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About the “Torah”
The Torah, or "Teaching," is also known as the five books of Moses, thus Chumash or Pentateuch
(Hebrew and Greek for "five," respectively).
The Pentateuch is composed of the following five books:
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I Genesis (Bereisheet ,)‫בראשית‬
II Exodus (Shemot ,)‫שמות‬
III Leviticus (Vayikra ,)‫ויקרא‬
IV Numbers (Bemidbar dna ,)‫במדבר‬
V Deuteronomy (Devarim )‫דברים‬
The Hebrew book titles come from the first words in the respective texts. The Hebrew title for Numbers,
however, comes from the fifth word of that text.
Judaism is an Abrahamic religion -- faiths which recognize Abraham as a Patriarch. Others include
Christianity Islam, and the Baha'i Faith. Although Jews comprise only about 0.2% of the human race,
Jewish influence on the world has been vast -- far more than their numbers would indicate.
Hebrews: ‫ עברים‬or ‫עבריים‬, meaning "descendants of biblical Patriarch Eber"; people who lived in Canaan,
an area encompassing Israel, both banks of the Jordan River (The West Bank and Jordan), Sinai,
Lebanon, and the coastal portions of Syria.
3 Key components:
The Torah focuses on three moments in the changing relationship between God and people.
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The first eleven chapters of Genesis provide accounts of the creation (or ordering) of the world
and the history of God's early relationship with humanity.
The remaining thirty-nine chapters of Genesis provide an account of God's covenant with the
Hebrew patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (also called Israel), and Jacob's children (the
"Children of Israel"), especially Joseph. It tells of how God commanded Abraham to leave his
family and home in the city of Ur, eventually to settle in the land of Canaan, and how the Children
of Israel later moved to Egypt.
The remaining four books of the Torah tell the story of Moses, who lived hundreds of years after
the patriarchs. His story coincides with the story of the liberation of the Children of Israel from
slavery in Egypt, to the renewal of their covenant with God at Mount Sinai, and their wanderings
in the desert until a new generation would be ready to enter the land of Canaan. The Torah ends
with the death of Moses.
Overview – More about Genesis, “The Beginning”
Circa 2000 BCE, the ancient Israelites established a divine covenant with Abraham, making him the
patriarch of many nations. The term Abrahamic Religions is derived from his name. These are the three
or four major religions which trace their roots back to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the
Baha'i World Faith.
The book of Genesis describes the events surrounding the lives of the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. (Joseph, who is recognized as a fourth patriarch by Christians is not considered one by
Jews). Moses was the next major leader of the ancient Israelites. He led his people out of captivity in
Egypt, and received the Mosaic Law. After decades of wandering through wilderness, Joshua led the
tribes into the Promised Land, driving out the Canaanites through a series of military battles.
The original tribal organization was converted into a kingdom by Samuel; its first king was Saul. The
second king, David, established Jerusalem as the religious and political center. The third king, Solomon
built the first temple there.
Division into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah occurred shortly after the
death of Solomon in 922 BCE. Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BCE; Judah fell to the Babylonians in 587 BCE.
The temple was destroyed. Some Jews returned from captivity under the Babylonians and started to
restore the temple in 536 BCE. (Orthodox Jews date the Babylonian exile from 422 to 352 BCE).
Alexander the Great invaded the area in 332 BCE. From circa 300 to 63 BCE, Greek became the
language of commerce, and Greek culture had a major influence on Judaism. In 63 BCE, the Roman
Empire took control of Judea and Israel.
Miscellaneous
CE stands for "Common Era." It is a relatively new term that is experiencing increased usage and is
expected to eventually replace AD. The latter is an abbreviation for "Anno Domini" in Latin or "the year of
the Lord" in English. The latter refers to the approximate birth year of Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus
Christ). CE and AD have the same and value. 2006CE = 2006AD.
BCE stands for "Before the common era." It is expected to eventually replace BC, which means "Before
Christ," or "Before the Messiah." BC and BCE are also identical in value. Most theologians and religious
historians believe that the approximate birth date of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus) was in the fall, sometime
between 7 and 4 BCE, although we have seen estimates as late as 4 CE and as early as the second
century BCE.
Sections Of Genesis to Cover
I. The Creation
Chapter 1, Chapter 2: v1 – 3
II. First Sign of Sin (Introduction To Good and Evil)
Chapter 2:9, Chapter 3: 1 –22
III. The Patriarch’s
a) The Sign of the Covenant (Abraham)
Chapter 17: 1 – 9
b) The Birth of Isaac
Chapter 21:1 – 5, Chapter 22: 1 – 9
c) Isaac Blesses Jacob Chapter 27