ABSTRACT
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the authorship of which has been traditionally ascribed to the Hebrew prophet Moses (who is variously dated to the fifteenth or the thirteenth century B.C.), constitutes the foundation text of those biblical religions (Judaism and Christianity) that have deeply shaped Western culture. The relationship between the first two chapters of Genesis, which describe God’s creation of the world and the first human beings (Adam and Eve) in six days, and scientific knowledge has constituted one of the most important and controversial sites of intersection between science and religion throughout the ages. Of particular concern has been the question of how literally the account should be taken by those who accept its authority as divine revelation.
