Origins and Pre-History
© John Stevenson, 2011
Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission
Nippur Tablet
Containing
Flood story
Ennuma Elish
“When on high…”
Aspu
Tiamat
Primitive forces
&
Gods
Tiamat
Marduk
Primitive forces
&
Gods
Marduk
Kingu
Primitive forces
&
Gods
Similarities and Differences
with the Creation Account
Similarities
• World without
form & void
• Similar order &
events
• Seven tablets &
seven days of
creation
Differences
• Polytheism
versus
monotheism
• Confusing of
spirit & matter
Ennuma Elish
Genesis Account
Tiamat engulfs world in
The world was
a primal chaos.
unformed and unfilled.
Light comes from the
gods.
Marduk makes the
stars of the zodiac and
ordains the year.
Marduk makes man
from the blood of
Kingu.
God brings light into
existence.
God sets sun and
moon for signs,
seasons, days, and
years.
God creates man in
His own image and
likeness.
Ennuma Elish
Genesis Account
Moses is giving to us a refutation of the
accepted mythos that was held in
antiquity as he goes point by point to
show that God is the true Creator of
heaven and earth.
• Mesopotamian myth
containing creation
and flood story
• Our oldest copy
dates to age of
Hammurabi
• Junior gods begin to
complain because
their toil is too heavy
• Man is created to
take up the slack
• Man makes too
much noise and
flood comes
• Wise King Atrahasis
warned so that he
can build an ark and
escape
The Book of Beginnings
Genesis 1-11
Genesis 12-50
Events Predominant People Predominant
– Creation
– Fall
– Flood
– Tower of Babel
– Abraham
– Isaac
– Jacob
– Joseph
Race as a whole
Family of Abraham
Over 2000 years
250 years
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
• The “who” of creation.
• The work of creation.
• The “what” of creation.
Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth.
And the earth was unformed and
unfilled, and darkness was over the
surface of the deep; and the Spirit of
God was moving over the surface of
the waters.
Unformed
Unfilled
Day 1: Light
Day 4: Light-bearers
(sun, moon, stars)
Day 2: Water & sky
divided
Day 5: Fish & birds to
fill water & sky
Day 3: Dry land &
vegetation
Day 6: Land animals
& man
Day 7: Sabbath Rest
Genesis 1
The Israelite
Experience
Light and darkness
They had seen God
are made by God on bring light and darkness
Day 1
over Egypt
A division of the
waters on Day 2
They had passed
through the Red Sea
The sun and moon
Egyptians worshiped
and stars created on the sun and moon and
Day 4
stars and had seen the
sun darkened in Egypt.
Genesis 1
The Israelite
Experience
Man is created in
the image of God
Only the Pharaoh was
thought to be in the
image of God
Man is told to rule
over the earth
Only the Pharaoh had
the right of rulership
Man is placed into a Israelites are tempted to
beautiful garden
return to the meats of
Egypt, but Canaan is
the new promised Eden.
Why are there
two separate
accounts of
creation?
Genesis 1
Genesis 2
The heavens and the
earth are created in six
days.
Man in his cosmic
setting
Creation of the man
and woman (no time
element mentioned).
Man as central to
God’s purpose
Panorama of creation Detailed focus on one
as a whole
aspect of creation
Centers on God
Centers on man as the
creating the heavens crowning act of God’s
and the earth
creation
Theories of Creation
•
•
•
•
•
Supernatural versus Evolutionary.
A Superficial Appearance of History.
The Gap Theory.
The Day/Age Theory.
The Non-Sequential Theory / Framework
Theory.
I personally take the view that Genesis 1
and 2 relate to each other the way Judges 4
and 5 and Exodus 14 and 15 do. In each
couplet one chapter describes a historical
event and the other is a song or poem about
the theological meaning of the event.
When reading Judges 4 it is obvious that it is
a sober recounting of what happened in the
battle, but when we read Judges 5,
Deborah’s Song about the battle, the
language is poetic and metaphorical.
When Deborah sings that the stars in the
heavens came down to fight for the
Israelites, we understand that she means
that metaphorically.
I think Genesis 1 has the earmarks of poetry
and is therefore a “song” about the wonder
and meaning of God’s creation. Genesis 2
is an account of how it happened
(The Reason for God, pg 93-94).
Theories of Creation
•
•
•
•
•
Supernatural versus Evolutionary.
A Superficial Appearance of History.
The Gap Theory.
The Day/Age Theory.
The Non-Sequential Theory / Framework
Theory.
• The Literal Interpretation.
…general revelation in
creation, as well as the
special revelation of
Scripture, is also the
voice of God. We live in
a “universe,” and all
truth speaks with one
voice (2001:77).
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
CUSH
?
Havilah
TEMPTATION SEAL
The Gilgamesh Epic and the
Temptation Account
• Gilgamesh, king of Erech
• People pray to Anu, the sky
god
• He fashions Enkidu, a wild
man of the forest
• Trapper’s son gets
prostitute to entice Enkidu
• He yields, loses his power,
but gains knowledge
Gilgamesh Epic
Bible
Anu creates
Enkidu, the wild
man of the forest
God creates Adam
and puts him in the
garden of Eden
Enkidu is naked in
the forest
Adam and Eve are
naked in the garden
Enkidu is tempted
by the prostitute
Enkidu falls to her
charms, loses
strength, but gains
knowledge
Adam is given the
forbidden fruit by Eve
Adam sins, his eyes
are opened and he is
removed from the
garden
The Gilgamesh Epic and the
Temptation Account
• Enkidu and Gilgamesh
become friends
• Enkidu dies and Gligamesh
goes on a quest to find a
way to bring him back to life
• Gilgamesh is given a plant
that will let him live forever
• A serpent comes and eats
the plant
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the
garden (15)
Forbidden fruit (16-17)
And the LORD God commanded the man,
saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat
freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat
from it you shall surely die.“ (Genesis 2:16-17)
Creation complete: Heavens & earth created;
God finished His work (1-3)
Man created: Formed from dust (4-9)
Trees & Rivers in garden given names (9-14)
Man assigned task of guarding & keeping the
garden (15)
Forbidden fruit (16-17)
Man in need of a helper: not good to be alone
(18)
Animals in garden are given names (19-20)
Woman created: Formed from rib (21-24)
Creation complete: Man & woman naked &
unashamed in presence of God (25)
When the woman
saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it
was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was
desirable to make one
wise, she took from its
fruit and ate; and she
gave also to her husband
with her, and he ate.
(Genesis 3:6)
What are the
results from
their actions of
taking and
eating the
forbidden fruit?
And I will put enmity
between you and the
woman, and between
your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on
the head, and you shall
bruise him on the heel.
(Genesis 3:15)
Seed of the Serpent
Seed of the Woman
Cain & Abel
How is the Cain &
Abel narrative
related to the larger
story of Genesis?
Seed of the Serpent
Cain
Lamech
Literally,
“another SEED”
Seed of the Woman
Abel
And Adam had relations
with his wife again; and she
gave birth to a son, and
named him Seth, for, she
said, "God has appointed
me another offspring in
place of Abel; for Cain
killed him." (Genesis 4:25).
Seed of the Serpent
Cain
Seed of the Woman
Abel & Seth
Enoch
Lamech
Noah
Ham
Shem
Canaan
Abraham
Terah
Reu
Shelah
Noah
Enoch
Kenan
Firstborn
Death
Adam
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Earliest Civilization
•
•
•
•
•
Cities
Polygamy
Nomadic Herdsmen
Musical Instruments
Bronze & Iron
Genesis 6:1-2
Now it came about, when men
began to multiply on the face of the
land, and daughters were born to
them, 2 that the sons of God saw that
the daughters of men were beautiful;
and they took wives for themselves,
whomever they chose.
Genesis 6:3
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit
shall not strive with man forever,
because
he
also
is
flesh;
nevertheless his days shall be one
hundred and twenty years.”
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth
in those days, and also afterward,
when the sons of God came in to the
daughters of men, and they bore
children to them. Those were the
mighty men who were of old, men of
renown.
Sons of God refer to
Angels
• Septuagint supports this interpretation
• Sons of God are angels in Job
• Angels in heaven do not marry, but these
angels were not in heaven
• The resulting offspring produced giants
• Supported in Apocryphal book of Enoch as
well as in Jude 6.
Sons of God refer to
Descendants of Seth
• Preceding chapters set forth contrast of
two lines
• Men began to call on the name of the Lord
• It is mankind that is punished in the flood
• Sonship is a common theme in the Old
Testament
• Marriage of godly seed to ungodly people
is a common theme in Genesis
Sons of God refer to
Kings and Rulers
• Aramaic lends itself to this interpretation
• Elohim refers to human judges in Ex 21:6;
22:8-9 and in Psalm 82:1, 6
• Similar use in Babylonian texts
• Kings often referred to as Elohim in east
• Actions paralleled in Lamech
• Nephilim refer to fallen ones
Noah’s three sons (6:10)
Covenant with Noah (6:18)
• Promise to destroy the earth with a flood
Command to take food (6:21)
Noah & Family enter the ark (7:1)
Flood on the earth (7:11 – 8:13)
Noah & Family come out of ark (8:14)
Command not to eat blood (9:14)
Covenant with Noah (9:8-17)
• Promise not to destroy the earth with a flood
Noah’s three sons (9:18)
Genesis 6:14
Make for yourself an ark of
gopher wood; you shall make the ark
with rooms, and shall cover it inside
and out with pitch.
hb;T  Tebah
e is used for
Same word
the ark into which the
baby Moses was placed
Genesis 6:15
This is how you shall make it:
the length of the ark three hundred
cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its
height thirty cubits.
Universal language
• The waters lifted the ark up above the
earth (7:17).
• The waters prevailed and increased upon
the earth (7:18).
• The waters prevailed exceeding upon the
earth (7:19).
• All the high hills were covered (9:19).
• The water rose 15 cubits above the
mountains (7:20).
Universal language
• All flesh died upon the earth (7:21).
• The waters prevailed for 150 days (7:24).
Universal Flood
Local Flood
The Biblical account
says that the waters
covered the whole
earth.
The word aretz
(“earth”) is often used
to describe a local
area.
The Biblical language The account is given
goes out of its way to from the viewpoint of
use language of
the narrator is from his
totality.
perspective the
destruction is total.
Universal Flood
Local Flood
The size of the ark
indicates that this was
no local flood.
The size of the ark is
not related to the
extent of the flood.
The purpose of the ark God could have made
was punishment of
certain all flesh was
world-wide sin. In a
destroyed without
local flood some could
flooding the entire
have escaped.
globe.
There are world-wide
traces of a flood.
The evidence is
questioned as to its
universality.
Genesis 8:4
In the seventh month, on the
seventeenth day of the month, the
ark rested upon the mountains of
Ararat.
Gilgamesh Epic
• Utnapishtim
• Boat has 7 decks &
overlaid with pitch
• 7 days to build it
• His family, relatives and
craftsmen
• Storm lasted 6 days
• Boat landed on Mount
Nisir
Ten Generations
Noah
Ten Generations
Adam
Noah
Terah
Three sons
Three sons
Genesis 11:1-2
Now the whole earth used the
same language and the same
words. 2 It came about as they
journeyed east, that they found a
plain in the land of Shinar and
settled there.
● Babel
Genesis 11:3-4
They said to one another, “Come,
let us make bricks and burn them
thoroughly.” And they used brick for
stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4
They said, “Come, let us build for
ourselves a city, and a tower whose
top will reach into heaven, and let us
make for ourselves a name, otherwise
we will be scattered abroad over the
face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:9
Therefore its name was called
Babel, because there the LORD
confused the language of the whole
earth; and from there the LORD
scattered them abroad over the face of
the whole earth.
lb,B'  Babel
Genesis 11:9
Therefore its name was called
Babel, because there the LORD
confused the language of the whole
earth; and from there the LORD
scattered them abroad over the face of
the whole earth.
lb,B'  Babel
ll;B'  Balal
Major Language Groupings
• Indo-European (corresponds to Japheth):
English, Spanish, Greek, German, French,
Latin, Italian.
• Semitic (corresponds to Shem): Hebrew,
Arabic, Akkadian, Aramaic.
• Hamitic (corresponds to Ham): Egyptian,
Berber, Cushitic, and Chadic
Genesis 11 is not a Strict
Chronology
• The Number of Years is not Totaled.
• The Name and Years of Cainan are
Absent from the Hebrew Text.
• Genesis 5 and Genesis 11 are
Symmetrical in Form.
• Ancestral connections between
people in Biblical genealogies are
often abridged
Genesis 10:1
Now these are the records of
the generations of Shem, Ham, and
Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons
were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10:8-9
Now Cush became the father of
Nimrod; he became a mighty one on
the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter
before the LORD; therefore it is said,
“Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before
the LORD.”
Genesis 10:10-12
The beginning of his kingdom
was Babel and Erech and Accad and
Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From
that land he went forth into Assyria,
and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir
and Calah, 12 and Resen between
Nineveh and Calah; that is the great
city.
Genesis 10:25
Two sons were born to Eber;
the name of the one was Peleg, for
in his days the earth was divided;
and his brother’s name was Joktan.
Seems to be
the source of
the term
“Hebrew”
Genesis 10:25
Two sons were born to Eber;
the name of the one was Peleg, for
in his days the earth was divided;
and his brother’s name was Joktan.
What does it mean
that “the earth was
divided”?
Genesis 10:32
These are the families of the
sons of Noah, according to their
genealogies, by their nations; and
out of these the nations were
separated on the earth after the
flood.
If we do not count the three
sons of Noah, there are a total
of 70 names in this table.
What is significant
about this number?
…all the persons of the house of
Jacob, who came to Egypt, were
seventy (Genesis 46:27)
When the Most High gave the nations
their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the sons of
Israel.
9 For the Lord’s portion is His people,
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
(Deuteronomy 32:7-9).
Israel is a microcosm
of the world
Jesus is the “better Israel”
who came to save the world