No reader, even the most fundamentalist, would deny that Genesis’ opening chapters present two creation accounts, even indicating where one ends and the other begins (Gen 2:4). This itself is a strong textual indicator that we have two once separate traditions which were redacted together at a later date. That is, the text of Genesis 1–2 itself indicates that it is in fact a composite text. Add to this our knowledge about literary production, duplicate traditions, and storytelling in the ancient world and we have corroborating cultural evidence that Genesis’ opening chapters contain two different traditions, each representing how ancient Israelites variously told the story of creation.
For Further Reading: Genesis 1 and the Creationism Debate: Being Honest to the Text, Its Author, and His Beliefs (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016).
See Also: Why Academic Biblical Scholars Must Fight Creationism
By Steven DiMattei, Ph.D.
Early Christianity/New Testament
June 2016
Click here for article.
Comments (1)
Are we to think of the hand that formed the combined narrative of Genesis as wielding scissors and paste with the intention of putting theological diversity on display - an early form of liberalism? - or with the intention of claiming that there could be a unified theology in which the two names, El and Yahweh, hinted - an early form of mysticism? - at two different kinds or levels of divine operation?
#1 - Martin Hughes - 07/01/2016 - 15:56