The book of Genesis provides the basis of much of the teachings of both Judaism and Christianity. It also provides a record of the relationships between members of Abraham's family, God, and various neighboring groups over a period of nearly three hundred years. This makes it one of the longest running studies of such relationships ever done. By studying these relationships we can learn a lot about why people develop certain attitudes and respond to different situations. As a result we can make reasonable predictions as to how changes in our behavior will affect our children, and our neighbors. It also helps to understand our own reactions .