Enuma Elish Vs Genesis - 1352 Words

Oral Roberts University â€Å"Survey of the Old Testament† Essay # 1 Victor Francis Mavika Survey OF Old Testament Prof. Martin Lyons 21 September 2017 There are multiple debates and arguments concerning the creation story of both mankind and the universe from the Bible and the Babylonian creation poem the Enuma Elish. There is a debate on whether the two accounts have similarities or one of them borrowed its content from the other. Enuma Elish is a great Assyrian poem which narrates the story of the creation of the world and man. The poem contains what the old empires believed concerning the creation of the universe. This Babylonian and Assyrian poem gives an account of how Apsu (fresh water) and Tiamat (sea water)†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Then God said, â€Å"Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.† (Gen 1:26). Contrary to Genesis, in EE man is a servant to the gods. The main purpose of man’s creation was for the gods to be free from work. Their work was mainly to lessen all types of physical labor to the gods. â€Å"That the service of the gods may be established, and that their shrines may be built† (cf. EE VI.5-9). It was God’s purpose for man to take care of the garden. Contrary to EE, God’s purpose was not to lessen the number of activities he had; He wanted to have fellowship with man. Thirdly, both accounts express the existence of chaotic state before creation. The fact is there is no order depicted in both accounts. In verses two of Genesis the Bible states â€Å"†¦Now the earth was formless and empty.† No presence of any living creature because of this chaotic nature. Similarly, to Genesis account, EE chaotic nature of the universe is mainly due to the absence of gods. Tiamat and Apsu both represent aspects of the physical world. Apsu is a god of fresh water and fertility while Tiamat goddess of the sea, therefore, chaos and threat. The fierce battle between Marduk and Tiamat replaces Apsu and Tiamat Chaotic nature. AndShow MoreRelatedMs Paul2146 Words   |  9 Pagesand the Bible. For example, the Enuma Elish (a Babylonian creation account) supposedly proves that the writer(s) of the biblical creation account in Genesis aligned it with the Babylonian account. Chapter Five A basic comparison of the elements and characteristics of both accounts reveals that the similarities are artificial. Oswalt reminds his readers, â€Å"In fact it is important to point out that the Enuma Elish is not about ‘creation’ at all† (101). Genesis speaks of God creating somethingRead MoreWeekly Study Questions 11946 Words   |  8 PagesMODULE ONE AN INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS Bible Topics | * Mosaic Authorship * Dating of Genesis * Purpose of Writing * Theological Themes of Genesis | People to Know | Places to Know | Terms to Know | SpinozaAstruc | | Documentary TheoryCovenant History | Study Questions: Answer the following questions (based on the reading), save it and then submit it to the professor. 1. What is the Documentary Theory? The Documentary Source Theory states the belief that Torah was