Warm-up: Study Michelangelo’s painting “The Creation of Adam”. Then, use it to answer the following questions: 1. What does this painting suggest that Christians believe about God as a deity ? What do they believe about Adam (the first man)? 2. What did they believe about the relationship between God and Adam?

 Does everyone have a World Literature textbook with them?  If you are absent, don’t forget to make up your warm-ups!  They are online on my website, along with all class work, homework, reminders OR you can come to get them after class the day after you’re absent.

STANDARDS Reading 3.7a: Contrast the major literary forms, techniques, and characteristics…

ORAL VS. WRITTEN LANGUAGE  On Monday, we discussed Oral vs. Written stories.  On Wednesday, we started looking at the idea of creation stories.  Creation stories are very unique stories, since they were some of the first stories to make the transformation from oral to written language.

 Before written language, the Bible was passed down orally (story tellers recited them from memory).  The stories and ideas in the Biblical stories (i.e. monotheism) were unique to the Hebrew people; most ancient societies were goddess- worshipping societies.

 Around the 8 th Centuries B.C., writing started to develop, but was only written and understood by high priests and city officials.  High Priests wrote down a select few Biblical stories.

ORAL VS. WRITTEN LANGUAGE  As society developed and writing was needed for records, etc. more people developed literacy.  Around the 5 th Century B.C. scrolls with select Biblical stories were written and distributed through all literate people in the Hebrew society.

 Finally in the First Century A.D., the codex was developed, which most closely resembles our “books” today (central binding with multiple pages).  Then, several copies of the Bible came into production.  Some people still believed that the storytellers had the ultimate authority to pass on these stories instead of written text.  One reason for this is the different translations that were produced in written texts.

 Now, let’s read the introduction to “The Book of Genesis”, “Connect to Your Life” and the first part of “Focus Your Reading” on page 64.  What do you already know about the creation story in the beginning of Genesis?  Any ideas about what we know of the ancient Hebrews’ culture from what we already know?

 Turn to page 65 of your textbook to “Creation and the Fall” (from the book of Genesis).  This ancient story answered for the Hebrew peoples the basic question “How did we get here?”, as well as some other questions that they may have had about men and women, about suffering, etc.  Vocabulary:  Firmament= the expanse of Heavens; the sky.  Thy= your  Ye= you