Actually, IIRC, the Bible was unique in suggesting a beginning.
In fact, science pooh-poohed the concept of a beginning until scientists proved there had to have been one.
The Bible said it long ago. Science figured it out only recently.
Shalom.
"Actually, IIRC, the Bible was unique in suggesting a beginning."
Well, not really. God was already there. God existed. God created.
What was God's beginning?
In reality, most creation myths start with a deity on the scene. Few have an explanation about how it got there.
You are so RIGHT ON about that!
Astronomers bashed the Belgian astronmer Georges LeMaitre, who was the first to posit the Big Bang Theory.
Because he was also a priest, they attacked him, his idea, and loudly proclaimed it was "merely an attempt to put Genesis on scientific footing."
He knew that the properties of infinities prevented an infinitely old universe, and in fact, indicated a beginning to it.
What the readers here must understand is this: For 2,000 years, up until the 20th century even, scientists were wrong in holding that the universe was eternal in existence, and saying it had no beginning point.
Nowadays, LeMaitre is forgotten, and young Gen-Xer scientists ignorantly proclaim the Big Bang Theory, ignorant of the fact that they owe it to a Christian, and their predecessors fought tooth and nail against the very idea of a Big Bang.
My, how things turn around.
Sauron