From: alanf@tekig6.PEN.TEK.COM (Alan M Feuerbacher)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: YOUNG EARTHERS _AND_ BIBLE CRITICS WATCH OUT! (huh?)
Date: 22 Dec 92 19:37:58 GMT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

In article <BznIpr.Az8.2@cs.cmu.edu> kck+@cs.cmu.edu (Karl Kluge) writes:
> [....]
>Second, the correct test is not to consider the possible permutations, but
>the order in which the same events occur in other cultures' creation myths.
> [....]

Here are some comments from _The Anchor Bible Genesis_
on the relation of Genesis to other cultures' creations
myths. From: E. A. Speiser, _The Anchor Bible Genesis_,
pp. 9-10, Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New
York, 1981. Fourth Printing.

   Mesopotamia's canonical version of cosmic origins is
   found in the so-called Babylonian Creation Epic, or
   _Enuma elis_ "When on High"....  The numerous points
   of contact between it and the opening section of Gene-
   sis have long been noted.  There is not only a strik-
   ing correspondence in various details, but--what is
   even more significant--the order of events is the
   same, which is enough to preclude any likelihood of
   coincidence.  The relationship is duly recognized by
   all informed students, no matter how orthodox their
   personal beliefs may be.  I cite as an example the
   tabulation given by Heidel, _The Babylonian Genesis,_
   p. 129:

          _Enuma elish                  Genesis_
   Divine spirit and cosmic    Divine spirit creates
   matter are coexistent and   cosmic matter and exists
   coeternal                   independently of it
   Primeval chaos;  Ti'amat    The earth a desolate
   enveloped in darkness       waste, with darkness cov-
                               ering the deep (_tehom_)
   Light emanating from the    Light created
   gods
   The creation of the fir-    The creation of the fir-
   mament                      mament
   The creation of dry land    The creation of dry land
   The creation of luminar-    The creation of luminar-
   ies                         ies
   The creation of man         The creation of man
   The gods rest and cele-     The gods rest and cele-
   brate                       brate

   Except for incidental differences of opinion in regard
   to the exact meaning of the first entry in each col-
   umn...., the validity of this listing is not open to
   question.  What, then, are the conclusions that may be
   drawn from these and other relevant data?

   It is clear that the biblical approach to creation as
   reflected in _P_ is closely related to traditional
   Mesopotamian beliefs.  It may be safely posited, more-
   over, that the Babylonians did not take over these
   views from the Hebrews, since the cuneiform accounts--
   among which _Enuma elis_ is but one, and a relatively
   stereotyped, formulation--antedate in substance the
   biblical statements on the subject.  Nor is there the
   slightest basis in fact for assuming some unidentified
   ultimate source from which both the Mesopotamian and
   the Hebrews could have derived their views about cre-
   ation.  It would thus appear that _P_'s opening
   account goes back to Babylonian prototypes, and it is
   immaterial whether the transmission was accomplished
   directly or through some intermediate channel;  in any
   case, _J_ cannot have served as a link in this
   particular instance....

   Derivation from Mesopotamia in this instance means no
   more and no less than that on the subject of creation
   biblical tradition aligned itself with the traditional
   tenets of Babylonian "science."  The reasons should
   not be far to seek.  For one thing, Mesopotamia's
   achievements in that field were highly advanced,
   respected, and influential.  And for another, the
   patriarchs constituted a direct link between early
   Hebrews and Mesopotamia, and the cultural effects of
   that start persisted long thereafter.

   In ancient times, however, science often blended into
   religion;  and the two could not be separated in such
   issues as cosmogony and the origin of man.  To that
   extent, therefore, "scientific" conclusions were bound
   to be guided by underlying religious beliefs.  And
   since the religion of the Hebrews diverged sharply
   from Mesopotamian norms, we should expect a corre-
   sponding departure in regard to beliefs about cre-
   ation.  This expectation is fully borne out.  While we
   have before us incontestable similarities in detail,
   the difference in over-all approach is no less promi-
   nent.  The Babylonian creation story features a suc-
   cession of various rival deities.  The biblical ver-
   sion, on the other hand, is dominated by the monothe-
   istic concept in the absolute sense of the term.  Thus
   the two are both genetically related and yet poles
   apart.  In common with other portions of the Primeval
   History, the biblical account of creation displays at
   one and the same time a recognition of pertinent Baby-
   lonian sources as well as a critical position toward
   them.

End quotation.

Alan Feuerbacher
alanf@atlas.pen.tek.com


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