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Creation In Genesis And Genesis

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How the world people are living in right now was created in the beginning? Humankind has been asking this question throughout the centuries, and some people throw some answers to this question. People in Israel answer that God created the heaven and earth in the beginning while Babylonians answer that Marduk establishes the natural order and dwelling for gods after win a battle. The reason that these two ethnic groups respond differently is because they have been walked through different history and worldview. Enuma Elish, which is the Babylonian creation epic, and the book of Genesis in the Bible, what Israelites believe, shows little similar sense but totally different idea of creation. From the first part of each writing, book of Genesis and Enuma Elish, the similarity and difference can be found. In the beginning, the world in both Genesis and Enuma Elish does not have shape. There is nothing but just emptiness before creation in Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (New International Version 1:1-2). Enuma Elish also does not have things to be called but just gods are existed: “When on high no name was given to heaven / Nor below was the netherworld called by name, / Primeval Apsu was their progenitor. / And matrix-Tiamat was she who bore them all, / They were mingling their waters together, / No canebrake was intertwined nor thicket matted close. / When no gods at all had been brought forth, Nor called by names, non destinies ordained” (Enuma Elish Tablet 1 1-8). Furthermore, both God and gods are staying in the water in the beginning of the creation. It is interesting that the water is mentioned in both writings. However, although there are some similarities in both, there is a radical difference inherent between both stories. Genesis is written and fiducially focusing on the one and only God that no other god is mentioned. It simply says God creates the world. In contrast, Enuma Elish mentions two names Apsu and Tiamat and explains that they are the parents of other gods. Two books are divided into two different ideas of monotheism and

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