First book of the Bible .
Its name, taken from its first verse, means "beginning." Genesis provides the creation story for Judaism and Christianity and begins the history of the Israelite people. In addition to God's creation of the universe, it includes the story of Adam and Eve , Cain and Abel , Noah and the Flood, the Tower of covenant with the three patriarchs, Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob , concluding with the story of Jacob's son Joseph . It is traditionally ascribed to Moses , but modern scholarship has identified at least three literary strains in it, dating from 950 BC to the 5th century BC, though incorporating material from much earlier. It is one of the five books that make up the Pentateuch (see Torah ).