Does the Pentateuch tell a good story?

Have a little read: ... Does the Pentateuch tell a good story? The Pentateuch - the first five books of the Old Testament - seems to be fundamentally fragmented in form. Genesis tells of creation and of the early history of Israel up until preparations to leave Egypt, the next three books consider Israel's drift through the desert and the laws formed on these travels, while Deuteronomy exists for the most part as a collection of laws and legislative poetry by Moses. Can such fragments make a good story? However, while the Pentateuch is both divided into five parts and appears to be fragmented in style and subject, the Pentateuch manages to show a unity in narrative1. What do we today understand by the term 'a good story'? I would suggest that a clear beginning, middle and end are essential to hold onto narrative meaning and coherence as a story. The beginning must be powerful, must be able to address universal problems and questions and must both set the scene and introduce essential characters. The middle must intrigue, excite and be meaningful, while the end must seek to wrap up any questions or problems addressed and wrap up the narrative. I believe that to some degree, the Old Testament manages to do this. Genesis 1 is most definitely a powerful beginning. Surely nothing can be more grand and universal in scale that the very creation of the universe? Genesis also acts to introduce the main character of the Pentateuch, God, and His creation of man and the world. The first chapters of Genesis have to be seen to act as a universal framework for the way that we are to understand God, and indeed the world. But the story of creation must not be literally interpreted, or thought of as myth. The use of the word 'myth' to describe this section of Genesis is frequently used, but can be misleading. Myths are often based on fantasy and fiction, but the creation story must be seen as aiming to give a true portrayal of the world and of humanity in the world in relation to God. Genesis establishes Him as the fundamental base and character through which all is to be interpreted. Genesis aims to set the scene for the way in which we are to understand the relationship between man and God. The overarching theme is that even though man's disobedience seems to isolate him from God, darkness and potential death are turned around. It appears that, "salvation is identical with creation". 2 The first story of this kind in Genesis is that of Adam and Eve. Their disobedience of God in search of 'the fruit of knowledge' and hence the attempt to become gods themselves, is