The Creation Story of Genesis 1 in its literary context (page 2)

Leolaia

Narkissos....What do you think of Friedman's early dating of P as pre-exilic? The idea of Deutero-Isaiah writing in response to P actually goes back to M. Weinfeld, and Day is careful to state that it might not have been necessarily P in its present form that Deutero-Isaiah was responding to but a creation tradition that P has set in its final literary form.

Carmel

For what its worth. The oldest confirmed use of compost was in Akka. That must mean that all good things come from Akka right?

Confirms my suspicion that old dirt makes good exegitics.

carmelite

peacefulpete

EJ alone mentions Eden (Sumerian for steppe or plain) that was well watered, paralleling the Sumerian Dilmun paradise that bloomed when watered from the earth and wherein no lions ate no meat and wolves did not eat lambs and dogs did not eat kids. And in this legend it is the eating of fruit/plants that caused the trouble. Also the Sumerian word for rib is also the word for life, in the Sumerian creation legend the goddess uses her rib to heal. The elements are all Sumerian tho quite modified.

P introduced the Babylonian 7 day Sabboth structure. J in chapt 4 names the woman Eve(Babylonian for snake or life).

The androgynous creation of male and female into one body by R in chapt 5 seems to mirror the Persian tale in the Zend Avesta.

I'm not making any assertions just some quick obsevations.

ikthuce4u

Greetings folk,

Just posting to get this thread in my profile.

peacefulpete

My apologies Leolaia if that last post seemed contrary, I meant it simply as an expression of confusion on my part.

Leolaia

I thought you were just mentioning random things about the two creation accounts that didn't have much to do with my original posting. What are you confused about?

peacefulpete

Oh I was just rambling about the bits and pieces that spin in my helter skelter mind.

peacefulpete

Ran into another related comment in the Talmud. It confirms the Rabbinic interpretation of Genesis 1 as God organizing a primordial chaos. Shabbat 88a:6

Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31)? Why do I require the superfluous letter heh, the definite article, which does not appear on any of the other days? It teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, established a condition with the act of Creation, and said to them: If Israel accepts the Torah on the sixth day of Sivan, you will exist; and if they do not accept it, I will return you to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. Therefore, the earth was afraid until the Torah was given to Israel, lest it be returned to a state of chaos. Once the Jewish people accepted the Torah, the earth was calmed.

Phizzy

Thanks PP, for the info from the Talmud, and for reviving a Thread by Leo, yourself and other contributors. It will do some new members here good to see what a "Study in the Scriptures" should look like !

I miss the in-depth stuff, which mainly disappeared with Leo, who perhaps felt her contributions were "casting pearls before swine" ?

Thank you for being here still ! You always give me more of an Education, and spur me to further research.

peacefulpete

Phizzy...I read and post now in an attempt to keep what few grey cells I have left. More and more it feels futile. I'd much appreciate a thread from you, sharing something you learned recently.

The Creation Story of Genesis 1 in its literary context

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