The Genesis creation narrative (the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis) describes the divine creation of the world including the first man and woman. The creation myth produced by the authors of Genesis was both a product of the cultural world of the ancient Near East and distinctively different, "borrow[ing] some Mesopotamian themes but adapt[ing] them to the unique conception of their one God," establishing a monotheistic creation in opposition to the Babylonian polytheistic one.

"Genesis opens with a narrative of origins—Creation and the Garden Story—that is compelling in its archetypal character, its adaptation of myth to monotheistic ends." Chapter one describes the creation of the world by Elohim

Elohim

Elohim is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language. When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or...

 (the Hebrew word meaning "God") in six days by means of divine speech (including the creation of mankind on the sixth day), and the designation of the seventh day as Sabbath

Biblical Sabbath

Sabbath in the Bible is usually a weekly day of rest and time of worship. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity and informs a similar occasion in...

, a holy day of rest.