View allAll Photos Tagged resolve
Today’s Oracle:Believe And Trust
To resolve this situation, you must believe that everything is healed and whole right now. As your faith grows stronger the doorway to Divine solutions will open. Your trust enables your mind and body to relax, which increases your creative energy and strength - two qualities that will prove especially helpful to you.
Possible specific meanings:
This situation will have happy outcome * Positive thinking will bring you your desired outcome more rapidly * Give worries to God and the angels * Trust the person you’re inquiring about * Believe in yourself!
Thoughts make things.
Today is full moon.
I wish you happiness.
The New Year was approaching, and as the clock ticked in the background marking the last minutes of the year, they felt they had to resolve the situation.
The tea pot was just too big for their small appartment. Aunt N. never could pick a good gift.
see it on my blog
A beautiful old fountain in Geneva....with sculpture of Dionysus and defaced by graffiti. This photo was shot during the US invasion of Iraq, in March of 2003. The graffitti was shocking of course, seeing it desecrating a venerable old fountain, and it consisted only of the black spray painted writing. BUT THE INVASION IN THE MIDDLE EAST WAS WAY MORE SHOCKING.
I was visiting my family in Geneva, Switzerland, and when we passed by this fountain, I HAD to stop and take a picture.
It was when the American "SHOCK AND AWE" campaign was in full swing and we watched American tanks tearing up Baghdad in front of a backdrop of fires and smoke ..... We saw it all in our Swiss hotel room on International CNN. It was pretty SHOCKING AND AWFUL all right. Awful and shocking and it made me sick to watch.
[I processed the shot in Photoshop, and no elements have been added, except the color red. I was back in Geneva again the following year, in March of 2004 to visit my family, and went by to see the fountain. The city had completely cleaned up the graffiti.]
With this photo, I wanted to show something about how I felt about the invasion my country had embarked on to try to protect our strategic interests in the Middle East, as we buzz around in our gasoline engine driven cars. No one's at fault in this bad dream. We are all - all - in it together.....collectively dreaming the nightmare ........ one vast human unconscious subconscious motivation of sorts.........and we seem somewhat asleep with regards this kind of global travesty, assuming that war is a completely natural way to resolve issues. As if there were no other way open to us as a species.
Of course war is as natural as eating on planet earth and certainly won't stop any time soon, as long as we continue to use the primitive parts of our brains rather than the higher aspects of our consciousness. It will take centuries of human evolution for a big enough majority of our species to develop the awareness it takes to have the skill AND will for creative conflict resolution. I think it's possible, but it is a long road. In the meantime we will see more of this kind of struggle and hardship, unfortunately.
Evolution is a very slow process, but certainly it is encouraged by people expressing positive vision, creating beauty, observing the wonder of our world, sharing this across international boundaries! all these things help wake us up to our common humanity. Maybe this sounds idealistic, but I am not ashamed to have positive aspirations. I have seen people in my world change and develop skillful ways to communicate. I have seen positive change even in one generation! This is very encouraging. As the world gets smaller because of mass communication via technology, what happens in one corner of the world is quickly known everywhere on the planet. I believe this will help accelerate our development of higher consciousness. I believe ultimately human beings prefer enjoying life rather than destroying it, if given half the chance.
In the meantime, as wars rage, here are some creative and practical solutions we can all participate in to move our world in a forward constructive direction, with regards the very basic things we use to live:
www.greenbiz.com - actual news about big businesses that are going green and explaining how it makes good sense financially
In Tribute, with Honor and Respect, to all our branches
of the USA Armed Forces, past and present. Thank you.
God Bless our USA Veterans. Thank you for your service.
To all of the USA veterans young and old, we salute you!
-------- A Few Good Men (And Women) ---------
U.S.A. Marines ~ Fort Lauderdale, Florida U.S.A.
These fine young soldiers above were representing
the "Toys For Tots" program that collect new toys
donated for those in need at the Holidays 12/2/17
For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved
all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.
President James A. Garfield at the first Memorial Day observance
on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery May 30th, 1868
The first encounter with the dragonfly this year, which I believe is a kind of kawatonbo(lit.river-dragonfly). The color of the wings attracted my attention.
Dragonfly was respected a bringer of good luck by the samurai(blademen, men who belonged to a high-ranking social class of warriors) because it only moves forwards. It was necessary for them to have unyielding resolve.
P.S. This turned out to be miyamakawatonbo, which is a damselfly as Ennor kindly taught me. When I looked up into the dictionary I knew that the damselfly had two names, that is, ito-tonbo and kawa-tonbo. Both of them are called tombo(dragon) they are actually damselflies.
Seek the Bright Life | God Will Take Care of You "I'm Resolved to Follow God" (Christian Music)
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/hymn-im-resolved-to-follo...
I
Holding faith so long, now I see the light.
Experienced ups and downs, persecutions and hardships.
Happiness and sorrows, garment wet with tears.
Countless nights, stayed awake and prayed.
Rejected by the world; distanced by loved ones.
Wandering every day, having no resting place.
Freedom, just a sham, no human rights to share.
Deep hatred of Satan! When to right the wrong?
This world, dark and evil, I desire more the light of my life.
Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. I've made up my mind to follow Him.
This world, dark and evil, I desire more the light of my life.
Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. I've made up my mind to follow Him.
II
God struck the shepherds; a tribulation arose.
Dark clouds pressing down, terror everywhere.
Trapped in devil's hand, narrowly escaped from death.
Comforts of God's words, filled my heart with strength.
Suffered all torments, I know God is love.
God rules over everything, yet man's faith is poor.
Trial of fiery lake, I reap a lot from it.
I see through Satan, hate great red dragon.
Red dragon, mean and cruel, devoured and corrupted human souls.
Truth and life, not easy to get; I'll love God more to comfort His heart.
Red dragon, mean and cruel, devoured and corrupted human souls.
Truth and life, not easy to get; I'll love God more to comfort His heart.
III
Thinking of God's work, I feel God is kind.
Accepting God's judgment, disposition being changed.
Painful chastisement, I know more of God.
It is such an honor to follow practical God.
Spending for the true God, my heart feels comfort.
Faithfully having duty done, enjoying in bitterness.
Life's short, a blink of eye; loving God, most happy.
Blessed to serve God, I can't ask for more.
It's practical God who saves me. It's He who gives me a true life.
I have realized my long-cherished dream. I'll keep on running ahead.
It's practical God who saves me. It's He who gives me a true life.
I have realized my long-cherished dream. I'll keep on running ahead.
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Terms of Use en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
Today's paper says it all -- the massive cleanup after Jonas (aka "Snowzilla") is going to stretch out for a while. Time for Netflix and a Scotch.
Day 25 of my 366 Project
None of the flies in my photos are frozen or dead. None have been manually 'posed'. All are alive and well in their natural environment.
Lifebook 2013 lesson 3, inspired by Christy Tomlinson, jessicasporn.blogspot.com/2013/01/dream-resolve-embrace.html
Hi all.
Thank you for all the messages of support. I hope my problems have been resolved so its back to normal.
I have deleted any comment so as to help the situation I hope you will understand.
Big Big hugs
Helen
A 'Wildcats' Hornet launches off the catapult onboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower CVN69 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
I've been eating out far too often lately and have resolved to cut back, so the other day I dipped into Nigel Slater's excellent Kitchen Diaries and found this gem: grilled sirloin steak on a bed of watercress, lime leaves, coriander and mint with tomatoes, cucumber and carrot and a dressing of chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and sweet chilli sauce.
More food related photographs, including stuff I make at home and restaurant reviews, in this set.
Glasgow, 2011.
Two F-22 Raptors fly in formation behind a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron during a Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve mission over Iraq, April 11, 2017. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joshua A. Hoskins)
HAWG 01 flight of four A-10C's of the 354th Fighter Wing, 355th Fighter Wing take on fuel from Boeing KC-135R 61-0321,D callsign QID 79 of the 351st Air Refuelling Squadron, 100th Air Refuelling Wing over Slovakia in Eastern Europe. The A-10s are currently detached to Europe as part of Operation Atalantic Resolve.
Planes of the 180th ANG fly over Toledo in support of the medical community and first responders during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Toledo, OH 5/6/2020
© 2017 Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott
I know my shot yesterday in foggy conditions did little to show the resolving power of the new Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2 lens, so here's one with a bit more impact. This is a four vertical shot panorama, handheld, that shows a lot of resolution from the lens. It's certainly capable of performing as a landscape options stopped down. I'll be breaking down the wide open image quality in a video segment coming up soon. Help guide my review process by taking a look at the "Tamron Haul" video and adding your voice: bit.ly/TamronHaul | You can also see more photos from the 70-200 G2 here: bit.ly/70200G2IG
Technical Information: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 VC G2 | Processed in Adobe Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, and Alien Skin Exposure X2 (use code "dustinabbott" to get 10% off)
Want to know more about me or make contact? Take a look at my website or check out my at YouTube Channel
whatwouldanerdwear.blogspot.com
Works Cited
wool skirt: thrifted, hemmed by me
white tee: gap
yellow cardigan: j crew outlet
yellow belt: j crew (gift--thanks, brudder!)
tights: AT loft
brogues: steve madden
==Arkham Island==
Eric Needham staggered through the Arkham Forest, leaving dribbles of fresh blood in his wake. Finding a fleeting moment of peace, he rested against an old tree and placed a shaking hand on the side of his hips; Azrael's claw-like gauntlet had torn through him, and the gash it had left was now dripping blood onto the leaf litter below, advertising his movements to his opponent. He needed to change strategies, a fist fight wouldn't cut it. 'Stick to the canopies, keep him at a distance,' he resolved. But this was the middle of Outcast territory and he was out here all alone with no back-up. 'Restrain him, then move on out.' The last thing he wanted was to run into The Pirate himself, or worse, the Speedster.
Weighing his options, Needham climbed the nearest tree, and perched atop a branch near the top. Minutes past, and as he sat planning his next move, something caught his eye; he hadn't noticed them at first, but he could now make out a set of deep claw marks leading up the tree bark. Not like Azrael's gauntlet; these were an animal's judging by the space between each claw. Like a dog's, or a-
Oh no.
Or a cat's.
Needham turned around; sat on a nearby branch, was a man clad in black, his emerald eyes glinting in the moonlight, his slit-like pupils contracting. A mouse's tail hung from the man's drooling mouth, still wriggling. A sickening crunch of jaws breaking through bone accompanied the rodent's death squeal; its' tail hung limp, then was sucked behind the man's slobber-stained lips.
Needham looked at the man, then at the ground below; Azrael was closing in on him now, as though his glowing sword was guiding him through the woods, towards the 'sinner.' Desperate, Needham gave The King a non-verbal plea. 'We don't have to fight, just pretend you can't see me.'
But the King could see him. And with Azrael growing closer still, his night-time patrol had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. He raised his clawed hands, and with a swift stroke, slashed apart the branch Needham was sat on; deciding he wasn't going down alone, Needham grabbed the King's tail on the way down, dragging him with him.
The branch hit the ground first. Then Needham. The King landed on all fours; typical; then scampered off, disappearing into the thickets and shrubs of Arkham East. Needham gathered his scattered thoughts, then looked up, his worst fears realised: Azrael was dragging his sword along the frozen ground; orange sparks fizzled and lit up the darkened clearing.
Needham rubbed the dirt and drool off his person, and staggered to his feet, fists raised. "Fine. Was never a good Christian anyway," he growled, firing a web bomb at Azrael; pinning him to a nearby tree. But Azrael was relentless, with his free hand, he gripped the handle of his sword; webbing that would normally bind multiple men, came away like silly string with a single sword stroke. Needham checked his belt; he was running low on webbing. Shit.
Azrael lunged forwards and getting a lucky shot, scratched Needham's shoulder; the mystical blade shone brighter than before; the single cut incapacitating Needham as images of Linda, Mikey, Ferris filled his head, drawing on his guilt and pain.
'That was it.'
Before Azrael could perform a killing strike, Needham webbed his sword, using all his strength to wrench it from the man's hands; the blade landed in his hands, and as Azrael ran forward, Needham drew the sword upwards, cutting through Azrael's chainmail.
Bright, cleansing light burst from the shallow gash on Azrael’s chest and he fell forwards, the Pirate's influence subsiding at last.
Exhausted, Needham stumbled back. "Hhn. I'll be Damned."
==Gotham Shipping Yards==
On the other side of the city, a hooded figure in a purple costume sat atop a large shipping container, her legs dangling off the side; Stephanie Brown was holding a cracked pair of "Clue" goggles in her hands, something that should have been in the Hall of Justice, alongside all the other Supervillain tech recovered from Nanda Parbat. 'So what was it doing all the way out here?' She removed a card from within the broken spectacles and plugged it into her own mask.
Tim's head peered down from the container above hers, his face lined with worry.
"Your dad?" he asked, recognising the damaged goggles.
Steph nodded uneasily. "Yours?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
A bloodied boomerang dropped to the floor, rattling off the corrugated metal surface. "Yeah," he sighed, jumping down to join her. As they together in silent contemplation, a high pitched melodious voice called out to them from below, its' owner's red and black cape blowing in the winter wind:
"Robbie and Spoiler sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in a golden carriage," the Psycho Pirate sang, clapping his hands along to the beat. Tim extended his bo-staff, as both him and Steph leapt into action, landing on the ground beside Hayden. "You had a baby didn't you, Spoiler?" Hayden pointed with a frail finger. "And you gave it away. Oh, well. That's probably the best thing for it. Imagine Granddad Cluemaster taking your child for ice cream. I bet he never took you for ice cream."
"Steph, I've got ear plugs," Tim reached into his belt. "Steph?"
"His father did," Hayden tittered. "His father cared sooooooo much. Didn't want him playing dress up. Didn't want him getting hurt. But he didn't factor in a boomerang to the jugular, did he, little Robin?
"That's why you resent him," he addressed Spoiler. "That's why you hate him. That's why you want to stomp his face into the ground."
"Steph..." Tim grit his teeth, watching as Spoiler's body stiffened, as her fists clenched and she began walking slowly towards him.
"Steph, Steph, wait wait wait wait wait!" Tim pleaded, his bo-staff at the ready, hoping he wouldn't have to use it.
Beneath his golden mask, the Pirate grinned, and then he was gone, carried off by a cloud of yellow lightning.
Tim covered his face, awaiting the onslaught, then... Steph slapped him. Not hard, not maliciously, just a painless tap on the shoulder.
He looked up, a confused expression on his face. "You- You're not trying to kill me?"
She slapped him again, a little harder.
"Course not, I love you, you dummy," she smiled, removing the card from her mask and placing it in Tim's palm. "Guess Dad was good for something after all."
Tim examined it, a geeky smile taking hold. "A neural blocker, nice! But, then, why the act-?"
"Had to play along," Steph explained. "Zoom would've stepped in if I didn't."
==Gotham Waterworks. Outside==
Cassandra Cain was perched on a cliff overlooking the ISA Headquarters, snow sliding down her black cowl, her eyes narrowing. Damian had been gone for a couple of minutes now, and she could a faint voice carried by the wind:
"Raised by assassins. Trained to kill. It's the same story, isn't it? Your story. So why does she get preferential treatment?
You know why.
Because he can look her in the eyes and not be reminded of his failures."
That voice... Melodious. Childish. Sadistic. It was Hayden's and from the sounds of things, he already had Damian. Cassandra kept her guard up, but outwardly, acted as though she suspected nothing was wrong. Until he drew his sword:
"I am the blood son! By all rights, I am his heir! And I shall not be usurped!" he spat, launching himself high above her head.
A single nerve strike took him out.
From a rocky alcove around the corner, The Pirate's pale eyes watched, a slight twinge of dissatisfaction coming over him. But it was nothing compared to the disappointment that took hold of him once Zoom ran in front of him, cutting 'playtime' short.
"We're leeeeeeaaaaaaaving," Zoom hissed, his suit stained with a mix of blood and cranberry sauce.
"That's not fair!" Hayden crossed his arms petulantly. "You got to play with the Misfits!"
"Thisisnot up for debaaaaaaaaate, Mr Haaaaaaayden," Zoom warned, and taking hold of his arm, they vanished into the night.
===GCPD. Outside===
Nightwing and Red Hood's fight had dragged onto the streets below; Dick bounced off the alley walls, using his acrobatics to get the edge on his younger brother; Jason favoured brute strength, having almost exhausted all his ammunition; he hurled a grenade at Dick while he was swinging from a ladder on the fire escape, knocking him down. Dick threw his baton; it ricocheted off the nearby garage door, hurtling towards Jason; he caught it, but didn't account for the charge; Dick pressed a button on his gloves, and a blast of electricity blinded Jason. Jason discarded his red helmet, and while distracted, Dick tackled him. Jason, elbowed him in the face, then grabbed a mix of snow and gravel from the pavement and tossed it in Dick's eyes. Disorientated, Dick flinched, giving Jason the opportunity to trap him in a headlock.
Before he could choke him out, a long black car pulled up to the alleyway. Jason's eyes narrowed as the car door opened and an impeccably dressed man exited, holding a two-barrelled shotgun, and firmly closing the door shut behind him.
"That is quite enough, Master Todd," the man warned.
Jason's featured softened. "You won't shoot me, Alfred," he scoffed.
"Of course not. You're as much my sons as Master Bruce's. Fortunately, I won't have to."
Beneath him, Dick headbutted Jason; stunned, he toppled backwards; Alfred dropped his shotgun, and tossed Dick a sedative from his medical bag, and Dick anaesthetised him. Jason growled an apology as he regained his senses and slumped over unconscious in Dick's arms.
"Sorry, bud," Dick apologised, before turning back to Alfred. "What now?"
"You can start by helping me escort Master Jason into the backseat. Then we are getting you patched up, Master Dick."
"Alright," he laughed in response.
Behind them, a large shockwave emanated from within the Police Department; the windows blew out, and glass shot outwards onto the street; Dick shielded Alfred with his body as shards of glass littered the pavement.
"Bruce was inside-!" Alfred gasped, rising to his feet.
"I can't raise him on comms," Dick frowned, his own worry subsiding once he caught Alfred's expression. "We'll find him, Alfred. What do you need me to do?"
Alfred ran his hand through his thinning hair, as the SAS agent in him took over. "I have an EMT uniform in the trunk, quickly now,"
==Sionis Penthouse. Downtown==
"-explosion from inside the GCPD. Three prisoners are unaccounted for, including Drury Walker. Commissioner Gordon has been rushed to Gotham General and a spokesperson has said that he is now stabilised. Reports say both The Batman and The Joker were inside the precinct when it-"
"Sir, we found it," Li chapped politely at the door.
Sionis muted the TV. "Good. Send 'em in."
The Sea Fox entered the room, dripping seawater onto the varnished floor. Two of his henchmen trailed behind him, carrying a large fish net.
"Well, you get points for presentation," Sionis murmured, sticking his hands into the net, and retrieving the sea-battered mask of Harlan Combs. Combs' head, fell out the bottom, and rolled across the ground.
Sionis' beady red eyes tracked the head as it rolled underneath his dresser. "Li?" he sighed.
"Yes, sir?"
"Get the cleaners in here."
==ISA Headquarters==
Chuck awoke to Flannegan prodding his arm with the base of his staff. He was lying on a bed, in some kind of hospital wing. As he looked around the room, he realised that 'laboratory' might have been more accurate; noting all kinds of jars, vials and half dissected animals.
"What happened?" he asked at last,
"Long or short answer?" Flannegan grunted.
"Short, please," Chuck sighed, clutching his thumping head.
"You got your asses kicked."
Chuck rolled his eyes, resting his head against the plump pillow, undoubtedly filled with Thanagarian feathers.
Flannegan inhaled a puff from his cigarette, then stamped it out on Chuck's bedsheet. "Fortunately, the Lizard of Waverly Place patched you up. Mind, you do look a little greener 'round the gills... Did ya have gills before?"
"What?" Panicked, Chuck shot upright and ran his hand along his mercifully smooth neck.
"Joking! Those two-" he nodded to Ten and Bridget, watching from the side with relieved faces, "-had just come back from whatever bible studies class they were at. They're the ones that called me. Luckily, I was already in the area."
"You mean you were in the sewers," Chuck realised, taking a gulp from the glass of water beside him.
"I do."
"God, it's all such a blur..." Chuck explained, resting his forehead in his hand. "We were in the kitchen, Gar came in trying to rouse us all, then Zoom, and- Drury! Joker was on the TV, he was-"
Flannegan placed his hand on Chuck's shoulder with surprising tenderness, and right then Chuck knew. He didn't even have to say the words: "I'm sorry, Brown."
===<???>===
The hallway was enveloped in scarlet light, as a round portal tore through the stale air. A single figure, dressed in a red cape, black tuxedo and a large square helmet stepped through. He ran his hands along the wallpaper and picked off a thin layer of dust; his excited breaths echoing behind his camera-like mask as he took in the surroundings. The house had been abandoned for months now, but most of its' furnishings remained. And the pictures. Oh, so many pictures.
As he walked, the lens opened and closed, the action accompanied by a loud "shutter" noise. He propped the nearest door open, the floor below him creaking as he entered the pink-coloured bedroom. He cast his eyes over to the bed, almost entirely covered by stuffed animals of every genus. His gloved hand wandered over one such bear, his mask making that same loud "clicking" noise. Then, something else caught his eye; a selections of photos on the corkboard on the farthest wall, their edges brushed with glitter. Oh, he did so like photos.
The next room, could only be the bedroom of a teenaged boy; untidy, its floor littered with old comic books and gag jokes. The man frowned as he peeled a plastic mound of fake dung from the base of his shoe. Continuing on, he shifted the pillow to one side, discovering a single photo below; a picture of a blond boy and a dark-haired girl; the boy he knew, of course, but it was the girl he was drawn to. It was her. The thespian's little scene partner. Beneath his mask, he smiled, as he tucked the photo inside his breast pocket and continued into the next rooms; a large bedroom with an empty aquarium, a pre-schooler's bedroom, complete with a purple and orange racing car bed, a fifth bedroom with a small workbench and scraps of purple and yellow fabric.
This pattern continued as he went from room to room, his helm clicking as he collected a portfolio of photos. He next entered the guest bedroom; a cream coloured room marked with grey scorch marks, with a collection of DVDs stacked beside the television, cult classics mostly. Out of curiosity, he picked one of the cases up, his stance stiffening as he recognised the film: Dread Castle. An anger taking hold of him, he tossed the plastic case to the ground; the silver disk slid out, then he shattered it with the base of his foot.
As his mission drew to a close, he at last found the master bedroom: He took a whiff of old perfume from a half empty bottle on the dresser, he rubbed the yellow strands of a blonde wig peaking out the top drawer. A single moth fluttered out of the large, wooden wardrobe on his right. Then, he crouched under the bed, clutching the hem of his cape as though he were curtseying, and unearthed a battered, dusty shoe box from below. Bingo.
He did so like photos.
This Autorack will be the second train to clear 40.1 on a clear signal and thus the problem resolved with the CTC issue in Bahia, CA. Rounding the curve this 1x1 train is creeping at restricted speed with a loaded auto train bound for Benicia, CA.
©FranksRails Photography, LLC.
Marina Bay, Singapore.
This morning sunrise. Finally. Yes, finally I don't get some moody gloomy sky here! Pretty decent clouds and colours this morning and with 3 hours of sleep, it was a bit of a toss up whether I should go for sunrise. I am lucky I did.
"The Book of Genesis" redirects here. For the comics, see The Book of Genesis (comics).
The Creation of Man by Ephraim Moses Lilien, 1903.
Jacob flees Laban by Charles Foster, 1897.
Joshua 1:1 as recorded in the Aleppo Codex
Tanakh (Judaism)
Torah (Instruction)[hide]
GenesisBereshit
ExodusShemot
LeviticusWayiqra
NumbersBemidbar
DeuteronomyDevarim
Nevi'im (Prophets)[show]
Ketuvim (Writings)[show]
Old Testament (Christianity)
Pentateuch[hide]
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
Historical[show]
Wisdom[show]
Prophetic[show]
Deuterocanonical[show]
Bible portal
vte
The Book of Genesis,[a] the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament,[1] is Judaism's account of the creation of the world and the origins of the Jewish people.[2]
It is divisible into two parts, the primeval history (chapters 1–11) and the ancestral history (chapters 12–50).[3] The primeval history sets out the author's (or authors') concepts of the nature of the deity and of humankind's relationship with its maker: God creates a world which is good and fit for mankind, but when man corrupts it with sin God decides to destroy his creation, saving only the righteous Noah to reestablish the relationship between man and God.[4] The ancestral history (chapters 12–50) tells of the prehistory of Israel, God's chosen people.[5] At God's command Noah's descendant Abraham journeys from his home into the God-given land of Canaan, where he dwells as a sojourner, as does his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and through the agency of his son Joseph, the children of Israel descend into Egypt, 70 people in all with their households, and God promises them a future of greatness. Genesis ends with Israel in Egypt, ready for the coming of Moses and the Exodus. The narrative is punctuated by a series of covenants with God, successively narrowing in scope from all mankind (the covenant with Noah) to a special relationship with one people alone (Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob).[6]
In Judaism, the theological importance of Genesis centers on the covenants linking God to his chosen people and the people to the Promised Land. Christianity has interpreted Genesis as the prefiguration of certain cardinal Christian beliefs, primarily the need for salvation (the hope or assurance of all Christians) and the redemptive act of Christ on the Cross as the fulfillment of covenant promises as the Son of God.
Tradition credits Moses as the author of Genesis, as well as the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and most of Deuteronomy, but modern scholars increasingly see them as a product of the 6th and 5th centuries BC.[7][8]
Contents
1Structure
2Summary
3Composition
3.1Title and textual witnesses
3.2Origins
3.3Genre
4Themes
4.1Promises to the ancestors
4.2God's chosen people
5Judaism's weekly Torah portions
6See also
7Notes
8References
9Bibliography
9.1Commentaries on Genesis
9.2General
10External links
Structure[edit]
Genesis appears to be structured around the recurring phrase elleh toledot, meaning "these are the generations," with the first use of the phrase referring to the "generations of heaven and earth" and the remainder marking individuals—Noah, the "sons of Noah", Shem, etc., down to Jacob.[9] It is not clear, however, what this meant to the original authors, and most modern commentators divide it into two parts based on subject matter, a "primeval history" (chapters 1–11) and a "patriarchal history" (chapters 12–50).[10][b] While the first is far shorter than the second, it sets out the basic themes and provides an interpretive key for understanding the entire book.[11] The "primeval history" has a symmetrical structure hinging on chapters 6–9, the flood story, with the events before the flood mirrored by the events after;[12] the "ancestral history" is structured around the three patriarchs Abraham, Jacob and Joseph.[13] (The stories of Isaac do not make up a coherent cycle of stories and function as a bridge between the cycles of Abraham and Jacob.)[14]
Summary[edit]
See also: Primeval history and Patriarchal age
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, 1512.
God creates the world in six days and consecrates the seventh as a day of rest. God creates the first humans Adam and Eve and all the animals in the Garden of Eden but instructs them not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A talking serpent portrayed as a deceptive creature or trickster, entices Eve into eating it against God's wishes, and she entices Adam, whereupon God throws them out and curses them—Adam to getting what he needs only by sweat and work, and Eve to giving birth in pain. This is interpreted by Christians as the fall of humanity. Eve bears two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain kills Abel after God accepts Abel's offering but not Cain's. God then curses Cain. Eve bears another son, Seth, to take Abel's place.
After many generations of Adam have passed from the lines of Cain and Seth, the world becomes corrupted by human sin and Nephilim, and God determines to wipe out humanity. First, he instructs the righteous Noah and his family to build an ark and put examples of all the animals on it, seven pairs of every clean animal and one pair of every unclean. Then God sends a great flood to wipe out the rest of the world. When the waters recede, God promises he will never destroy the world with water again, using the rainbow as a symbol of his promise. God sees mankind cooperating to build a great tower city, the Tower of Babel, and divides humanity with many languages and sets them apart with confusion.
God instructs Abram to travel from his home in Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan. There, God makes a covenant with Abram, promising that his descendants shall be as numerous as the stars, but that people will suffer oppression in a foreign land for four hundred years, after which they will inherit the land "from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates". Abram's name is changed to Abraham and that of his wife Sarai to Sarah, and circumcision of all males is instituted as the sign of the covenant. Due to her old age, Sarah tells Abraham to take her Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar, as a second wife. Through Hagar, Abraham fathers Ishmael.
God resolves to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sins of their people. Abraham protests and gets God to agree not to destroy the cities for the sake of ten righteous men. Angels save Abraham's nephew Lot and his family, but his wife looks back on the destruction against their command and turns into a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters, concerned that they are fugitives who will never find husbands, get him drunk to become pregnant by him, and give birth to the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites.
Abraham and Sarah go to the Philistine town of Gerar, pretending to be brother and sister (they are half-siblings). The King of Gerar takes Sarah for his wife, but God warns him to return her, and he obeys. God sends Sarah a son whom she will name Isaac; through him will be the establishment of the covenant. Sarah drives Ishmael and his mother Hagar out into the wilderness, but God saves them and promises to make Ishmael a great nation.
The Angel Hinders the Offering of Isaac (Rembrandt, 1635)
God tests Abraham by demanding that he sacrifice Isaac. As Abraham is about to lay the knife upon his son, God restrains him, promising him numberless descendants. On the death of Sarah, Abraham purchases Machpelah (believed to be modern Hebron) for a family tomb and sends his servant to Mesopotamia to find among his relations a wife for Isaac; after proving herself, Rebekah becomes Isaac's betrothed. Keturah, Abraham's other wife, births more children, among whose descendants are the Midianites. Abraham dies at a prosperous old age and his family lays him to rest in Hebron.
Isaac's wife Rebecca gives birth to the twins Esau, father of the Edomites, and Jacob. Through deception, Jacob becomes the heir instead of Esau and gains his father's blessing. He flees to his uncle where he prospers and earns his two wives, Rachel and Leah. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and by his wives and their handmaidens he has twelve sons, the ancestors of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel, and a daughter, Dinah.
Joseph, Jacob's favorite son, makes his brothers jealous and they sell him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph prospers, after hardship, with God's guidance of interpreting Pharaoh's dream of upcoming famine. He is then reunited with his father and brothers, who fail to recognize him, and plead for food. After much manipulation, he reveals himself and lets them and their households into Egypt, where Pharaoh assigns to them the land of Goshen. Jacob calls his sons to his bedside and reveals their future before he dies. Joseph lives to an old age and exhorts his brethren, if God should lead them out of the country, to take his bones with them.
Composition[edit]
Abram's Journey from Ur to Canaan (József Molnár, 1850)
Title and textual witnesses[edit]
Genesis takes its Hebrew title from the first word of the first sentence, Bereshit, meaning "In [the] beginning [of]"; in the Greek Septuagint it was called Genesis, from the phrase "the generations of heaven and earth".[15] There are four major textual witnesses to the book: the Masoretic Text, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Septuagint, and fragments of Genesis found at Qumran. The Qumran group provides the oldest manuscripts but covers only a small proportion of the book; in general, the Masoretic Text is well preserved and reliable, but there are many individual instances where the other versions preserve a superior reading.[16]
Origins[edit]
Main article: Composition of the Torah
For much of the 20th century most scholars agreed that the five books of the Pentateuch—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy—came from four sources, the Yahwist, the Elohist, the Deuteronomist and the Priestly source, each telling the same basic story, and joined together by various editors.[17] Since the 1970s there has been a revolution leading scholars to view the Elohist source as no more than a variation on the Yahwist, and the Priestly source as a body of revisions and expansions to the Yahwist (or "non-Priestly") material. (The Deuteronomistic source does not appear in Genesis.)[18]
Scholars use examples of repeated and duplicate stories to identify the separate sources. In Genesis these include three different accounts of a Patriarch claiming that his wife was his sister, the two creation stories, and the two versions of Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael into the desert.[19]
This leaves the question of when these works were created. Scholars in the first half of the 20th century came to the conclusion that the Yahwist is a product of the monarchic period, specifically at the court of Solomon, 10th century BC, and the Priestly work in the middle of the 5th century BC (with claims that the author is Ezra), but more recent thinking is that the Yahwist is from either just before or during the Babylonian exile of the 6th century BC, and the Priestly final edition was made late in the Exilic period or soon after.[8]
As for why the book was created, a theory which has gained considerable interest, although still controversial is "Persian imperial authorisation". This proposes that the Persians of the Achaemenid Empire, after their conquest of Babylon in 539 BC, agreed to grant Jerusalem a large measure of local autonomy within the empire, but required the local authorities to produce a single law code accepted by the entire community. The two powerful groups making up the community—the priestly families who controlled the Temple and who traced their origin to Moses and the wilderness wanderings, and the major landowning families who made up the "elders" and who traced their own origins to Abraham, who had "given" them the land—were in conflict over many issues, and each had its own "history of origins", but the Persian promise of greatly increased local autonomy for all provided a powerful incentive to cooperate in producing a single text.[20]
Genre[edit]
Genesis is perhaps best seen as an example of a creation myth, a type of literature telling of the first appearance of humans, the stories of ancestors and heroes, and the origins of culture, cities and so forth.[21] The most notable examples are found in the work of Greek historians of the 6th century BC: their intention was to connect notable families of their own day to a distant and heroic past, and in doing so they did not distinguish between myth, legend, and facts.[22] Professor Jean-Louis Ska of the Pontifical Biblical Institute calls the basic rule of the antiquarian historian the "law of conservation": everything old is valuable, nothing is eliminated.[23] Ska also points out the purpose behind such antiquarian histories: antiquity is needed to prove the worth of Israel's traditions to the nations (the neighbours of the Jews in early Persian Palestine), and to reconcile and unite the various factions within Israel itself.[23]
Themes[edit]
Joseph Recognized by His Brothers (Léon Pierre Urban Bourgeois, 1863)
Promises to the ancestors[edit]
In 1978 David Clines published his influential The Theme of the Pentateuch – influential because he was one of the first to take up the question of the theme of the entire five books. Clines' conclusion was that the overall theme is "the partial fulfillment – which implies also the partial nonfulfillment – of the promise to or blessing of the Patriarchs". (By calling the fulfillment "partial" Clines was drawing attention to the fact that at the end of Deuteronomy the people are still outside Canaan).[24]
The patriarchs, or ancestors, are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with their wives (Joseph is normally excluded).[25] Since the name YHWH had not been revealed to them, they worshipped El in his various manifestations.[26] (It is, however, worth noting that in the Jahwist source the patriarchs refer to deity by the name YHWH, for example in Genesis 15.) Through the patriarchs God announces the election of Israel, meaning that he has chosen Israel to be his special people and committed himself to their future.[27] God tells the patriarchs that he will be faithful to their descendants (i.e. to Israel), and Israel is expected to have faith in God and his promise. ("Faith" in the context of Genesis and the Hebrew Bible means agreement to the promissory relationship, not a body of belief).[28]
The promise itself has three parts: offspring, blessings, and land.[29] The fulfilment of the promise to each patriarch depends on having a male heir, and the story is constantly complicated by the fact that each prospective mother – Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel – is barren. The ancestors, however, retain their faith in God and God in each case gives a son – in Jacob's case, twelve sons, the foundation of the chosen Israelites. Each succeeding generation of the three promises attains a more rich fulfillment, until through Joseph "all the world" attains salvation from famine,[30] and by bringing the children of Israel down to Egypt he becomes the means through which the promise can be fulfilled.[25]
God's chosen people[edit]
Scholars generally agree that the theme of divine promise unites the patriarchal cycles, but many would dispute the efficacy of trying to examine Genesis' theology by pursuing a single overarching theme, instead citing as more productive the analysis of the Abraham cycle, the Jacob cycle, and the Joseph cycle, and the Yahwist and Priestly sources.[31] The problem lies in finding a way to unite the patriarchal theme of divine promise to the stories of Genesis 1–11 (the primeval history) with their theme of God's forgiveness in the face of man's evil nature.[32][33] One solution is to see the patriarchal stories as resulting from God's decision not to remain alienated from mankind:[33] God creates the world and mankind, mankind rebels, and God "elects" (chooses) Abraham.[6]
To this basic plot (which comes from the Yahwist) the Priestly source has added a series of covenants dividing history into stages, each with its own distinctive "sign". The first covenant is between God and all living creatures, and is marked by the sign of the rainbow; the second is with the descendants of Abraham (Ishmaelites and others as well as Israelites), and its sign is circumcision; and the last, which does not appear until the book of Exodus, is with Israel alone, and its sign is Sabbath. A great leader mediates each covenant (Noah, Abraham, Moses), and at each stage God progressively reveals himself by his name (Elohim with Noah, El Shaddai with Abraham, Yahweh with Moses).[6]
Judaism's weekly Torah portions[edit]
Main article: Weekly Torah portion
First Day of Creation (from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle)
Bereshit, on Genesis 1–6: Creation, Eden, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Lamech, wickedness
Noach, on Genesis 6–11: Noah's Ark, the Flood, Noah's drunkenness, the Tower of Babel
Lech-Lecha, on Genesis 12–17: Abraham, Sarah, Lot, covenant, Hagar and Ishmael, circumcision
Vayeira, on Genesis 18–22: Abraham's visitors, Sodomites, Lot's visitors and flight, Hagar expelled, binding of Isaac
Chayei Sarah, on Genesis 23–25: Sarah buried, Rebekah for Isaac
Toledot, on Genesis 25–28: Esau and Jacob, Esau's birthright, Isaac's blessing
Vayetze, on Genesis 28–32: Jacob flees, Rachel, Leah, Laban, Jacob's children and departure
Vayishlach, on Genesis 32–36: Jacob's reunion with Esau, the rape of Dinah
Vayeshev, on Genesis 37–40: Joseph's dreams, coat, and slavery, Judah with Tamar, Joseph and Potiphar
Miketz, on Genesis 41–44: Pharaoh's dream, Joseph in government, Joseph's brothers visit Egypt
Vayigash, on Genesis 44–47: Joseph reveals himself, Jacob moves to Egypt
Vaychi, on Genesis 47–50: Jacob's blessings, death of Jacob and of Joseph
See also[edit]
Bible portal
Dating the Bible
Enûma Eliš
Genesis creation narrative
Genesis 1:1
Historicity of the Bible
Mosaic authorship
Paradise Lost
Protevangelium
Wife–sister narratives in the Book of Genesis
Notes[edit]
^ The name "Genesis" is from the Latin Vulgate, in turn borrowed or transliterated from Greek "γένεσις", meaning "Origin"; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית, "Bərēšīṯ", "In [the] beginning"
^ The Weekly Torah portions, Parashot, divide the book into 12 readings.
References[edit]
^ Hamilton 1990, p. 1.
^ Sweeney 2012, p. 657.
^ Bergant 2013, p. xii.
^ Bandstra 2008, p. 35.
^ Bandstra 2008, p. 78.
^ Jump up to: a b c Bandstra (2004), pp. 28–29
^ Van Seters (1998), p. 5
^ Jump up to: a b Davies (1998), p. 37
^ Hamilton (1990), p. 2
^ Whybray (1997), p. 41
^ McKeown (2008), p. 2
^ Walsh (2001), p. 112
^ Bergant 2013, p. 45.
^ Bergant 2013, p. 103.
^ Carr 2000, p. 491.
^ Hendel, R. S. (1992). "Genesis, Book of". In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 2, p. 933). New York: Doubleday
^ Gooder (2000), pp. 12–14
^ Van Seters (2004), pp. 30–86
^ Lawrence Boadt; Richard J. Clifford; Daniel J. Harrington (2012). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction. Paulist Press.
^ Ska (2006), pp. 169, 217–18
^ Van Seters (2004) pp. 113–14
^ Whybray (2001), p. 39
^ Jump up to: a b Ska (2006), p. 169
^ Clines (1997), p. 30
^ Jump up to: a b Hamilton (1990), p. 50
^ John J Collins (2007), A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, Fortress Press, p. 47
^ Brueggemann (2002), p. 61
^ Brueggemann (2002), p. 78
^ McKeown (2008), p. 4
^ Wenham (2003), p. 34
^ Hamilton (1990), pp. 38–39
^ Hendel, R. S. (1992). "Genesis, Book of". In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 2, p. 935). New York: Doubleday
^ Jump up to: a b Kugler, Hartin (2009), p.9
Bibliography[edit]
Commentaries on Genesis[edit]
Sweeney, Marvin (2012). "Genesis in the Context of Jewish Thought". In Evans, Craig A.; Lohr, Joel N. (eds.). The Book of Genesis: Composition, Reception, and Interpretation. BRILL. ISBN 978-9004226531.
Bandstra, Barry L. (2008). Reading the Old Testament. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-0495391050.
Bergant, Dianne (2013). Genesis: In the Beginning. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814682753.
Blenkinsopp, Joseph (2011). Creation, Un-creation, Re-creation: A Discursive Commentary on Genesis 1–11. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780567372871.
Brueggemann, Walter (1986). Genesis. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press. ISBN 0-8042-3101-X.
Carr, David M. (2000). "Genesis, Book of". In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 9780567372871.
Cotter, David W (2003). Genesis. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814650400.
De La Torre, Miguel (2011). Genesis. Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible. Westminster John Knox Press.
Fretheim, Terence E. "The Book of Genesis." In The New Interpreter's Bible. Edited by Leander E. Keck, vol. 1, pp. 319–674. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. ISBN 0-687-27814-7.
Hamilton, Victor P (1990). The Book of Genesis: chapters 1–17. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802825216.
Hamilton, Victor P (1995). The Book of Genesis: chapters 18–50. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802823090.
Hirsch, Samson Raphael. The Pentateuch: Genesis. Translated by Isaac Levy. Judaica Press, 2nd edition 1999. ISBN 0-910818-12-6. Originally published as Der Pentateuch uebersetzt und erklaert Frankfurt, 1867–1878.
Kass, Leon R. The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis. New York: Free Press, 2003. ISBN 0-7432-4299-8.
Kessler, Martin; Deurloo, Karel Adriaan (2004). A Commentary on Genesis: The Book of Beginnings. Paulist Press. ISBN 9780809142057.
McKeown, James (2008). Genesis. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802827050.
Plaut, Gunther. The Torah: A Modern Commentary (1981), ISBN 0-8074-0055-6
Rogerson, John William (1991). Genesis 1–11. T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567083388.
Sacks, Robert D (1990). A Commentary on the Book of Genesis. Edwin Mellen.
Sarna, Nahum M. The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989. ISBN 0-8276-0326-6.
Speiser, E.A. Genesis: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. New York: Anchor Bible, 1964. ISBN 0-385-00854-6.
Towner, Wayne Sibley (2001). Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664252564.
Turner, Laurence (2009). Genesis, Second Edition. Sheffield Phoenix Press. ISBN 9781906055653.
Von Rad, Gerhard (1972). Genesis: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227456.
Wenham, Gordon (2003). "Genesis". In James D. G. Dunn, John William Rogerson (ed.). Eerdmans Bible Commentary. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802837110.
Whybray, R.N (2001). "Genesis". In John Barton (ed.). Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198755005.
General[edit]
Bandstra, Barry L (2004). Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Wadsworth. ISBN 9780495391050.
Blenkinsopp, Joseph (2004). Treasures old and new: Essays in the Theology of the Pentateuch. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802826794.
Brueggemann, Walter (2002). Reverberations of faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament themes. Westminster John Knox. ISBN 9780664222314.
Campbell, Antony F; O'Brien, Mark A (1993). Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations. Fortress Press. ISBN 9781451413670.
Carr, David M (1996). Reading the Fractures of Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664220716.
Clines, David A (1997). The Theme of the Pentateuch. Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9780567431967.
Davies, G.I (1998). "Introduction to the Pentateuch". In John Barton (ed.). Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198755005.
Gooder, Paula (2000). The Pentateuch: A Story of Beginnings. T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567084187.
Hendel, Ronald (2012). The Book of "Genesis": A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books). Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691140124.
Kugler, Robert; Hartin, Patrick (2009). The Old Testament between Theology and History: A Critical Survey. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802846365.
Levin, Christoph L (2005). The Old Testament: A Brief Introduction. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691113944.
Longman, Tremper (2005). How to read Genesis. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830875603.
McEntire, Mark (2008). Struggling with God: An Introduction to the Pentateuch. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780881461015.
Newman, Murray L. (1999). Genesis (PDF). Forward Movement Publications, Cincinnati, OH.
Ska, Jean-Louis (2006). Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575061221.
Van Seters, John (1992). Prologue to History: The Yahwist as Historian in Genesis. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664221799.
Van Seters, John (1998). "The Pentateuch". In Steven L. McKenzie, Matt Patrick Graham (ed.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
Van Seters, John (2004). The Pentateuch: A Social-science Commentary. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780567080882.
Walsh, Jerome T (2001). Style and Structure in Biblical Hebrew Narrative. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814658970.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Book of Genesis.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Genesis
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Genesis
Book of Genesis Hebrew Transliteration
Book of Genesis illustrated
Genesis Reading Room (Tyndale Seminary): online commentaries and monographs on Genesis.
Bereshit with commentary in Hebrew
בראשית Bereishit – Genesis (Hebrew – English at Mechon-Mamre.org)
Genesis at Mechon-Mamre (Jewish Publication Society translation)
01 Genesis public domain audiobook at LibriVox Various versions
Genesis (The Living Torah) Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation and commentary at Ort.org
Genesis (Judaica Press) at Chabad.org
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
New International Version (NIV)
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Westminster-Leningrad codex
Aleppo Codex
Book of Genesis in Bible Book
Genesis in Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Greek, Latin, and English – The critical text of the Book of Genesis in Hebrew with ancient versions (Masoretic, Samaritan Pentateuch, Samaritan Targum, Targum Onkelos, Peshitta, Septuagint, Vetus Latina, Vulgate, Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion) and English translation for each version in parallel.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Genesis
"The Fall of Man" by Lucas Cranach the Elder. The Tree of Knowledge is on the right.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Biblical Hebrew: עֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע [ʕesˤ hadaʕaθ tˤov waraʕ]) is one of two specific trees in the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2–3, along with the tree of life.
Contents
1In Genesis
1.1Narrative
1.2Meaning of good and evil
2Religious views
2.1Judaism
2.2Christianity
2.3Islam
2.4Other cultures
3See also
4References
4.1Bibliography
In Genesis[edit]
Narrative[edit]
Genesis 2 narrates that Yahweh places the first man and woman in a garden with trees of whose fruits they may eat, but forbids them to eat from "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." When, in Genesis 3, a serpent persuades the woman to eat from its forbidden fruit and she also lets the man taste it, God expels them from the garden and thereby from eternal life.
Meaning of good and evil[edit]
The phrase in Hebrew: טוֹב וָרָע, tov wa-raʿ, literally translates as good and evil. This may be an example of the type of figure of speech known as merism, a literary device that pairs opposite terms together in order to create a general meaning, so that the phrase "good and evil" would simply imply "everything." This is seen in the Egyptian expression evil-good, which is normally employed to mean "everything."[1] In Greek literature, Homer also uses the device when he lets Telemachus say, "I [wish to] know everything, the good and the evil." (Odyssey 20:309–310)
However, if tree of the knowledge of good and evil is to be understood to mean a tree whose fruit imparts knowledge of everything, this phrase does not necessarily denote a moral concept. This view is held by several scholars.[1][2][3]
Given the context of disobedience to God, other interpretations of the implications of this phrase also demand consideration. Robert Alter emphasizes the point that when God forbids the man to eat from that particular tree, he says that if he does so, he is "doomed to die." The Hebrew behind this is in a form regularly used in the Hebrew Bible for issuing death sentences.[4]
Religious views[edit]
Judaism[edit]
In Jewish tradition, the Tree of Knowledge and the eating of its fruit represents the beginning of the mixture of good and evil together. Before that time, the two were separate, and evil had only a nebulous existence in potential. While free choice did exist before eating the fruit, evil existed as an entity separate from the human psyche, and it was not in human nature to desire it. Eating and internalizing the forbidden fruit changed this and thus was born the yetzer hara, the evil inclination.[5][6] In Rashi's notes on Genesis 3:3, the first sin came about because Eve added an additional clause to the Divine command: Neither shall you touch it. By saying this, Eve added to YHWH's command and thereby came to detract from it, as it is written: Do not add to His Words (Proverbs 30:6). However, In Legends of the Jews, it was Adam who had devoutly forbidden Eve to touch the tree even though God had only mentioned the eating of the fruit.[7]
When Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge, all the animals ate from it, too [8]
In Kabbalah, the sin of the Tree of Knowledge (called Cheit Eitz HaDa'at) brought about the great task of beirurim, sifting through the mixture of good and evil in the world to extract and liberate the sparks of holiness trapped therein.[9] Since evil has no independent existence, it depends on holiness to draw down the Divine life-force, on whose "leftovers" it then feeds and derives existence.[10] Once evil is separated from holiness through beirurim, its source of life is cut off, causing the evil to disappear. This is accomplished through observance of the 613 commandments in the Torah, which deal primarily with physical objects wherein good and evil are mixed together.[11][12][13] Thus, the task of beirurim rectifies the sin of the Tree and draws the Shechinah back down to earth, where the sin of the Tree had caused Her to depart.[14][15]
Christianity[edit]
A marble bas relief by Lorenzo Maitani on the Orvieto Cathedral, Italy depicts Eve and the tree
In Christian tradition, consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was the sin committed by Adam and Eve that led to the fall of man in Genesis 3.
In Catholicism, Augustine of Hippo taught that the tree should be understood both symbolically and as a real tree - similarly to Jerusalem being both a real city and a figure of Heavenly Jerusalem.[16] Augustine underlined that the fruits of that tree were not evil by themselves, because everything that God created was good (Gen 1:12). It was disobedience of Adam and Eve, who had been told by God not to eat of the tree (Gen 2:17), that caused disorder in the creation,[17] thus humanity inherited sin and guilt from Adam and Eve's sin.[18]
In Western Christian art, the fruit of the tree is commonly depicted as the apple, which originated in central Asia. This depiction may have originated as a Latin pun: by eating the mālum (apple), Eve contracted malum (evil).[19]
Islam[edit]
See also: Tree of life (Quran)
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The Quran never refers to the tree as the "Tree of the knowledge of good and evil" but rather typically refers to it as "the tree" or (in the words of Iblis) as the "tree of immortality."[20] The tree in Quran is used as an example for a concept, idea, way of life or code of life. A good concept/idea is represented as a good tree and a bad idea/concept is represented as a bad tree[21] Muslims believe that when God created Adam and Eve, he told them that they could enjoy everything in the Garden except this tree (idea, concept, way of life), and so, Satan appeared to them and told them that the only reason God forbade them to eat from that tree is that they would become Angels or they start using the idea/concept of Ownership in conjunction with inheritance generations after generations which Iblis convinced Adam to accept[22]
When they ate from this tree their nakedness appeared to them and they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden. The Arabic word used is ورق which also means currency / notes.[23] Which means they started to use currency due to ownership. As Allah already mentioned that everything in Heaven is free(so eat from where you desire) [24] so using currency to uphold the idea of ownership became the reason for the slip. The Quran mentions the sin as being a 'slip', and after this 'slip' they were sent to the destination they were intended to be on: Earth. Consequently, they repented to God and asked for his forgiveness[25] and were forgiven.[26] It was decided that those who obey God and follow his path shall be rewarded with everlasting life in Jannah, and those who disobey God and stray away from his path shall be punished in Jahannam.
God in Quran (Al-A'raf 27) states:
"[O] Children of Adam! Let not Satan tempt you as he brought your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their garments to show them their shameful parts. Surely he [Satan] sees you, he and his tribe, from where you see them not. We have made the Satans the friends of those who do not believe."
Other cultures[edit]
A cylinder seal, known as the Adam and Eve cylinder seal, from post-Akkadian periods in Mesopotamia (c. 23rd-22nd century BCE), has been linked to the Adam and Eve story. Assyriologist George Smith (1840-1876) describes the seal as having two facing figures (male and female) seated on each side of a tree, holding out their hands to the fruit, while between their backs is a serpent, giving evidence that the fall of man account was known in early times of Babylonia.[27] The British Museum disputes this interpretation and holds that it is a common image from the period depicting a male deity being worshipped by a woman, with no reason to connect the scene with the Book of Genesis.[28]
See also[edit]
Adam and Eve (Latter Day Saint movement)
Dream of the Rood
Enlightenment (spiritual)
Original sin
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b Gordon, Cyrus H.; Rendsburg, Gary A. (1997). The Bible and the ancient Near East (4th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-393-31689-6.
^ Harry Orlinsky's notes to the NJPS Torah.
^ Wyatt, Nicolas (2001). Space and Time in the Religious Life of the Near East. A&C Black. p. 244. ISBN 978-0-567-04942-1.
^ Alter 2004, p. 21.
^ Rashi to Genesis 2:25
^ Ramban to Genesis 3:6
^ Ginzberg, Louis, The Legends of the Jews, Vol. I: The Fall of Man, (Translated by Henrietta Szold), Johns Hopkins University Press: 1998, ISBN 0-8018-5890-9
^ Bereishit Rabbah 19: 5
^ Epistle 26, Lessons in Tanya, Igeret HaKodesh
^ ch. 22, Tanya, Likutei Amarim
^ ch. 37, Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim
^ Torah Ohr 3c
^ Torat Chaim Bereishit 30a
^ Bereishit Rabbah 19:7
^ Ramban to Genesis 3:8
^ Augustine, On the Literal Meaning of Genesis (De Genesi ad litteram), VIII, 4.8; Bibliothèque Augustinniene 49, 20
^ Augustine of Hippo, On the Literal Meaning of Genesis (De Genesi ad litteram), VIII, 6.12 and 13.28, Bibliothèque Augustinniene 49,28 and 50-52; PL 34, 377; cf. idem, De Trinitate, XII, 12.17; CCL 50, 371-372 [v. 26-31;1-36]; De natura boni 34-35; CSEL 25, 872; PL 42, 551-572
^ "The City of God (Book XIII), Chapter 14". Newadvent.org. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
^ Adams, Cecil (2006-11-24). "The Straight Dope: Was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden an apple?". The Straight Dope. Creative Loafing Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
^ Qur'an 20:120
^ Qur'an 14:24
^ Qur'an 20:120
^ "ورق".
^ Qur'an 7:19
^ Qur'an 7:23
^ Qur'an 2:37
^ Mitchell, T.C. (2004). The Bible in the British Museum : interpreting the evidence (New ed.). New York: Paulist Press. p. 24. ISBN 9780809142927.
^ The British Museum. "'Adam and Eve' cylinder seal". Google Cultural Institute. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
Bibliography[edit]
Alter, Robert. A translation with commentary (2004). The five books of Moses. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-33393-0.
Knight, Douglas (1990). Watson E. Mills (ed.). Mercer dictionary of the Bible (2d corr. print. ed.). Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. ISBN 0-86554-402-6.
Media related to Tree of the knowledge of good and evil at Wikimedia Commons
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_the_knowledge_of_good_and_evil
Pentax KX film camera first try.
Photography, wether digital or film, done all manual is about resolving problems. A headache I welcome.
Intruders test the resolve of a territorial pair of Common Loons on a northern lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin (June 26, 2019). Lots of circling, bill dipping, diving, and a bit of chasing as they size each other up. None suffered injury in this encounter.
Strictly for full-size viewing :)
Those, who are familiar with the Moon, check me, please - I see three craterlets at the bottom of Plato here. Can you?
Extra magnification out of thin air :) While normally 2x Barlow lens gives effective focal length of 960 mm, adding an extension tube AFTER it increases EFL to whole 1122+ mm, depending on exact position of the camera in relation to the tube flange. I think even 1200-1300 mm is possible.
Technicalities:
Acquisition time: 20.03.2016 20:10 MSK
Telescope: Meade series 6000 80 mm f/6 ED triplet with 2x Barlow lens and extension tube, EFL 1122 mm, f/14.
Camera: TIS DMK 23U274 (Sony ICX274AL, 1/1.8", 1600x1200).
Panoramic image of 6 panels, 150 out of 2500 frames each (very variable seeing).
Datasets stacked in AS!2, deconvolved and wavelet-sharpened in AstraImage 3.0 PRO, stiched in MS ICE and processed with CLAHE plug-in for ImageJ.