Creation Essay

Often a topic of debate, there are several different takes on the creation story existent in literature. Dependent on one’s religion, different beliefs about how the world we live in was created may arise. Looking deeper into the literature, one will realize there are also many similarities between creation stories. Based on the strong possibility that Genesis was influenced by the Enuma Elish, there are similarities that stem from the fact that they both describe the creation of a new world as well as differences in their interpretations and approaches to creationism.

Although the stories are similar they are not identical. In Genesis God sent the Flood to destroy humankind because of man’s wickedness. Unlike The Gilgamesha where the reason was never said however the sender of the flood was a secret council of gods the idea was brought up by Enlil , the god of earth wind and air. God favored Noah because he was a righteous man therefore, he was chosen to build the ark that was three hundred cubits long, fifty cubit wide, and thirty cubits high, about three stories. Utnapishtim was chosen out of the cleverness of Ea, the god of wisdom and crafts. God came directly to Noah to tell him about the Flood where as Ea was swore to secrecy so “he repeated their plans to the reed fence” so he would no break the oath to the group. The boat Utnapishtim was directed to build was a rectangle shaped measuring one acre and about 6 stories high. When the floor came in Gilgamesh it was only rainwater however the Flood in Genesis was rain water as well as ground water. Both floods did indeed wipe out all of humankind but the did not last equal as long. After the flood Utnapishtim was gifted the gift of eternal life where as Noah was to multiply and have rule over the animals.

During the opening of Beowulf, the poet summarizes the beginning chapters of Genesis in the Bible. The poet tells about “ The Almighty making of the earth, shaping beautiful plains, marked off by oceans, then proudly setting the sun and moon to glow across the land and light it”(7-10). In the Bible, Genesis 1:1 reads, “ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Immediately following this passage, it goes on to explain the history of Creation. Included in this description is how God made light and dark, land and ocean, plant and animal, and finally the ultimate creation, man.

The first creation story is found in Genesis 1-2:4 and it explains how God created the world from a void of darkness in six days of work. On day one God made the heavens. On day two God made the sky. On day three God made land and sea. On day four God created time. On day five God made marine creatures. One

Another difference between the “two” versions of Creation, more noticeable than the afore mentioned, is in their answer of why man was created. In Genesis I, man was created to rule over all the animals. In fact, a section of Genesis I:26 reads “and let [man] have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” In contrast, Genesis II:5 claims that man was created because there was no one to “till the ground.” The variation in each chapter’s answer to why man was created provides differing implications for the status of mankind. In Genesis I, man is supposed to be the supreme ruler, while in Genesis II, man was created merely as a servant of the land. Western religions, when viewing the status of humans, tend to take the first interpretation as indication of man’s role on earth, believing him to be superior to all other species.

As Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays state in Grasping God’s Word, every copy of the Bible today is a translation, “unless everyone wants to learn Hebrew and Greek (the Bible’s original languages)… (Duvall and Hays 23). This being the case, people may debate which translation is more accurate; however, the best way to understand the Bible is by reading several different translations and comparing them to one another. The main reason several translations helps people grasp the full meaning of Scripture is because some translations are word for word, which is the formal approach in translation and gives a reader the closest possible words from when the text was written. On the other hand, the more functional approach in translation is thought for

To begin with, the main similarity in these stories was the divine creation of the world and of humans. In the Genesis account, God created everything out of nothing, which started with the creation of the heavens and earth (Gen. 1:1 NIV). Succeeding these creations, God continued to add things to the earth, which included day, night, land, water, vegetation, and also living creatures (Gen. 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,26).

Chapter 1 where verses 1-5 can be found tells that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything that lives. These verses explain that God was the first and only creator. However Genesis later describes a lot more about the creation of the earth. After verses 1-5 in chapter 1 we learn that God continues creating by making humankind in his image and also giving them charge over the earth. We also learn that after the first day of creation in verses 1-5, God continues creating for a total of seven days. After God initially created the earth and light, God on the second day created the sky. On the third day, dry land was created. The fourth day he created the sun, moon, and stars. On the fifth day he created every living creature. The sixth day he made animals and human beings in his own image to commune with them. On the last day God rested and blessed it making his creation holy. At the end of Genesis chapter 1 God had created everything and it was perfect. I think that verses 1-5 fit perfectly with the rest of the chapter because they give a good insight was to how the chapter will continue. They also are very consistent in that they don’t make any drastic changes in the later verses. Verses 1-5 also contribute to the rest of the chapter by setting a starting point for what would be happening and how God would be acting. In this context, my interpretation of these passages helps me to

The last two accounts are similar in many ways. Ptah can be identified with God even though what they did to create was not exactly similar. Ptah created the Ennead while God

The first creation narrative, from the priestly source (P), is found in the first chapter of Genesis. The narrative begins with a “formless void” and a “wind from God [that] swept over the face of the waters” (New Oxford Annotated Bible, Gen. 1:2). God first created light to separate the darkness and He created Day and Night, “the first day” (Gen. 1:3-5). On the second day, God separated the waters above and below a dome called Sky (Gen. 1:6-8). On the third day, God made dry land appear out of the waters and let the dry land, Earth, produce vegetation (Gen. 1:9-13). The fourth day became the first to have specific lights to rule the day, the “greater light,” and the night, the “lesser light” and the stars (Gen. 1:14-19). The fifth day brought creatures swarming in the sea and flying

Genesis chapters 1 and 2 tell the story of creation. Revelation chapters 21 and 22 talk about the new heaven and earth that God is creating. The creation account of Genesis and the renewed creation in Revelation have some common ground, but they also have some differences.

The Drama of Scripture written by Bartholomew and Goheen takes the reader on a journey through the entire Bible in six short “acts.” The first Act discusses creation and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. In the beginning was complete darkness. Then, God created light and divided the heavens and the earth. He then split the waters and the seas, creating dry ground on which the rest of creation could walk. He proceeded to make plants and flowers and the sun, moon, and stars. He created days and seasons and animals of all shapes and sizes. And then, to add the finishing touch, God created men and women, male and female, He created them. The book states that “the Genesis story is given so that we might have a true understanding of the world in which we live, its divine author, and our own place in it” (Bartholomew, 29). Genesis 1-3, the story of Creation, is prevalent because it introduces the author of creation, humanity, and the creation upon which humanity’s drama unfolds.

The book of Genesis is often referred to as the book of beginnings. Genesis is the first book that begins the Old Testament, it is also the first book of the entire Bible. The Lord also began the world in the book of Genesis, He made the heavens and the earth, man and woman. In Genesis chapters one through eleven, the Bible teaches us stories that most of us have grown up hearing in Sunday School such as the creation account, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood and the tower of Babel. In this book of beginnings, we are shown some of Gods characteristics; we see that God is love and He showed His love by creating us and the world, on the other extreme, we also see the wrath of God. Through these teachings, we are able to see that God ultimately in control and holds everything in His balance. The stories of Genesis aren’t just stories; they are real life accounts that can help build and shape a worldview on things regarding the natural world, human identity, human relationships and civilization.

Creationism is a religious metaphysical theory about the origin of the universe. It is not a scientific theory. Technically, creationism is not necessarily connected to any particular religion. It simply requires a belief in a Creator. Millions of Christians and non-Christians believe there is a Creator of the universe and that scientific theories such as the the theory of evolution do not conflict with belief in a Creator. However, fundamentalist Christians such as Ronald Reagan and Jerry Falwell, have co-opted the term 'creationism' and it is now difficult to refer to creationism without being understood as referring to fundamentalist Christians who (a) take the stories in Genesis as accurate accounts of the origin of the universe and

The chapter begins with the existence of Supreme Being, God, who created heaven and earth from rather a formless and void full of darkness; “let there be light; let there be an expanse between the waters……” Genesis 1:3, 6. This reveals the power of a supernatural being that controls the universe; and that absolute power lies with God, the creator of the universe. The creation work is systematically done in six