The Influences on Genesis - 1288 Words

Influences on Genesis To study Genesis in terms of its literary and historical content is not to say that we are in any way being irreverent in our reading of this part of the Old Testament. In other words, it is possible to read Genesis in both a spirit of appreciation for its position as the opening exegetical narrative of the Bible and as a document that reflects literary and historical realities and influences during the time when it was being written down. This paper examines some of the contemporary sources that influenced the two sets of writers who recorded the events of Genesis. The human scribes who wrote down the events of Genesis were recording the events of the world as God created it. However, while they were inspired by divine events, these authors were humans influenced by the outside considerations that all human writers incorporate into their works, no matter how important or trivial the concepts. In this case, the writers would have been very much aware of the presence and content of o ther, parallel creation stories with similar historical and even religious tropes. The narrative of the creation of the world in Genesis mirrors elements of other ancient creation stories, including that of the ancient Egyptians. This should hardly be surprising for two reasons: The first is that Egyptian culture (including its religion) remained one of the most important influences in the world at the time during which the earliest versions of Genesis were beingShow MoreRelatedBibilcal Worldview1116 Words   |  5 Pagesbecoming a Christian Genesis 1-11 has greatly impacted my worldview. My worldview of the natural world is that God created everything out of nothing. My human identity worldview is God made us in his image so our identity is in him. My worldview of human relationships are that we are not meant to be alone and how we can easily be lead away from God by other people. My civilization worldview is that as a civilization we can become evil and turn away from God breakin g his heart. So Genesis has really taughtRead More Genesis And Theogony... Plagiarism? Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pages Genesis and Theogony†¦Plagiarism? The Book of Genesis is a compilation, and like every compilation it has a wide variety of contributors who, in turn, have their individual influence upon the final work. It is no surprise, then, that there exist certain parallels between the Theogony, the cosmogony of the early Greeks, and the Book of Genesis, the first part of the Pentateuch section of the Bible. In fact, arguments may be made that the extent of this borrowing, as it were, is not limited to Genesis;Read MoreCosmology : The Origin Of The Universe900 Words   |  4 Pagesevery culture is a creation myth that explains how Earth in its entity came to be. These myths have an immense influence on people’s framework of reference. They all come from one early source and are different only because time and local cultural circumstances have embellished or altered them. Despite being separated by numerous geographical barriers; many cultures before and after Genesis have developed creation myths that share common aspec ts that are fundamentally derived from variations of theRead MoreEssay on Ancient Biblical Stories and Greek Myths Being Male Oriented1645 Words   |  7 Pagessustainer beside him† (Genesis 2:18, p9). â€Å"The human† was living in a perfect environment, yet something was still missing. God decided that it would be human nature to desire and need a partner. Thus began the practice of wife-seeking. Men were able to choose whomever they desired to be their wife, an idea that is demonstrated in the book of Genesis â€Å"†¦the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were comely, and they took themselves wives howsoever they chose† (Genesis 6:2, p. 26). Women didRead More The Biblical Flood of Genesis Based Upon the Flood of the Epic of Gilgamesh1650 Words   |  7 Pagesreaching the island of Utnapishtims abode, Gilgamesh was told a story by his ancestor of a great flood that once swept the world. (2) The similarity between this story and that of Gene sis is astounding. The table below gives a comparison of both these stories.    The Epic of Gilgamesh The Book of Genesis (Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh that he was a true worshipper of the god Ea. When the gods decided to destroy mankind by a flood, Ea warned his devotee and told him): â€Å"O man ofRead MoreFeminism And The Post Modern Structure Of The 21st Century992 Words   |  4 Pagesstructure of the 21st century. Whilst it’s a very relevant question today, the question also carries huge importance through the years, perhaps even as far back as the 1600s with the first publication of Genesis, through to the 20th century with works such as Doctor Faustus. To begin with, in Genesis, God â€Å"created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.† This initial favouritism for the male race is important in answering the question as to whetherRead MoreThe Value of Genesis1059 Words   |  5 Pagesworks. Take, for example, the book of Genesis. Although written and published thousands of years ago, the stories, themes, and modern-day allusions contained within it can still apply to everyday life- even to those who feel as if they are detached from it. To begin with, many of the stories chronicled in Genesis relate closely to books that exist today. In fact, some are more accurately described as creative recounts of certain events in Genesis and Genesis itself. For example, John Milton’s ParadiseRead MoreEssay on Contrasting Genesis I and II of the Holy Bible1190 Words   |  5 PagesContrasting Genesis I and II      Ã‚   Where Genesis I describes a more ordered creation - the manifestation of a more primitive cultural influence than was responsible for the multi-layered creation in Genesis II - the second creation story focuses less on an etiological justification for the physical world and examines the ramifications of humankinds existence and relationship with God. Instead of Genesis Is simple and repetitive refrains of and God saw that it was good (Gen 1:12, 18, 21,Read MoreWorldview As A Person s Perception Of Life And Perspective Of The World1615 Words   |  7 Pagestwo chapters of Genesis clearly state that God created all things, life included [Genesis 1:1, 11-13, 20-22, 24-31] (Holy Bible, 2011). God is the beginning and end, and He is the creator. Life did not just appear or suddenly come into being from nothing by some unknown source or reason. Romans 1:19-20 reminds man that God is the creator and that none can deny His hand in creation (Holy Bible, 2011). Life was created by Go d. All things originated from God. The first chapter of Genesis lays out the sixRead MoreMy Worldview935 Words   |  4 PagesWorldview Throughout this course I have learned of many different worldviews. Through learning of these different worldviews, I have learned that I have a strong Christian worldview. I do understand that it is very easy to let the other worldviews influence your own worldview. There are many elements of my worldview that ensure me that I do have a Christian worldview. These elements are I believe that the Bible is God’s word, I believe that God is our creator, I believe we are not perfect beings, and