Biblical Creation: Religious Myth or Historical Narrative?

www.inspriretomorrow.com ^ | 12/8/2010 | Rosemarie Thompson

[ImProudToBeAnAmerican]

Mention the Bible in a room of people, and there will be numerous views on it. Some will consider it a bunch of stories written by men who wished to make a moral point. Others will view it as God’s religious guidebook for life. Yet others will accept it as the literal, written word of God Himself. How the Bible is viewed becomes especially important when looking at the Genesis account of creation. Can we trust that what was recorded in Genesis is an actual historical narrative? Or is it just a religious myth? None of us were there as eye witnesses to creation, so how do we vouch for the authenticity of the Genesis account?...

This is the fourth in a series of articles on Creation.

Let the discussion begin!

[wolfman23601]

Commenting on comments, not the article. Article is blocked by my work as “Blogs and Personal Sites”.

[Vegasrugrat]

The text of Genesis specifically says that each day of creation was from evening to morning, or a period of darkness followed by a period of light.

Time is irrelevant to God. God could have created the world in no time at all. The days of the account in Genesis are days to us, not days to God. They are the pattern for our week.

[Vegasrugrat]

You may just do some history searching on the Hittites.

[scripter]

You may just do some history searching on the Hittites.

Been there, done that, 20 years ago.

[Vegasrugrat]

Sorry, hit the wrong post.

[scripter]

Sorry, hit the wrong post.

Been there and done that, too. :-)

Here's some information in case anybody hasn't kept up with recent history:

Biblical people who figure largely in the promises of a land for the descendants of Abram and the children of Israel. Once unknown to secular history and thought to be a mythical people by some critics of Bible history, the Hittites have been recovered by the efforts of archaeologists and historians and now are known to have had an empire centered in Asia Minor.

They were of sufficient military strength to challenge the armies of Egypt under the vainglorious Ramses II and fought him to a standstill at Kadesh on the Orontes.

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (980). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.

I have software that provides an abundance of information from various sources on the topic. The above referenced source has a lot more information, let alone all the other sources, so anybody claiming the Hittites didn't exist have some explaining to do.

[wolfman23601]

No doubt, the Hittites existed and were a power. I don’t see how this causes problems for Christian theology, however.

[scripter]

Indeed, the existence of the Hittites have no bearing on Christian theology. While it's been many years since I've heard it, some claim that since the Bible mentions Hittites but the Hittites (at that time) aren't mentioned in any other reference, then the Bible must be wrong.

History once again proves the Bible correct.

[wolfman23601]

Ok, I see what you are saying. Do you know where they are mentioned in the Bible? I know their capital city was found in Turkey and they are mentioned in some Egyptian hieroglyphs, but was unaware they were in the Bible.

[Vegasrugrat]

Genesis, 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Judith, Joshua, Deuteronomy, Judges, Exodus, Numbers, 1 Kings, Ezekiel

As Scripter stated: History once again proves the Bible correct.

[circlecity]

"I do not believe that everything was created 6 to ten thousand years ago. Yes genesis does say that God created the earth and the heavens in seven days but what is a day to He who created time itself?"

General relativity tells us time is relative. Thus, young earthers and old earthers could both be right, depending on whose perspective one is looking at it from.

[Palmetto]

General relativity tells us time is relative. Thus, young earthers and old earthers could both be right, depending on whose perspective one is looking at it from.

Indeed.

[scripter]

Since Vegasrugrat posted some references I wasn't going to look it up, but one of my sources provides for a quick copy and paste:

Hittites: A tribe of Canaanites. Children of Heth, Gen. 10:15; 23:10. Sell a burying-ground to Abraham, Gen. 23. Esau intermarries with, Gen. 26:34; 36:2. Dwelling place of, Gen. 23:17–20; Num. 13:29; Josh. 1:4; Judg. 1:26. Their land given to the Israelites, Ex. 3:8; Deut. 7:1; Josh. 1:4. Conquered by Joshua, Josh. 9:1, 2; 10–12; 24:11. Intermarry with Israelites, Judg. 3:5–7; Ezra 9:1. Solomon intermarries with, 1 Kin. 11:1; Neh. 13:26. Pay tribute to Solomon, 1 Kin. 9:20, 21. Retain their own kings, 1 Kin. 10:29; 2 Kin. 7:6; 2 Chr. 1:17. Officers from, in David’s army, 1 Sam. 26:6; 2 Sam. 11:3; 23:39.

Swanson, J., & Nave, O. (1994). New Nave's. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

[bdeaner]

As a Catholic, I believe Genesis is not to be read as a history book -- which does not fit the style of the Genesis book, which does not read like a history book -- nor is it to be read as a scientific report. But, rather, it is a revelation of theological truths. For me, it is probably the most profound book of the entire Bible, and the one I read most often.

Genesis, and the Creation stories in particular (there are two of them), reveal certain "salvific truths":

-- the preexistence and transcendence of God over all creatures;
-- the divine proclamation of the goodness of creation;
-- the blessing that makes creation fecund;
-- the creation of human beings in the image of God;
-- the call of the human being to work with creation but also to take care of it as God cares for it;
-- the social nature of the human person;
-- the insight that male and female represent the divine image;
-- the goodness of human sexuality and marriage;
-- the reality of human sinful rebellion against God, bringing alienation from God, from other human beings, and from creation itself;
-- the enduring divine promise of salvation.

However one reads Genesis, if what one leaves with are these fundamental, salvific truths, that's about all that matters.

[onedoug]

I have no problem, at all, reconciling modern physical science with The Bible. Relativity is the initial key.