In this stimulating collection of essays, John Day presents solutions for a number of disputed questions in the study of Genesis 1-11 thereby expanding on his earlier book From Creation to Babel and paving the way for his ICC commentary on these chapters. Subjects discussed include how the Bible's first verse relates to the following verses, what Genesis means by its claim that humanity is made in the image of God as well as what people have thought it meant. the background and nature of the serpent in the garden of Eden and the role of wisdom in the Eden narrative. Also discussed are the many debated points of interpretation in the Cain and Abel story, and both the origin of the figure of Enoch and how Enoch later became conceived as an apocalyptic seer. Day analyses the sources and redaction of the flood story, defending the Documentary Hypothesis, and discusses the Covenant with Noah, how this relates to the Noachic commandments and how the latter became greatly expanded in later Judaism. Next the table of the nations in Genesis 10 is analysed, including both its structure and the identity of all the nations, and particular attention is paid to the origin of the Mesopotamian figure of Nimrod. Finally Day discusses both the identity of 'Ur of the Chaldaeans', whence Abraham is alleged to have come, and how this became distorted in subsequent Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition into the notion that Abraham was in a fiery furnace. Throughout this study close attention is paid to both the ancient Near Eastern background of Genesis 1-11 and the subsequent history of interpretation and reception history of these chapters. Attention is also paid to source analysis, and the Documentary Hypothesis is defended against alternative proposals, although it is argued that the Yahwistic source was not all written at one time. Book jacket.