Old Testament · 50 chapters
Genesis
Author
Traditionally attributed to Moses
Written
c. 1400s BC (traditional dating)
Themes
Creation · Covenant · Family · Beginnings
Genesis opens the Bible with the creation of the world, the early history of humanity, and the story of one family — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph — through whom the rest of the Bible's story unfolds.
Outline
Creation and early humanityChapters 1-11
AbrahamChapters 12-25
Isaac and JacobChapters 25-36
Joseph in EgyptChapters 37-50
Where to begin
Chapters 1-3 (creation), then 12 (the call of Abraham), then 37 (the start of Joseph's story) if reading selectively.