Caleb Hutchison
Professor Slaubaugh
Genesis Skills Assignment
Part 1
1. List the characteristics of Gen 1:1-2:3 that indicate that it belongs to the Priestly (P)
source of the Pentateuch.
1. According to Carvahlo, holds a “regal” (Carvahlo 5) view of God. The source was
written after exile, and seeks to preserve the traditions and culture of ancient
Israel. Exclusively uses Elohim as God’s name until YHWH is revealed in Exodus.
2. Portrays the magnificent power of God in the way the cosmos was created.
3. The 7-day structure of the story highlights the importance of the sabbath
1. This highlights the importance of Jewish tradition and culture. The 7 th day
sabbath is something the Priestly source would’ve wanted to define and
refocus after the time in exile.
4. Focuses on the aspect of humanity being created in God’s image, and the
essential goodness of what God originally created.
2. List the characteristics of Gen 2:4-3:24 that indicate that it belongs to the Yahwist (J)
source.
1. Uses the YHWH exclusively to refer to God
2. Displays a character-driven narrative, focusing on the relationship with God and
humanity. “Earthy, fokloristic” (HCSB) story of creation.
3. Differs in sequence of created things, goes into further detail about humanity’s
beginnings.
4. Details a broken command dynamic as the source of sin.
5. Focused on the characters and their moral dilemmas, rather than a complete
account of creation.
3. List one reason that the P story might be considered “better.”
1. It displays the majesty and all-powerful nature of God.
2. It gives order and symmetry to the creation story, and places emphasis on the
Sabbath. The parallels shown in the first 6 days highlight the difference in the 7 th
day, giving precedent for the importance of the sabbath that was also mentioned
later in the Law of Moses. This is not to say that the J creation story does not
have order or logic, only that specific structural symmetry is used to accentuate
the importance of the traditional sabbath in the P creation narrative.
4. List one reason that the J story might be considered “better.”
1. It dives into the relationship between humankind and God, showing the essential
separation that we have from Him because of sin. The importance of God
commanding and expecting perfection and humanity falling short
Part 2.1: Human’s relationship with God
Both the P and J source place humans firmly beneath God hierarchically, yet above the rest of
creation. Humans, in the P source, were created last and in God’s image. At the end of chapter
1, God verbally gives all of creation to humanity to keep and take care of. In the J source,
humans are depicted as the caretakers of all creation. The P source is rather brief in describing
the interactions between God and humanity, while the J source dives deeply into a characterdriven narrative about the relationship between God and Adam and Eve specifically. The P
source does not explore the concept of sin, a main component of the J source. This is not to say
that they disagree, merely that P does not introduce the concept of sin or imperfection into the
creation narrative. Rather, God is portrayed as the perfect, all-powerful maker of an inherently
good creation. The J source then describes how sin ruins the relationship between creation and
God in a series of events driven by the characters of the story. In the J source, although humans
are not said to be created in God’s “image,” they are created in an innocent, animal-like state
and know not the difference between good and evil. As Novick illustrates in a parallel with the
Epic of Gilgamesh, humanity is then connected to God through their sinful desire to know good
and evil, and also realize their own sexuality. The essential difference between the Epic and the
Eden story is the command dynamic. God’s command to humanity is to remain innocent and
“immature,” and humanity breaks this command by eating the fruit and attempting to become
God-like in their knowledge.
Part 2.2
The choice to include both comes down to the need to represent God as all-powerful, and the
desire to show that Creation as it is today not as it should be. The P source uses beautiful
language to show the goodness of original creation and the power of God. The J source depicts
sin and humanity’s complicated relationship with God, and the path forward from our sin.
If the two stories were to merge, they would each lose some of their original emphases. For
example, the specific parallels of days 1-6 of the P creation narrative highlight the importance
of the sabbath. This would be lost if the stories were combined somehow.
Though the two stories differ in some ways, I disagree fundamentally with Novick’s assertion
that they are incompatible. Rather, I think they provide complimentary perspectives, albeit not
very scientific, about the creation of the world.
Part 3
In the beginning, there was God. No universe had been created, space, matter and time had not
been spoken into existence. The spirit of God existed eternally in nothingness, surrounded by
darkness without end and without form. Then God said, “Let there be light.” And there was
light. Radiant beams exploded into the cosmos, illuminating the infinite darkness. God saw that
the light He had made was good.
God created matter along with the light that expanded into the Universe. Particles of gas and
solid materials were spoken into the cosmos and exploded into being. All of creation obeyed
God, and with His hands He formed the atoms that make up the Universe.
Then God spoke again, forming the matter into clumps, bigger and hotter until they became
stars. He made them of all sizes and colors, placing them throughout the cosmos as furnaces to
produce different elements. He then grouped the stars together into galaxies, and the galaxies
into clusters. With His hands He holds the cosmos together, an intricate web of His beautiful
craftsmanship.
Around the stars He formed more atoms into planets and asteroids of all kinds. Some planets
He gave magnificent rings that gleamed in the light of their sun. Some systems He placed two,
or even three stars to light them. Each planet was uniquely made, an intricate testament to
God’s majesty.
On one particular planet called earth, God placed the necessary ingredients for life, and formed
them into the creatures and plants of all kinds. He made the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea,
the things that crawl on the ground and all the beasts of the earth.
Then God said, “Let me make humankind in my image, according to my likeness, and let them
have dominion over the earth.” And so it was. God formed humans with the same atoms He
used to make the stars of the cosmos and the planets that orbit them. In God’s image humans
were created, placed in a perfect world.
God commanded the humans to be stewards of the earth, and to take care of it. He gave them
food to eat, and a garden to tend. He commanded them not to eat, however, from the Tree of
the Knowledge of Good and Evil. For love’s sake, God asked humanity to choose His way over
the way of sin. Tempted by hubris, humans chose to chase power and broke the natural laws of
God by introducing sin into creation.
Sin rippled out into the cosmos. Creation groans still today under the weight of its separation
from its creator. The perfect creation was made imperfect by the free choice of its caretakers.
But God still loved us and made a Way for humanity to be saved from sin and for creation to be
healed. It began with a covenant with Abraham.
Note about mankind being created in God’s image: God is a ruler, and humans are called to
rule over creation and be caretakers of it. God is a creator, and humans are called to bring life
into the world and multiply. God is rational, emotional, and spirit. Humans are rational,
emotional, and possess spirit. God loves, and humans also love. Humanity is created in the
likeness of God. Not necessarily physical, because we cannot know the glorious form of God,
but in our very nature.
Note about hierarchy and command: God commands humans to remain innocent and “animallike.” Any attempt on the part of humanity to become more like God is a sinful act of hubris. As
Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew, “"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like
little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles
himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). God desires a
humble, innocent, pure relationship with humanity, as a father’s desire for such a relationship
with his child. His command is for us to guard our innocence and remain content in only His
love. Humanity broke that relationship in its desire to be more like God.