When one approaches the biblical text, it is important to explore the cultural context in which the text occurs. With regard to the Book of Genesis, it is important to examine the writing with other contemporary works of similar geography and topics. The people of ancient Mesopotamia, where the oldest civilizations originated, produced a number of stories of creation and natural occurrences. It is important to note that many of the stories of the Sumerians, Akkadians and Hebrews began as oral traditions
Saga in the 14th century. Chickering asserts Grettir's Saga and Beowulf, "go back independently to a common original" (254), and are not evolutionary partners. The plot outlined above illustrates the many close parallels of books 64 to 67 of Grettir's Saga and the first book of Beowulf. However, the underlying religious tenor shifts significantly from work to work. Grettir's Saga immediately identifies itself as a Christian tale through the introduction of a priest who, after becoming the stranger's