The Primeval History (Genesis 1-11) is one of the most complex theological compositions of the Old Testament/the Hebrew Bible. Woven into its multi-layered text one finds reflections on an array of fundamental questions: How did the world come into being? Who is its creator? What role does humankind play in the larger scheme of creation? Why is the world that God made not a perfect one? And finally, is it possible to lead a meaningful and even happy life despite the unpredictabilities of existence? The essays by Andreas Schüle assembled in this volume address these and related questions through close readings of Genesis 1-11 and by relating them to kindred textual traditions throughout the Old Testament/the Hebrew Bible.

Born 1968; studied Theology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Heidelberg; PhD in Semitic Studies (Heidelberg); PhD in Old Testament Studies (Heidelberg); Habilitation in Old Testament (Zurich); 2005-12 Professor of Biblical Exegesis and Old Testament at Union Presbyterian Seminary (Richmond, Virginia); since 2012 Professor for Exegesis and Theology of the Old Testament (Leipzig) and Extraordinary Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).