Questions For Review
Chapters 3, 4, 5
Chapter 3
Q1. What levels of meaning can be found in Genesis 1.1-2.4a?
This passage gives meaning to the first creation story. It gives the order of how God created everything over the first six days starting with light and ending with the creation of animals and humans.
Q2. What are the similarities and differences between the biblical and the Babylonian presentations of cosmic beginnings?
The similarities between biblical and Babylonian beginnings are that there is a God of the bible and a god of the Enuma Elish known as Marduk. Both of these gods in each of their stories is the creator of the earth and everything that is known today. One of the differences is that below Marduk there were several other gods ruling over the waters, the land, and air.
Q3. What levels of meaning can be found in Genesis 2.4b-3.24?
In the second creation story you get a more in depth story of how God created earth and life. He is given a more physical appearance and human like actions. This account is also not formally structured and somewhat spontaneous, but still gives the same idea of God being the creator of everything.
Q4. Compare the two accounts of creation in Genesis 1-3. What are the differences in order, style, and vocabulary?
In the first creation story there is a lot of repetition, and God is more of a voice than a physical person. The first story is also written in an order of events that took place over six days ending with rest on the seventh. In the second creation story there is much less repetition and God is referred to as “Lord God”. This creation story is also more spontaneous and does not have a set order to the story. It also has the order of creation different than the first by creating Adam before the creatures of the earth so he could name them. Also Eve was created from Adam in the second story rather than both of them being created simultaneously like in the first story.
Q5. How did the