the first book of the Old Testament, containing the history of the creation, and the lives of the first patriarchs.

The book of Genesis stands at the head of the Pentateuch. Its author is held to be Moses: it contains the relation of 2369 years, viz. from the beginning of the world to the death of Joseph. The Jews are forbidden to read the beginning of Genesis, and the beginning of Ezekiel, before 30 years of age.

The Hebrews call this book Berechith, because it begins with that word, which in their language signifies in principio, or "in the beginning." Greeks gave it the name Geneti, Γενεσις, q. d. production, generation, because it begins with the history of the production or generation of all beings.

This book, besides the history of the creation, contains an account of the original innocence and fall of man; the propagation of mankind; the rise of religion; the general defection and corruption of the world; the deluge; the restoration of the world; the division and peopling of the earth; and the history of the first patriarchs to the death of Joseph. It was easy for Moses to be satisfied of the truth of what he delivers in this book, because it came down to him through a few hands; for from Adam to Noah there was one man, viz. Methuselah, who lived so long as to see them both: in like manner Shem conversed with Noah and Abraham; Isaac with Abraham and Joseph, from whom the records of this book might easily be conveyed to Moses by Amram, who was contemporary with Joseph.

in Geometry, denotes the formation of a line, plane, or solid, by the motion or flux of a point, line, or surface. See FLUXIONS.

The genesis or formation, e. gr. of a globe or sphere, is conceived by supposing a semicircle to revolve upon a right line, drawn from one extreme thereof to the other, called its axis, or axis of circumvolution: the motion or revolution of that semicircle is the genesis of the sphere, &c.

In the genesis of figures, &c. the line or surface that moves is called the describent; and the line round which, or according to which, the revolution or motion is made, the dirigent.