How I Approach Genesis

Alice C. Linsley


Recently I was asked what motivates this research project of many years. What began as a teaching assignment became an obsession. I was asked to lead a women's Bible study on the Book of Genesis. 

Initially I approached Genesis as a person of faith and prayer, confident that God would reveal to me the riches of His written word. I undertook the research as much a lover as a theorist, and looking back, I see that clues to the complex social structure of the biblical Hebrew came at critical moments. I believe that God honored my eagerness to learn and rewarded my steadfast efforts to make sense of Genesis.

Out of curiosity I decided to apply what I had learned in kinship analysis to the "begats "of Genesis 4 and 5. This section of Genesis is rarely pondered as it lists Hebrew people who lived well before the time of Abraham (2000 BC). The begats make fairly boring reading, so people tend to skip over these lists. However, I was intrigued by the possibility of discovering something about these early Hebrew rulers by applying the tools of cultural anthropology, specifically kinship analysis. I learned a great deal by reading in E.L. Schusky's Manual for Kinship Analysis and Robin Fox's Kinship and Marriage.

I've always loved the Bible, but by nature I am an empirical thinker. I come from a long line of scientists. I pursue the truth by reason and when I hit a wall, I go forward as Anselm, by faith and love. The love of God and His written word are not at odds with sound reasoning and the sciences.

Over time, I began to see that the findings of anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, climate studies, migration studies, and DNA research aligned with the data in Genesis. My method became more empirical than theological.

Archaeology in the Bible lands is called "Biblical Archaeology" and the science of anthropology pertaining to biblical populations is "Biblical Anthropology." Biblical anthropology should not be confused with theological anthropology, that is, a theological understanding of humans as created, sinful, and redeemable.

The science of biblical anthropology employs the tools of cultural anthropology to discover the social structure of biblical populations, especially the Hebrew ruler-priest caste. An important tool is kinship analysis by which the historicity of the persons listed in Genesis 4, 5, 10, 11, 25 and 36 is confirmed. 

For me, the 66 canonical books of the Bible are the primary resource because I believe God has preserved Truth in these books. I also look at other books of importance such as the Books of Enoch, Jasher, Judith, and the Wisdom of Ben Sira (Sirach). These contain valuable anthropological information, but for the most part, are too late to shed light on the antecedents of the Messianic Faith that we call "Christianity."

I delve into the canonical texts to find what biblical populations made, what materials they used, and what tools they used in daily life. How did they bury their dead? What did they believe about the creation of the world? What culture traits made their population distinctive? How did they organize for war? Where did the rulers derive their authority?

A central task of the emerging science of Biblical Anthropology is to uncover antecedents. This key principle of discovery requires paying attention to subordinate voices, to the traces of long past traditions. Culture traits, ceremonies, rituals, and religious beliefs do not spring suddenly into existence. They develop organically over time from traditions received from the ancestors. Biblical anthropology provides tested methods and tools to push back the veil of time, to uncover anthropologically significant data that clarifies precedents, etiology, and context. The discoveries made in Biblical Anthropology prove helpful to students, pastors, and academics.

Why am I motivated to continue this long research project? Because Genesis is the foundation of the Bible, but it is also foundational to understanding what is ultimate and intimate. Because Western modernity strips away the signs of the Creator's goodness and love. Many echo Nietzsche's shout that God is dead, but the echo rings hollow from the shining mountains where God has self-revealed to our spiritual Fathers and Mothers.

After years of studying the book of Genesis, I'm beginning to see its splendor, and it is the splendor of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners like me.


Related reading: BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: Biblical Anthropology: Another Reason to Believe; How Genesis Has Strengthened My Faith; Received Tradition: Pushing Back the Veil of Time; Something Older; How Reliable is the Book of Jasher?