The first chapter of the book of Genesis seems simple, but this appearance is misleading. In the course, we will read the Genesis 1, focusing on its first verse, and the problems it raises, and then will turn to sources in which it was interpreted and rewritten throughout the ages, from the Bible to contemporary literature. This cornerstone of Hebrew literature will lead us through thousands of years of writing and thinking about the question of questions – the question of the beginning of everything. Among the books are: Anuma Elish, Book of Jubilees, Genesis Rabbah, Aramaic translations of the Bible, the Antiquities of the Jews, the Gospel of John, Rashi's commentary, the Book of Zohar, and more.