ISRAEL’S STORY THE PREFACE GENESIS 1-11

Gen 1-11 is considered prehistory A collection of remembrances and theological reflections. It is a preface to the Exodus. This preface belongs to two basic sources: Yahwist Priestly.

YAHWIST (J) SOURCE This came earlier. IT joined several old stories and myths and rewrote them to fit its religious message about Yahweh. Humankind was created by God. Other creatures were created for human use. All this because of God’s goodness Sin entered the word because of human disobedience God sent the flood to punish humanity and spare Noah.

YAHWIST PASSAGES The Garden of Eden Gen 2-3 The sin of Cain G.4 The Giants G.6 A flood G. 6-9 Table of nations G.10 Tower of Babel G.11 Story of Abraham

PRIESTLY (P) SOURCES Is in universalistic in approach Creation of the world Gen 1 First list of Patriarchs Adam – Noah Gen.5 A flood story Gen 6-9 2nd list of Patriarchs, Shem to Abraham G.11 The story of Abraham The P writers were the final editors of Genesis.

PRIESTS AND TEMPLE SCHOOLS EVIDENCE Creation story in G 1 has the refrains and solemn tones of liturgical prayer. It emphasizes blessings and sacrifices, a part of religious ceremonies. It maintains an interest in precise genealogy lists, a task of ancient temple scribes who kept the birth marriage and death records. It stresses the covenant that God makes with all humans.

Priestly Creation Story and the Enuma Elish ANET Priestly 1. Divine Spirit 2. Darkness covers earth 3. Light 4. Sky dome 5. Dry land 6. Heavy lights 7. Creation of man 8. Rest Enuma Elish ANET 66 1. Divine spirits 2. Chaos, war of gods 3. Against the sea 4. Light from the gods 5. Firmament (dome) 6. Dry land 7. Heavenly lights 8. Creation of man

DIFFERENCES (P’S THEOLOGY) One God. Created the orderly world from his goodness. Matter is good. He created by word. Human beings created in his own image. Had to procreate, rest, and know God personally.

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the flood page 103 Noah vs. Gilgamesh

Genesis 1-11 Myth or History?. Challenges to History No particular facts that can be located in a given moment. No eye witness reports. No connections to other events that are known. The dates cannot be reconciled with scientific findings, about the age of the earth. The given ages do not conform to the ages given by anthropologists. Gods spoke to people.

MYTHS: TYPES Stories about creation. Stories of gods, of the legendary heroes of old, or of the origins of customs and ethnic groups.  Etiological myths explain the causes of something, such as names of holy places, origins of certain customs, etc.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MYTH It allows us to speak of events that happened at the beginning of time. Not worried about scientific exactitude. Concerned about the inner meaning of what happened, and its purpose. Concerns itself about divine beings and their relationship with humanity. Are not historical in the modern strict sense. Myth uses common symbols, e.g. water.

TWO LEVELS OF MYTH 1. A story using traditional motifs and themes. 2. Myth is theological – explains the relationship between God and humanity. NB: The Israelites demythologized the myths, the destroyed the heart of the myth. They reinterpreted the myth in light of the one true God who the worshiped.