OrangeEmpire
The White Debonair
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The First Creation Story; Genesis 1:1 to 2:3: Historical Christianity taught that the entire Pentateuch -- the five books from Genesis to Deuteronomy was written by Moses. Most Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians continue to follow this belief. Most liberal and mainline theologians and religious skeptics accept the Documentary Hypothesis: that the Pentateuch was written by a number of authors from four different traditions, and who imported some material from nearby Pagan sources. The Hypothesis asserts that the author of the creation story seen in the first verses of the Bible was an anonymous 6th Century BCE writer or group of writers of the priestly tradition (often referred to as "P").
Creation is described in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 as occurring in six "days":
Day 1: creation of light and its separation from darkness.
Day 2: separation of the sky and oceans.
Day 3: separation of land from the oceans; spreading of plants and grass and trees across the land.
Day 4: Creation of the sun, moon, and stars.
Day 5: Creation of sea animals and birds.
Day 6: Creation of the land animals. Creation of humanity, "someone like ourselves" (Living Bible).
Day 7: God rested. Followers of the Documentary Hypothesis believe this to have been a later addition, 4 placed there to give theological justification for the Sabbath (Saturday as a day of rest).
This sequence does contain some problems.
Light was listed as being created on day 1, but its source (the sun and stars) did not appear until day 4. Most creation scientists, who generally support the literal interpretation of this creation story, have a solution to this puzzle. Many say that light initially came from God, before he created the sun and stars.
Birds were said to be created before other land animals. Paleontologists, who almost universally support the theory of evolution, point out that the fossil record shows the opposite order. Creation scientists discount this belief. Most regard the rock layers containing the fossil record as having been laid down during the flood of Noah; thus, the fossils do not represent the evolution of the species of animals and birds.
The most controversial debate over this creation story relates to its time span. Genesis 1 and 2 explain how Creation of Earth's life forms, the Earth itself, and the rest of the universe took six days. Supporters of the theory of evolution find evidence for a universe that has been evolving for about 14 billion years.
The Second Creation Story; Genesis 2:4 to 2:25: This is a different description of the creation of earth's life forms. Most mainline and liberal biblical researchers attribute this section to "J," a writer who lived in the 9th century BCE (some say 10th century; others say after the Babylonian exile). Again, religious conservatives trace the authorship to Moses, and believe that this is a simple restatement of the earlier creation story. The author of Genesis 2 writes that at first, there were no plants or grain present, because God had not yet sent rain.
God made Adam out of earth; this is a belief common to many early Pagan religions in the Middle East.
God created plants and herbs, Adam, the Garden of Eden, trees, birds and animals
God performed the first surgical operation, removing a rib from Adam and transforming it into the first woman, Eve.
Conflicts between the creation stories: There are some apparent inconsistencies between the first and second creation accounts: There may be a conflict over the number of days over which creation happened. Genesis 1:3 and subsequent verses say that God created the universe in six days.
In Genesis 2:4, some translations, including the King James Version, imply that it took one day.
More details:
In the first account, God created fruit trees before Adam and Eve; in the second account, God created Adam, then the fruit trees, then Eve.
In the first account, God created animals before Adam and Eve; in the second account, God created Adam. then the animals, then Eve.
Genesis 1:20 describes how God had "the waters bring forth ...fowl" ; in Genesis 2:19, God formed them "out of the ground".
In the first account, God created the fish on the 5th day; in the second account, the fish of the sea were not created at all.
Religious conservatives feel that they they have harmonized these apparent inconsistencies.
Exodus 20:11 Creation is described as taking six days.
Exodus 31:17 God made the heavens and earth in six days.
Job 38:4 to 38:7 The creation of the earth is described as occurring on a single morning "when the morning stars sang together."
Creation battle: Many ancient eastern Mediterranean religions believed that the creation of the world was the end result of a momentous battle between a deity (typically a storm god) with chaos (typically symbolized by water). Some biblical scholars believe that traces of this belief can be seen in Psalms 74:12-17 and Psalms 89:9-13. Elements of this, with the violence removed, may also be seen in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3.
Psalms 19:4 This describes how God placed a tabernacle (tent) in the heavens for the sun. Presumably, this is where the sun was believed to rest during the hours of night. (The writers of the Bible assumed that the earth was flat, enclosed by a rigid dome a few thousand feet upwards from the surface of the earth. The sun and stars were believed to have been pushed across the underside surface of heaven).
Psalms 104:2 to 104:3 This tells how God stretched out the heavens like a curtain and laid the beams of his chambers in the waters (seas).
Psalms 104:5 This discusses how God laid the earth firmly on its foundations so that it could not be moved. Biblical writers believed that the earth was fixed and unmovable. The stars, planets, moon and sun moved across the underside of the rigid dome, above which was heaven. Quite a few early scientists were executed by the Church because they taught that the earth moved around the sun, in apparent conflict with this biblical passage.
Proverbs 8:22 to 8:32 This describes how God first created Wisdom. Wisdom is personified as a delightful female companion of God who existed before the earth was created. She describes being present during creation, which took an indeterminate time.
The First Creation Story; Genesis 1:1 to 2:3: Historical Christianity taught that the entire Pentateuch -- the five books from Genesis to Deuteronomy was written by Moses. Most Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians continue to follow this belief. Most liberal and mainline theologians and religious skeptics accept the Documentary Hypothesis: that the Pentateuch was written by a number of authors from four different traditions, and who imported some material from nearby Pagan sources. The Hypothesis asserts that the author of the creation story seen in the first verses of the Bible was an anonymous 6th Century BCE writer or group of writers of the priestly tradition (often referred to as "P").
Creation is described in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 as occurring in six "days":
Day 1: creation of light and its separation from darkness.
Day 2: separation of the sky and oceans.
Day 3: separation of land from the oceans; spreading of plants and grass and trees across the land.
Day 4: Creation of the sun, moon, and stars.
Day 5: Creation of sea animals and birds.
Day 6: Creation of the land animals. Creation of humanity, "someone like ourselves" (Living Bible).
Day 7: God rested. Followers of the Documentary Hypothesis believe this to have been a later addition, 4 placed there to give theological justification for the Sabbath (Saturday as a day of rest).
This sequence does contain some problems.
Light was listed as being created on day 1, but its source (the sun and stars) did not appear until day 4. Most creation scientists, who generally support the literal interpretation of this creation story, have a solution to this puzzle. Many say that light initially came from God, before he created the sun and stars.
Birds were said to be created before other land animals. Paleontologists, who almost universally support the theory of evolution, point out that the fossil record shows the opposite order. Creation scientists discount this belief. Most regard the rock layers containing the fossil record as having been laid down during the flood of Noah; thus, the fossils do not represent the evolution of the species of animals and birds.
The most controversial debate over this creation story relates to its time span. Genesis 1 and 2 explain how Creation of Earth's life forms, the Earth itself, and the rest of the universe took six days. Supporters of the theory of evolution find evidence for a universe that has been evolving for about 14 billion years.
The Second Creation Story; Genesis 2:4 to 2:25: This is a different description of the creation of earth's life forms. Most mainline and liberal biblical researchers attribute this section to "J," a writer who lived in the 9th century BCE (some say 10th century; others say after the Babylonian exile). Again, religious conservatives trace the authorship to Moses, and believe that this is a simple restatement of the earlier creation story. The author of Genesis 2 writes that at first, there were no plants or grain present, because God had not yet sent rain.
God made Adam out of earth; this is a belief common to many early Pagan religions in the Middle East.
God created plants and herbs, Adam, the Garden of Eden, trees, birds and animals
God performed the first surgical operation, removing a rib from Adam and transforming it into the first woman, Eve.
Conflicts between the creation stories: There are some apparent inconsistencies between the first and second creation accounts: There may be a conflict over the number of days over which creation happened. Genesis 1:3 and subsequent verses say that God created the universe in six days.
In Genesis 2:4, some translations, including the King James Version, imply that it took one day.
More details:
In the first account, God created fruit trees before Adam and Eve; in the second account, God created Adam, then the fruit trees, then Eve.
In the first account, God created animals before Adam and Eve; in the second account, God created Adam. then the animals, then Eve.
Genesis 1:20 describes how God had "the waters bring forth ...fowl" ; in Genesis 2:19, God formed them "out of the ground".
In the first account, God created the fish on the 5th day; in the second account, the fish of the sea were not created at all.
Religious conservatives feel that they they have harmonized these apparent inconsistencies.
Exodus 20:11 Creation is described as taking six days.
Exodus 31:17 God made the heavens and earth in six days.
Job 38:4 to 38:7 The creation of the earth is described as occurring on a single morning "when the morning stars sang together."
Creation battle: Many ancient eastern Mediterranean religions believed that the creation of the world was the end result of a momentous battle between a deity (typically a storm god) with chaos (typically symbolized by water). Some biblical scholars believe that traces of this belief can be seen in Psalms 74:12-17 and Psalms 89:9-13. Elements of this, with the violence removed, may also be seen in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3.
Psalms 19:4 This describes how God placed a tabernacle (tent) in the heavens for the sun. Presumably, this is where the sun was believed to rest during the hours of night. (The writers of the Bible assumed that the earth was flat, enclosed by a rigid dome a few thousand feet upwards from the surface of the earth. The sun and stars were believed to have been pushed across the underside surface of heaven).
Psalms 104:2 to 104:3 This tells how God stretched out the heavens like a curtain and laid the beams of his chambers in the waters (seas).
Psalms 104:5 This discusses how God laid the earth firmly on its foundations so that it could not be moved. Biblical writers believed that the earth was fixed and unmovable. The stars, planets, moon and sun moved across the underside of the rigid dome, above which was heaven. Quite a few early scientists were executed by the Church because they taught that the earth moved around the sun, in apparent conflict with this biblical passage.
Proverbs 8:22 to 8:32 This describes how God first created Wisdom. Wisdom is personified as a delightful female companion of God who existed before the earth was created. She describes being present during creation, which took an indeterminate time.
