand in order to better understand the commentary of each passage and chapter.
As the title of the book already reveals it to us, the biblical scholar Nahum Sarna investigates the historic and cultural context of the narrative contained in the first book of the Bible. The author's motive behind the book was to argue against the fundamentalist's position that a critical analysis of the biblical texts would pose a threat to faith and "that spiritual relevance can be maintained only at the expense of the intellect [...]". I agreed with him that "a challenge to the intellect may reinforce faith and purify it.", as he put it in the introduction of the book.
I had also always struggled with a literalist reading of the genesis story and was therefore particularly interested in the first three chapters of the book. Sarna claims that not only does a literalist understanding of the narrative disregard the mental process, worldview and modes of self-expression of the biblical writer, but it also misses many deeper meanings and messages that can be otherwise found within the text if one reads it exegetically. Another point that makes a lot of sense and which I agreed with.
Sarna further points out that the biblical narrative is "not science", in the subchapter of Chapter 1 by explaining that "biblical man [...] did not base his views of the universe and its laws on the critical use of empirical data. He had not, as yet, discovered the principles and methods of disciplined inquiry, critical observation or analytical experimentation" and that "his thinking was imaginative, and his expressions of thought were concrete, pictorial, emotional, and poetic." From this follows that it doesn't make much sense to read the creation account through the lens of our western modern scientific understanding.
Once this has been made clear, there ceases to be any conflict between science and religion. Thus, those who still claim that religious faith and an adherence to science cannot be reconciled can be proven wrong with this. There never was a conflict between those two (in my opinion).
Furthermore, the author shows us how some literary material has potentially been borrowed from other Near Eastern myths. The two main examples being the the creation myth contained within the Enuma Elish and the Epic of Gilgamesh, which has a similar flood story. While the author argues that the biblical writers have very likely been in contact with those stories and thus could have used it for inspiration, he also makes it clear how the biblical account completely breaks off from the previous pagan mythologies and notions about the world. Although the story in Genesis may share some similarities with other Mesopotamian myths, its aim to teach us about a monotheistic, omnipotent and omniscient God stands in stark contrast to the pagan traditions. The biblical writer thus wanted to make us understand that the God of the Bible stands above nature and all the pagan gods. This was certainly an interesting observation.
Moreover, I was fascinated by Sarna's analysis of the deeply symbolic meaning behind the numerology contained in the genealogies of the biblical personages. He claims that the ages of the people were not to be understood literally but that the numbers rather had a sacred significance. It also needs to be taken into account that the biblical writers used a different counting system and that they didn't aim to offer us a scientifically accurate historical record. According to Sarna, they employed a "schematized chronology" which is a "featuring of neatly balanced periods of time" and which "constitutes the poetic superstructure [...] for the biblical exposition of certain profound ideas about human events and their inner, deeper, meaning". Thus, the "numbers inform us, not about the precise passage of time, [...] but about the ideas that animate the biblical narrative". All of this was definitely a very enlightening revelation to me.
Some of the shortcomings of the book have already been mentioned in an older review of this book, namely that many parts of the genesis narrative have been left out and that the author spends more time analyzing some passages more than others, which would have been more interesting. I also couldn't agree with some of Sarna's claims. To me it seemed that he often jumped to the assumption that the material for a particular story had been borrowed from another near-eastern myth or tale and then reworked to convey a different message. This sometimes made it seem like the author was promoting the idea that the books of Genesis is an amalgamation of other ancient local myths. Or else I misunderstood him.
A Christian reader of this book will also be a bit disappointed by the lack of mentioning of the many hidden prophecies about Jesus, given that this was written by a Jewish scholar. We therefore get an exclusively Jewish perspective on the story of the book of Genesis. Despite all of that, it is still a very enrichening read which will help one gain a deeper understanding of the Bible.
To conclude, I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the judeo-christian religion or anyone who is studying theology since it meets all the demands of academic rigor. There are numerous references and sources which one can look up after each chapter and at the end of the book, not only English ones but also German and French sources. The author certainly invested a "lifetime of learning" into the writing of this book, as it is said on its cover.
A Christian who is serious about his or her Bible studies will also greatly benefit from reading this book, just like I was. Beware however, that one must have read the whole book of Genesis beforehand in order to better understand the commentary of each passage and chapter.
June 10, 2013
Very interesting, and not at all difficult. I enjoyed the way Sarna showed connections between Biblical stories and Mesopotamian/Egyptian myths, history, and cultural practices, and then suggested the radically different worldview indicated by the changed details and emphasis in the Bible stories. Just the right level of detail for this interested but not scholarly reader!
November 22, 2018
Great summary and a good counter of what would be called the mythical vision where all religions are the same or use the same myths in the same way (Eliade, Jung, Peterson). Really edifying and even considering its Jewish origin, a text many Christians will find themselves agreeing with.
March 25, 2019
Dr. Sarna (1923-2005) was a Jewish theologian best known for this book and his Genesis and Exodus contributions to the Torah Commentary Series sanctioned by the jewish Publication Society (JPS). Sarna does rely quite often on the Mari Tablets (about 15,000 writings have been unearthed in this ancient N. Syrian home to the extinct Amorite people; the French have been excavating here since 1933) and Nuzi documents (found in Iraq) to verify cultural background to the Jewish patriarchs - a position called into question of late (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuzi_texts).
Sarna's book has been adequately reviewed by other contributors, so I refer you to them. The criticism about the rather sparse treatment on the Joseph story in "Understanding Genesis" can be remedied by anyone who wishes to study Sarna's JPS Genesis commentary.
Sarna's book has been adequately reviewed by other contributors, so I refer you to them. The criticism about the rather sparse treatment on the Joseph story in "Understanding Genesis" can be remedied by anyone who wishes to study Sarna's JPS Genesis commentary.
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May 8, 2025This still seems to me to be a good general introduction to the text of the first book of the Hebrew Bible. But of course, when it comes to the historical background, it is very outdated. The earliest history of Israel is still very much shrouded in mist, but in 60 years a considerable amount of archaeological and non-biblical textual material has been added, and there is also more insight into the redaction history of the biblical texts. As a result, it has become clear that the Bible is very problematic as a historical source, one book more than the other. In this respect, Sarna seems to still hold on to completely outdated views.
March 20, 2011
Sarna wrote an easy to access introduction to a historical treatment of Genesis. He brings in relevant parallels found in Near Eastern culture including repeated use of Nuzi texts for parallels to social norms. Some of the stuff he presents is highly speculative, such as his treatment of the place of Sodom and Gomorrah,and placing a possible location under the Dead Sea based on some nearby ruins. I am puzzled as to why he didn't deal with source criticism but I don't think his aim was a thorough overview of the scholarly viewpoint but rather to make a book accessible to believers as well.
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September 26, 2024- Mesopotamia viewed the 7 and any multiple of 7 as a bad omen when it came to a lunar calender, yet Israel viewed it with positive connotation instead. Shabbat and shappatu share a similar wording, but shabbat means "cease from work" which has a diff meaning than shappatu
- Even though God creates sea monsters, like leviathans, theres no cosmic combat myth within the structure of Genesis. Leviathans are creations of God and do not seem to try to oppose him much as opposition to Babylonian myths.
- Cain kills Abel, but his premeditated murder could not be premeditated as of which there was no innate concept of death and murder. Yet his anguish was still condemned, he committed fratricide since everybody was considered a child of God. He became a social pariah because he committed a crime against man and society, and through that he sinned against God.
- The Flood story is similar to mesopotamian stories like the Epic of Atrahasis. with the whole word flooding, Gilgamesh also visits Utnapishtim, who gains his immortality through surviving a flood ridded with godly civil chaos.
- God is transcendent and has full dominion, leaving the flood as not a freak of nature like in the Mesopotamian myths, but as a divine decision. Whilst the mesopotamian gods quarreled and were limited.
-Babel derives from akkadian, babil-im, "Gate of god", Biblical author satirizes this name into a meaning of incompatible speech. Mocking pagan beliefs. The tower or ziqqurat served as a source of pride for the citizens, a social and religious sin against God. the ziqqurat symbolized a mountain, something in ancient near eastern religion was a sort of abode of the gods, where they descent and meet human beings; revelation. it was the mediator, the navel of the earth, axis mundi.
-patriarchs ages are symbolic in ancient near eastern context, The 480 product of years serving is the multiple of 12 x 40 (abraham to joseph), 40 as a number has a particularly large significance in israel. patriarchal period is meant to be schematical and rhetorical. significant events expressed as multiples of 5 and 7 (abrahams death, isaacs death, jacobs death)
-the patriarchs premosaic covenant engaged in more later diabolical acts, like jacob who married two of his sisters. the archaic nature of the patriarchs is indisputably not of developed ideas, it is substantial in telling.
- the displacement of amorites was by the universal binding law, for they sinned against God, there was why, in the covenant, the ownership was transferred. To cut a covenant derives from cutting an animal to seal a treaty.
- Concubinage in Genesis 16, was normal premosaic covenant, Nuzi texts describe on how if a wife was barren, she must grab another in her place to bear.
-Circumcision was practiced by many lands, including Egypt. So God ordered this not as a new rite, but a transformation of a previous and already dwelling one.
- When God 'annihilated' Sodom and Gomorrah, it suggests a tone of earthquake, rather than a volcano, since scientists in that region have not suggested any eruption. It couldve been mixed with asphalt and bitumen, and ignited it. Which is why in Gen 19:28, it references that the smoke is similar to a smoke of a kiln. Sodom and Gomorrah couldve been an independent narrative from Abraham, since theres not really evidence to suggest the substantiality of the story.
- The literary device of "Go forth" is a parallel between Haran and the Akedah. Emmunah, a hebrew word that is defined as faithfulness, and stead fast loyalty appears quite often in the text. God's essential quality is emunnah.
-Thigh in ancient israelite context is reflective and derives from the sense of reproductive organs. It is the solemnty of oath placed, especially on parts that are integral to ones identity. He would be the father to many nations, "exceedingly fertile". The correlation of that of which can be paralleled.
-The struggle in Rebekahs womb of the "two nations" is the retrojection of further prophecy, of inheritance, and soon war. This is further dramatized in where Jacob is seen clenching on Esaus foot. Yet even though the Bible prophesizes, it does not condone Jacobs trickery. The firstborn right in israelite tradition recounts that it becomes an exclusive divine possession of God, the concomitant being that obligations are placed onto the firstborn.
-Bethel is seen as repugnant in later israelite traditions, like by amos and hosea, satirizing it to "House of delusion" despite this, the early tradition connecting Jacob to Bethel was never changed nor edited. Abraham is twice recording worshipping as Bethel, so it could be an anachronism.
-Jacob's family, or families in Genesis, were rather clans. Patriarchs were head of clans, the story of jacob leans more into an historical document bc of the fact it contained good genealogies.
-Ancient Near eastern context values dreams, predictably, and that could be the case for Joseph, which dreams were applied to ones personality
-Joseph sees himself as "Father of God" in reference to the fact Egyptians called themselve gods, meaning he was of good status in relation. He becomes secretary of agriculture in egypt, a strange job after being a nomadic semite shepherd boy for the years of early life. The hyksos invaders probably took Joseph in bc of his semitic background, as relation, hyksos also had a chariot and a horse to ride around, and Joseph being able to do just that, means it was under hyksos domination.
- Even though God creates sea monsters, like leviathans, theres no cosmic combat myth within the structure of Genesis. Leviathans are creations of God and do not seem to try to oppose him much as opposition to Babylonian myths.
- Cain kills Abel, but his premeditated murder could not be premeditated as of which there was no innate concept of death and murder. Yet his anguish was still condemned, he committed fratricide since everybody was considered a child of God. He became a social pariah because he committed a crime against man and society, and through that he sinned against God.
- The Flood story is similar to mesopotamian stories like the Epic of Atrahasis. with the whole word flooding, Gilgamesh also visits Utnapishtim, who gains his immortality through surviving a flood ridded with godly civil chaos.
- God is transcendent and has full dominion, leaving the flood as not a freak of nature like in the Mesopotamian myths, but as a divine decision. Whilst the mesopotamian gods quarreled and were limited.
-Babel derives from akkadian, babil-im, "Gate of god", Biblical author satirizes this name into a meaning of incompatible speech. Mocking pagan beliefs. The tower or ziqqurat served as a source of pride for the citizens, a social and religious sin against God. the ziqqurat symbolized a mountain, something in ancient near eastern religion was a sort of abode of the gods, where they descent and meet human beings; revelation. it was the mediator, the navel of the earth, axis mundi.
-patriarchs ages are symbolic in ancient near eastern context, The 480 product of years serving is the multiple of 12 x 40 (abraham to joseph), 40 as a number has a particularly large significance in israel. patriarchal period is meant to be schematical and rhetorical. significant events expressed as multiples of 5 and 7 (abrahams death, isaacs death, jacobs death)
-the patriarchs premosaic covenant engaged in more later diabolical acts, like jacob who married two of his sisters. the archaic nature of the patriarchs is indisputably not of developed ideas, it is substantial in telling.
- the displacement of amorites was by the universal binding law, for they sinned against God, there was why, in the covenant, the ownership was transferred. To cut a covenant derives from cutting an animal to seal a treaty.
- Concubinage in Genesis 16, was normal premosaic covenant, Nuzi texts describe on how if a wife was barren, she must grab another in her place to bear.
-Circumcision was practiced by many lands, including Egypt. So God ordered this not as a new rite, but a transformation of a previous and already dwelling one.
- When God 'annihilated' Sodom and Gomorrah, it suggests a tone of earthquake, rather than a volcano, since scientists in that region have not suggested any eruption. It couldve been mixed with asphalt and bitumen, and ignited it. Which is why in Gen 19:28, it references that the smoke is similar to a smoke of a kiln. Sodom and Gomorrah couldve been an independent narrative from Abraham, since theres not really evidence to suggest the substantiality of the story.
- The literary device of "Go forth" is a parallel between Haran and the Akedah. Emmunah, a hebrew word that is defined as faithfulness, and stead fast loyalty appears quite often in the text. God's essential quality is emunnah.
-Thigh in ancient israelite context is reflective and derives from the sense of reproductive organs. It is the solemnty of oath placed, especially on parts that are integral to ones identity. He would be the father to many nations, "exceedingly fertile". The correlation of that of which can be paralleled.
-The struggle in Rebekahs womb of the "two nations" is the retrojection of further prophecy, of inheritance, and soon war. This is further dramatized in where Jacob is seen clenching on Esaus foot. Yet even though the Bible prophesizes, it does not condone Jacobs trickery. The firstborn right in israelite tradition recounts that it becomes an exclusive divine possession of God, the concomitant being that obligations are placed onto the firstborn.
-Bethel is seen as repugnant in later israelite traditions, like by amos and hosea, satirizing it to "House of delusion" despite this, the early tradition connecting Jacob to Bethel was never changed nor edited. Abraham is twice recording worshipping as Bethel, so it could be an anachronism.
-Jacob's family, or families in Genesis, were rather clans. Patriarchs were head of clans, the story of jacob leans more into an historical document bc of the fact it contained good genealogies.
-Ancient Near eastern context values dreams, predictably, and that could be the case for Joseph, which dreams were applied to ones personality
-Joseph sees himself as "Father of God" in reference to the fact Egyptians called themselve gods, meaning he was of good status in relation. He becomes secretary of agriculture in egypt, a strange job after being a nomadic semite shepherd boy for the years of early life. The hyksos invaders probably took Joseph in bc of his semitic background, as relation, hyksos also had a chariot and a horse to ride around, and Joseph being able to do just that, means it was under hyksos domination.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2020
Stunningly eviscerates the historical or source criticism that purports to show that the stories in Genesis are made-up or simply copied and therefore just folktales. Not satisfied with standing-down one group of critics, Mr. Sarna goes on to lecture Bible literalists by pointing out the simple truth that God is not limited to revealing Himself via one document, so there is nothing to fear from the critics' contentions of multiple sources for Genesis.
For example, critics frequently point out similarities of the Genesis Creation and Flood accounts to other Near-Eastern stories. Mr. Sarna points out that it is not in the similarities but in the differences that the Biblical account stands head-and-shoulders above its rivals. In contrast to the mythical Mesopotamian stories of capricious gods and their farcical lives, the God of the Bible has no beginning and no struggles with chaos resulting in Creation: there is simply nothing to tell about an all-powerful, self-evident, self-existent One. He speaks and the world exists, and that is all that needs to be said.
Do not laugh at the raw power of this belief. After all, we must account for the triumph of the Judeo-Christian worldview when all other contemporary worldviews have been utterly eliminated. As Christine Hayes points out in her Yale Courses YouTube lecture serious, the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon with their worldview intact - what happened to everyone else?
Mr. Sarna returns to this point at least once: the Jewish worldview had a strong streak of optimism, which contrasted quite favorably with the anxiety and resulting malaise of the Mesopotamian worldview. I also found fascinating his point that the pagan gods are so insignificant in the eyes of the Biblical writers that they are utterly ignorant of any of the gods' characteristics. For example, there is no word in Hebrew for "goddess."
Here, however, we do come to what must be the modern successor of paganism, none other than the godless worldview of today. After all, in a pagan worldview there is no absolute authority and nothing essentially good. The Bible holds such views as illegitimate. God is good, or He is nothing.
Finally, Mr. Sarnu contradicts the popular critics who deride God as a petty tyrant jealous of the worship of other gods. But the Bible does not claim false worship as the reason why the world was destroyed in a Flood or for the destruction of Sodom. Instead, the Bible points to the social failures and lack of recognition of a common humanity as the reasons for their destruction. One wonders if the critics will measure up to the Biblical standard on this point.
Mr. Sarna's pithiest points are all covered in the first part of the book. It's quite a punch in the gut, and takes just a few short pages. Read at your peril.
For example, critics frequently point out similarities of the Genesis Creation and Flood accounts to other Near-Eastern stories. Mr. Sarna points out that it is not in the similarities but in the differences that the Biblical account stands head-and-shoulders above its rivals. In contrast to the mythical Mesopotamian stories of capricious gods and their farcical lives, the God of the Bible has no beginning and no struggles with chaos resulting in Creation: there is simply nothing to tell about an all-powerful, self-evident, self-existent One. He speaks and the world exists, and that is all that needs to be said.
Do not laugh at the raw power of this belief. After all, we must account for the triumph of the Judeo-Christian worldview when all other contemporary worldviews have been utterly eliminated. As Christine Hayes points out in her Yale Courses YouTube lecture serious, the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon with their worldview intact - what happened to everyone else?
Mr. Sarna returns to this point at least once: the Jewish worldview had a strong streak of optimism, which contrasted quite favorably with the anxiety and resulting malaise of the Mesopotamian worldview. I also found fascinating his point that the pagan gods are so insignificant in the eyes of the Biblical writers that they are utterly ignorant of any of the gods' characteristics. For example, there is no word in Hebrew for "goddess."
Here, however, we do come to what must be the modern successor of paganism, none other than the godless worldview of today. After all, in a pagan worldview there is no absolute authority and nothing essentially good. The Bible holds such views as illegitimate. God is good, or He is nothing.
Finally, Mr. Sarnu contradicts the popular critics who deride God as a petty tyrant jealous of the worship of other gods. But the Bible does not claim false worship as the reason why the world was destroyed in a Flood or for the destruction of Sodom. Instead, the Bible points to the social failures and lack of recognition of a common humanity as the reasons for their destruction. One wonders if the critics will measure up to the Biblical standard on this point.
Mr. Sarna's pithiest points are all covered in the first part of the book. It's quite a punch in the gut, and takes just a few short pages. Read at your peril.
December 27, 2024
Professor Sarna’s book on Genesis serves as a profound companion to reading the weekly Torah portion. By skillfully weaving together archaeology, comparative cultures, and a sensitive reading of Biblical theology, Sarna explores two main themes.
The first theme revolves around Genesis’ frequent use of stories and tropes from surrounding cultures. However, Sarna demonstrates how these elements are transformed and utilized in a distinctly different manner, shaping the creation of a vastly different religion. For instance, the creation narrative serves as a polemic against paganism and introduces fundamental religious ideas throughout biblical literature. It offers insights into the nature of the one God, the creator, asserting that He transcends the realm of nature and is beyond the reach of magic. This notion is further emphasized by the absence of stories about events in God’s life, underscoring the divine transcendence.
Moreover, the creation narrative reveals the unique nature of humanity, portraying us as God-like creatures endowed with dignity, honor, and infinite worth in God’s hands. God has entrusted His creation, and the narrative delves into the biblical concept of reality, proclaiming the inherent goodness of life and assuming a universal moral order governing human society. Sarna’s book is replete with such examples, such as the unique role of dream interpreters, exemplified by Joseph, who holds this position only when working for Pharaoh.
The second theme centers around the striking similarities between Genesis’ small details and what we know about other cultures. This suggests that Genesis serves as a reliable portrayal of life during that era. Sarna’s book has significantly deepened my understanding of Genesis, its place within world culture, and its meaning.
The first theme revolves around Genesis’ frequent use of stories and tropes from surrounding cultures. However, Sarna demonstrates how these elements are transformed and utilized in a distinctly different manner, shaping the creation of a vastly different religion. For instance, the creation narrative serves as a polemic against paganism and introduces fundamental religious ideas throughout biblical literature. It offers insights into the nature of the one God, the creator, asserting that He transcends the realm of nature and is beyond the reach of magic. This notion is further emphasized by the absence of stories about events in God’s life, underscoring the divine transcendence.
Moreover, the creation narrative reveals the unique nature of humanity, portraying us as God-like creatures endowed with dignity, honor, and infinite worth in God’s hands. God has entrusted His creation, and the narrative delves into the biblical concept of reality, proclaiming the inherent goodness of life and assuming a universal moral order governing human society. Sarna’s book is replete with such examples, such as the unique role of dream interpreters, exemplified by Joseph, who holds this position only when working for Pharaoh.
The second theme centers around the striking similarities between Genesis’ small details and what we know about other cultures. This suggests that Genesis serves as a reliable portrayal of life during that era. Sarna’s book has significantly deepened my understanding of Genesis, its place within world culture, and its meaning.
January 20, 2024
Genesis is one of the most popular and widely read Biblical books. Even if they haven't read it, many people know the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, Jacob, Esau and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Genesis can also be very confusing and alien to a modern readereship.
Nahum Sarna in the 1960s, along with others, began the Melton Research Center's amibitious project the Heritage of Biblical Israel. Understanding Genesis was the initial volume.
Making use of the (at the time) newly discovered Nuzi tablets, Sarna sought to help the reader place the book of Genesis in its Ancient Near Eastern context. He demonstrates the similiarties and differences between Genesis and other ANE writings (such as the Enuma Elish and other Egyptian tales).
Striking a middle road, Sarna wants to understand the book of Genesis as having historical references but with embellishes, changes and other literary developments. Being a Jewish scholar, he is not bound to the Protestant notion of Biblical inerrancy or historical infallibility. Sarna's concern is how the text has been shaped to demonstrate the theology of the author(s) and how the reader should understand it.
This volume provides an invaluable resource for readers who want to understand the Bible more. This book will anger and be dismissed by conservative Evangelicals and Fundamentalists who will object to Sarna's historical reconstructions. It will also prove disappointing to the biblical minimalist who will criticize Sarna's more conservative assertions.
Sarna's writing is clear, concise and relatively free from Academic jargon. It will prove stimulating for anyone who is interested to read.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in biblical studies.
Grade: A
Nahum Sarna in the 1960s, along with others, began the Melton Research Center's amibitious project the Heritage of Biblical Israel. Understanding Genesis was the initial volume.
Making use of the (at the time) newly discovered Nuzi tablets, Sarna sought to help the reader place the book of Genesis in its Ancient Near Eastern context. He demonstrates the similiarties and differences between Genesis and other ANE writings (such as the Enuma Elish and other Egyptian tales).
Striking a middle road, Sarna wants to understand the book of Genesis as having historical references but with embellishes, changes and other literary developments. Being a Jewish scholar, he is not bound to the Protestant notion of Biblical inerrancy or historical infallibility. Sarna's concern is how the text has been shaped to demonstrate the theology of the author(s) and how the reader should understand it.
This volume provides an invaluable resource for readers who want to understand the Bible more. This book will anger and be dismissed by conservative Evangelicals and Fundamentalists who will object to Sarna's historical reconstructions. It will also prove disappointing to the biblical minimalist who will criticize Sarna's more conservative assertions.
Sarna's writing is clear, concise and relatively free from Academic jargon. It will prove stimulating for anyone who is interested to read.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in biblical studies.
Grade: A
July 13, 2023
Although traditionally observant, the author, an important Jewish writer, was an influential modern biblical scholar. In this book, he tries to show the value that textual criticism can add to understanding the book of Genesis, particularly by giving us a way to compare the Bible with other literature and religious ideas. He shows what modern scholars believe to be signs of borrowing by anonymous authors and editors from the more dominant surrounding cultures, out of which the Genesis story was constructed, which, once aware of them, provide the foundation for a method of contrast and validation so that the Bible's uniqueness and authenticity stand out all the more starkly. The title seems to promise much more than that, but if that's your impression, adjust your expectations accordingly, and you'll probably enjoy the book.
Read
August 3, 2023Glad to have discovered this when I did, (almost 7 years ago!). A solid and mostly accessible introduction to the historical-critical method through the lens of a specific biblical text, while at the same time maintaining a distinct theological bent—what Kugel might call "critical-lite"—drawing comparisons to neighboring cultures while taking pains to point out how "special" or "different" Israelite religion was from its ancient near eastern parallels. Made things easier to swallow, especially as someone who before this was 110% ignorant about the findings of actual biblical scholarship. Very good for somebody just starting out, albeit a bit dated
January 14, 2024
I thoroughly identify with the perspective that this analysis of the first book of the Torah takes. Sometimes there appears to be a contradiction with religion and intellectualism but using critical biblical commentary and historical comparisons of rites and laws within the time of the Patriarchs, a whole new level of Torah study is uncovered that agrees with modern historical analysis. I greatly enjoyed my read of this book and I am looking forward to Sarna's work regarding Exodus.
August 6, 2023
Jewish perspective on the Book of Genesis. It's at its best when comparing Genesis to pagan polytheistic systems. The contrast between Genesis and myth was really eye-opening to me. The description of God in the Bible is completely different than what you see in myth literature. I did feel this book was good, if sporadic, on details, but could have been stronger on developing a theme.
January 17, 2023
This was a fantastic companion to my understanding of Genesis. The background information Sarna provides on all the peoples of the area, including their culture, their religion, their history gave me an understandable guide through this first book of the Hebrew Bible.
April 24, 2018
Better than most, but still not very satisfying (perhaps because it's quite dated by now?). It's at least worth consulting.
August 14, 2018
I really enjoyed the perspective of this! A bit dry at times though..reads like a textbook so keeping that in mind it’s not so bad.
September 1, 2024
A good start for someone that wants to rid themselves of childish views on the Bible and the history/myth surrounding it.
June 13, 2022
Surely outdated in some of the details, and his basic framework will not be shared by conservative readers, but there is a lot of helpful stuff here. Better than a commentary in many regards, a worthwhile read for coming to grips with Genesis. Especially appreciated his approach to Ancient Near Eastern parallels.
February 22, 2025
some notes i found particularly profound:
“ the holy mount was looked upon as the center of the universe, the "navel of the earth, " the very axis mundi.”
“ But this is one of those instances in which a Hebrew word cannot be adequately translated into another language. In the course of its linguistic metamorphosis the force of the original has become vitiated. The Hebrew root sa'aq/za'aq indicates the anguished cry of the oppressed, the agonized plea of the victim for help in some great injustice. A few examples of the Hebrew usage will suffice to
illustrate the degree of poignancy and pathos, of moral outrage and soul-stirring passion that pervades the Hebrew word.”
“ Be it coincidental or otherwise, one cannot fail to be impressed by the fact that it is this man who is the first person of whom it is expressly recorded in the Bible that he prayed for personal divine guidance at a critical moment of his life. We note that he did not ask for a miraculous intervention of God to designate the future bride of Isaac. On the contrary, he himself decided upon the criteria of suitability and choice. He prayed, rather, that his exercise of discretion might be in accordance
with God's will.
"... let the maiden to whom I say, 'Please lower your jar that I may
drink,' and who replies, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels'—let
her be the one whom you have decreed for your servant Isaac." (24:14)
“They are both nameless and characterless, vanishing as suddenly as they appear. The use of angelic imagery is not allowed to violate the non-mythological nature of the religion”
“ the holy mount was looked upon as the center of the universe, the "navel of the earth, " the very axis mundi.”
“ But this is one of those instances in which a Hebrew word cannot be adequately translated into another language. In the course of its linguistic metamorphosis the force of the original has become vitiated. The Hebrew root sa'aq/za'aq indicates the anguished cry of the oppressed, the agonized plea of the victim for help in some great injustice. A few examples of the Hebrew usage will suffice to
illustrate the degree of poignancy and pathos, of moral outrage and soul-stirring passion that pervades the Hebrew word.”
“ Be it coincidental or otherwise, one cannot fail to be impressed by the fact that it is this man who is the first person of whom it is expressly recorded in the Bible that he prayed for personal divine guidance at a critical moment of his life. We note that he did not ask for a miraculous intervention of God to designate the future bride of Isaac. On the contrary, he himself decided upon the criteria of suitability and choice. He prayed, rather, that his exercise of discretion might be in accordance
with God's will.
"... let the maiden to whom I say, 'Please lower your jar that I may
drink,' and who replies, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels'—let
her be the one whom you have decreed for your servant Isaac." (24:14)
“They are both nameless and characterless, vanishing as suddenly as they appear. The use of angelic imagery is not allowed to violate the non-mythological nature of the religion”
December 22, 2010
This book has probably helped me most in my understanding of Genesis 1-11. (Since I was interested just in this part of Genesis, I read Sarna's commentary only to that point.) Viewing these chapters in a non-literal, non-historical way, Sarna nevertheless draws very meaningful teaching about God and his work. Most from my tradition (Presbyterian Church in America) will not agree with him, but I found it enlightening for my questions.
August 8, 2021
This is a superb explication of the fascinating and, at times, bewildering first book of the Bible. Sarna's gift is to touch upon both historical questions and theological meaning with conciseness and precision while still affording each chapter with substance and new insight. Although originally published in 1966, his scholarship is still very much valuable today. His accessibility is most welcome and one of the reasons for this books popularity.
April 17, 2013
This is a classic and I really liked it. I found it ironic, though, that William Albright gave a blurb on the back cover. He seems to gravitate towards Kaufman's revolutionary model more than I would have thought, but I feel like he gives a good assessment of the pros and cons of the 19th century German Source Critics. I will read more of his.
Want to read
June 5, 2013I can't rate this fairly as I've barely gotten into it but it is definitely not the droid I'm looking for. That said, if we had worlds enough and time, this sure would be an interesting read. But I have a lot of the Western literary canon to tackle and an unknown amount of time in which to do it so I need to move on for now.
September 1, 2010
A splendid book about Genesis. The author is knowledgeable about Mesopotamia and archeological discoveries. He brings profound insights to Genesis. I realize as I never have before that Genesis contains a bottomless source of wisdom. I'll come back to this book many times!
June 28, 2013
Great treatment of Genesis in historical context, the transition from paganism to monotheism, and contrasts with Israel's ancestor cultures. It's missing analysis of the actual writing of Genesis, so I'll need some other book for that.
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