BIBLE HISTORY:

FOR THE USE OF

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS.

With Descriptibe Explanations

BY THE AUTHOR OF "HELEN'S FAULT,"

ETC. ETC.

ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS.

LONDON:

G. ROUTLEDGE & CO., FARRINGDON STREET.

NEW YORK: 18, BEEKMAN STREET.

1856.

191. d. 80.

BIBLE HISTORY

FOR CHILDREN.

THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES,

CALLED GENESIS.

"GENESIS" is the name of the first book of Moses in the Greek translation. It means "generation" or "production," and is used to signify the creation which is described in this book.-The Hebrew name for this book means, "in the beginning." The book of Genesis relates the events which happened during the long period of 2369 years. It tells of the Creation of the world; of the destruction of all living beings except those saved in the Ark; of the manner in which Noah's descendants were scattered over the face of the earth; of Abraham being called by God to leave his family and settle in Canaan; and of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

It relates the histories of Isaac and Jacob; of Joseph and his brethren, and how it came to

pass that they left Canaan and settled in the land of Egypt, with many other things concerning the Israelites.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS.

THERE was a time, my dear children, many thousand years ago, when there was no light, no sky, no sun, no moon nor stars, no world, no plants, or living animals, all was darkness and emptiness.

But there was God. There never was a time without God, nor can there be a time without him. And with God there was his Son our Lord, for "He was in the beginning with God; and without him was not anything made that was made;" (John i. 2, 3.)

God, and his Son, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit of God created the Heaven and the Earth in the beginning; but at first—we do not know for how long-the earth was without form, and it was empty, and mixed with the water (v. 9; 2 Pet. iii. 9); and all was darkness.

"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."