Fiat Lux!

2021 ◽  
pp. 64-65
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Wilk
Keyword(s):  
Creation Myths ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis

The Book of Genesis famously opens with God ordering “Let there be Light!” as the first step in the Creation. This stands in contrast to most of the creation myths of other cultures, which do not begin with the creation of light. What is the significance of this? Is it meant to be taken literally (so that God can see what He is doing and Creation is visible to all), or metaphorically (that is, is light meant to stand for Knowledge, Wisdom, or Understanding)? Do any other cultures also start things off with the creation of light?

Reading Genesis Through Chronicles: The Creation of the Sons of Jacob

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-168
Author(s):  
Andrew Tobolowsky
Keyword(s):  
Historical Memory ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Biblical Studies ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Dynamic Power ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Over Time

Scholars are increasingly aware of the dynamic nature of the interaction between the nine-chapter-long genealogy that begins the book of Chronicles and its source material. However, little attention has been paid to the role this interaction might have played in the creation of some key biblical ideas, particularly in the “eponymous imagination” of the tribes as literally the sons of Jacob. Through comparison with scholarly approaches to the pseudo-Hesiodic Catalogue of Women and an investigation into the ramifications for biblical studies of ethnic theory and historical memory on the fluidity of ethnicity and memory over time, this article seeks to reassess the dynamic power of the Chronicles genealogy as an ethnic charter for the elites of Persian Yehud. Focus on the distinctive imagination of Israel in the crucial narratives in the book of Genesis, as compared with narratives elsewhere in the primary history, and the contributions of the Chronicles genealogy to their redefinition, allows us to address the Bible’s dependence upon the lens the Chronicles genealogy imposes upon it.

Modern Prose and Ancient Inhibitions

1980 ◽  
Vol 162 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
J. Mitchell Morse
Keyword(s):  
Human Intelligence ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Creation Myths ◽  
The Creation

Both amateurs and professionals write poor prose; in fact, students and professionals alike are afflicted with a neurotic need to avoid clarity and precision of thought. In the creation myths of all civilized countries, the exercise of human intelligence is displeasing to the gods; the beginning of civilization - which is necessarily at odds with nature - is always associated with sin. The universal difficulty in articulating feeling precedes consciousness because we are born into helpless dependence on our parents, who in order for us to survive and be fit for human society must often thwart our infantile inclinations. We cry out against their efforts to tame us and civilize us. Writing well which is a way of creating our personal uniqueness, is always an act of subconscious rebellion against society. We tend to discourage such rebellion in others and suppress it in our-selves. We prefer to think in cliches, and to demonstrate, through our bad grammar, bad logic, and general sloppiness of diction, that we are socially harmless because intellectually null. The ability to write seems to have declined through a voluntary careless acceptance of slack imprecision, so that our words and processes of thought become confused. A postliterate culture is not inconceivable; we are willmg our literacy gradually away through a voluntary loss of high literary skill The disappearance of literacy may well bring about the wreck of civilization. We must read attentively, and we must teach our students to read. We must rediscover the value of technique. We must take courage from the few brilliant writers among us and develop new literary modes.

scholarly journals Creation accounts in Gen. 1 & 2: a feminist interpretation

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33
Author(s):  
Ubong Ekpenyong Eyo
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Text ◽  
Male Gender ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Feminist Interpretation ◽  
Culturally Based ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Holy Writ ◽  
King James Version

It is the view of most people who claim the authoritative nature of the Bible that, women assigned secondary status in relation to men is ordained and supported in the Bible. Many have quoted different texts of the holy writ to support their culturally-biased position on issue of gender equality. Most often views in respect to gender issues are culturally-based and interpreted rather than divinely-based and interpreted. There is therefore the need to look back at Jesus’ words, “But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.” (Matt 19:4; Mark 10:6 King James Version). The two accounts in the Book of Genesis by the Priestly and Yahwistic strands give a complimentary account of the creation of humankind (both male and female) in the image and likeness of God and their creation from a single stock אדם who was not a male gender. At a cursory reading of the creation accounts, one will tend to see האדם as the male gender, but looking at the Hebrew text more closely it will be noticed that the Hebrew words אישה and אישwere only introduced after the two genders have been separated. Note carefully that it was not איש that was asked to tend the garden, who named the animals, was given instruction of what to eat or what not to eat, who fell into a deep sleep or whose ribs was used in the creation of אישה but it was האדם . It was after the creation or ‘separation’ of אישה (woman – the female האדם) that the other part was called איש (man – the male האדם) (see vv 23 & 24 King James Version). It will therefore not be right to speak of the creation of אישה out of איש, because as at the time of the creation of the former, the later was not in existence as איש To view these creation accounts with the sense of gender superiority (either male over female or vice versa) is to read the texts using lenses which have been obscured and tainted by patriarchal, matriarchal or cultural biases.

scholarly journals The Creation of Adam and the Biblical Origins of Race in The Slave’s Friend (1836–1838)

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 860
Author(s):  
Kerry M. Sonia
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human History ◽  
Red Clay ◽  
Biblical Narrative ◽  
Racial Theory ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Racial Hierarchies

The creation of Adam out of dust is a familiar tradition from the Book of Genesis. In abolitionist literature of the nineteenth century, this biblical narrative became the basis for a theory about the origins of race, arguing that because Adam was formed from red clay, neither he nor his descendants were white. This interpretation of Genesis underscored the value of non-white ancestors both in the biblical narrative and in human history and undermined popular theological arguments that upheld color-based racial hierarchies that privileged whiteness in the United States. This article examines the creation of Adam in Genesis 2 and its use in racial theory and abolitionist rhetoric, focusing on the children’s anti-slavery periodical The Slave’s Friend, published from 1836 to 1838.

scholarly journals The Creation Narratives in the Western and Greek-Orthodox Theology of the 20th Century

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-472
Author(s):  
Alexandra Palantza
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
Greek Orthodox ◽  
The Bible ◽  
God's Word ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Theological Thought ◽  
The Church

Abstract The Book of Genesis offers not only to Israel but also to its neighbors the reason for their existence1. In western theological thought, W. Eichrodt’s Theology of the Old Testament and Cl. Westermann’s Commentary on Genesis are two of the most important works, which are distinguished because of their method and the expression of their theological perspectives on the topic “creation narratives”. In contrast to Western theologians, Greek-Orthodox Theologians inherited their tradition of interpretation from the Church Fathers. Eastern Theology has seen the topic of interpreting the Bible as an unbreakable whole, containing God’s word and action for the salvation of humankind. Any differences between them are caused by another perspective and ecclesiastical tradition.

The Creation of Man and Things: Chinese Creation Myths

2020 ◽  
pp. 23-41
Author(s):  
Zhaoyuan Tian ◽  
Shuxian Ye ◽  
Hang Qian
Keyword(s):  
Creation Myths ◽  
The Creation

2. Maya genesis

2020 ◽  
pp. 9-22
Author(s):  
Matthew Restall ◽  
Amara Solari
Keyword(s):  
Social Structure ◽  
Social Organization ◽  
Creation Myths ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Maya Civilization ◽  
Ruling Elites ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
The Creation

By the first millennium bce, Maya civilization was manifesting itself in art, architecture, agriculture, and social structure. “Maya Genesis” looks at the birth of this civilization. The manuscript known as the Popul Vuh gives a detailed version of Maya creation, telling the stories of two mythical Hero Twins, bookended by tales of the creation of the earth and humans. Impressive structures such as the sites at Palenque linked creation myths and divinity to the visions and ambitions of ruling elites. New architectural and agricultural developments such as the “nixtamalization” of corn helped in the formation of denser communities and the emergence of a hierarchical and multilayered social organization.

scholarly journals Apocryphal Stories about Angels in "Paley Tolkova"

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
I.V. Dergacheva
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Old Russian ◽  
Dionysius The Areopagite ◽  
John Chrysostom ◽  
The World ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis

In the Old Russian Palea, which begins with a story about the creation of the world with extensive interpretations borrowed from the works of Severian of Gabala, Basil the Great, the interpretations of John Chrysostom on the Book of Genesis, the works of Epiphanius of Cyprus, “The Six Days” by John the Exarch of Bulgaria, the appearance of the earthly angels precedes the creation of the earthly world. The doctrine of the angelic ranks is based on the testimonies of the Old Testament about seraphim, cherubim, powers, angels and the New Testament information about thrones, dominions, powers, principles, archangels. In early patristics, the classification of heavenly powers belongs to Gregory the Theologian, as well as to Cyril of Jerusalem. The systematic doctrine of the hierarchy of heavenly forces belongs to Dionysius the Areopagite: in his work "On the heavenly hierarchy."

scholarly journals THE FIRST FOUR DAYS: A SCIENTIFIC VIEW FOR THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
Tianxi ZHANG ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Universe Model ◽  
Event Horizons ◽  
The Third ◽  
Entire Universe ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Hole Model ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Fundamental Forces ◽  
The Universe

The first four days of Genesis are scientifically interpreted according to the author’s well-developed black hole universe model. From this scientific view for the creation of the universe described in the book of Genesis, God in the first day created the space and time, matter and motion, charge and fundamental forces, energy and light for the infinite large entire universe. Then, in the second day, God hierarchically structured the entire universe by separating the matter and space with infinite layers that are bounded by event horizons and further formed our finite black hole universe. In the third day, God constructed the interiors of our finite black hole universe with planets, stars, galaxies, and clusters, etc. And, in the fourth day, God finally created our home planet Earth and the solar system and made lights including the Sun, Moon, and stars to give light to our universe and Earth. This up-to-date explanation to God’s creative work during the first four days has bridged the gap between Genesis and observations of the universe and brought us a scientific view and understanding on the book of Genesis. This innovative interpretation of Genesis also strongly supports the black hole universe model to be capable of revealing the mysteries of the universe. This is a synthetic article of the four papers recently published on IJTPS to interpret the first through fourth day of Genesis according to the black hole model of the universe.

The stylistic status of the Direct Address in the book of “Genesis”

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-127
Author(s):  
Xəyal Vüqar qızı Əsgərli ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Direct Address ◽  
Hebrew Language ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Religious Material

“Genesis” is the first book of the Torah, the oldest religious material of the Jews.The book of Genesis describes the creation of the first man and the ancestors of the nation of Israel. At the same time, this book gives us information about the structure and characteristics of the ancient Hebrew language. Direct Address plays an important role in communication. Addresses are used at the beginning, middle and end of a sentence, however there is no difference in meaning. This article is given the types of direct adress in the book, the content of their stylistic qualities. There have also been explained the issues of homogeneity and stylistic repetition of Addresses. Key words: genesis, adresses, old hebrew, stylistic-expressive functions

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