We live in the 21st century and see the world through a very unique perspective compared to most of human history.
It's Time To Set Jesus Free
We live in the 21st century and see the world through a very unique perspective compared to most of human history.
DNC says
Thanks for another thought provoking article! Could you please provide some references tho! I’m especially interested in your assertion that “Several ancient texts chronicle this ceremony as lasting seven days.”
Josiah Pemberton says
Here is a translation of the oldest temple narrative we have. Its sumerian and written in 2100 BCE. It is the oldest surviving temple building text and was most likely used for the building of most near eastern temples like Solomon’s. There is a constant repetition of the use of 7 which is found in almost all temple narratives. Anyone who would have read Genesis 1 and saw 7 days would have understood the connection between the temple and God’s dwelling.
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.1.7#
The 7 day temple inauguration ceremony included a festival and certain sanctification acts to prepare for the dwelling of gods. We even see this in the building of Solomon’s temple. 2 Chronicles 7 “So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. 9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more.” We have many parallels with the use of 7 relating to the place of Gods dwelling. The 7 golden lampstands were in the temple originally used in the tabernacle. Even the historian Josephus makes the connection between the temple and the creation.
“It was a Babylonian curtain, embroidered with blue, and fine linen, and scarlet, and purple, and . . . was a kind of image of the universe; for by the scarlet there seemed to be enigmatically signified fire, by the fine flax the earth, by the blue the air, and by the purple the sea; two of them having their colors the foundation of this resemblance; but the fine flax and the purple have their own origin for that foundation, the earth producing the one, and the sea the other. This curtain had also embroidered upon it all that was mystical in the heavens.” (Josephus, War, Book 5, Chapter 5.4.) Here are just a few of the ancient references in regards to this was of thinking.
Ken Mayo says
For a full length study of this take a look at “The Lost World of Genesis One” by John H. Walton. It, along with a few others have completely changed my thinking on the topic of Origins
Nathanael Rowlan says
I really enjoyed this! Thanks for taking the time to write, explain and shed light on Genesis and Creation.
Richard says
Thanks for that.
In this modern age we do ask how where things made more easily than we ask Why. We insist on asking questions of the scriptures that they were never intended to answer.
Andre de Beer says
Great article. A few references would be great. Especially ancient texts etc.
Josiah says
Here is a translation of the oldest temple narrative we have. Its sumerian and written in 2100 BCE. It is the oldest surviving temple building text and was most likely used for the building of most near eastern temples like Solomon’s. There is a constant repetition of the use of 7 which is found in almost all temple narratives. Anyone who would have read Genesis 1 and saw 7 days would have understood the connection between the temple and God’s dwelling.
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.1.7#
The 7 day temple inauguration ceremony included a festival and certain sanctification acts to prepare for the dwelling of gods. We even see this in the building of Solomon’s temple. 2 Chronicles 7 “So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. 9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more.” We have many parallels with the use of 7 relating to the place of Gods dwelling. The 7 golden lampstands were in the temple originally used in the tabernacle. Even the historian Josephus makes the connection between the temple and the creation.
“It was a Babylonian curtain, embroidered with blue, and fine linen, and scarlet, and purple, and . . . was a kind of image of the universe; for by the scarlet there seemed to be enigmatically signified fire, by the fine flax the earth, by the blue the air, and by the purple the sea; two of them having their colors the foundation of this resemblance; but the fine flax and the purple have their own origin for that foundation, the earth producing the one, and the sea the other. This curtain had also embroidered upon it all that was mystical in the heavens.” (Josephus, War, Book 5, Chapter 5.4.) Here are just a few of the ancient references in regards to this was of thinking.
PatG says
Interesting article. Like others, I’d like to see some references/sources; but what impact does it have on Christianity? Doing away with young earth creationism, also does away with a two-person DNA bottleneck that never happened – no Adam and Eve; and that means no original sin or fall from grace, and that means no need to believe, say or do the right things with respect to Jesus in order to be “saved” whatever that means. The article mentions other “pagan” gods, but what reason do we have to believe that Yahweh was any less pagan than any other gods of the time? In some early texts, Yahweh was actually a secondary god of war, married to Asherah, who eventually became the only god.
What foundation is left for Yahweh? No six day creation, no global flood, no mass Exodus from Egypt, no conquest of Canaan, and no two-person DNA bottleneck leading to original sin and the fall from grace… What foundation is left for Yahweh? Does this interpretation of the creation myth build up, or further degrade His foundation? I think it makes Him more pagan.
Pamela says
Would love to hear the response to this…… As I am asking the same questions…..
Daniel says
PatG, I fail to see the connection of your slippery slope. A rejection of Young Earth Creationism in no way entails the rest of your fears.
Josiah Pemberton says
I am curious about some of the conclusions you have come to regarding my article. The purpose of the genesis 1 narrative is like many other near east creation accounts in that it shows Gods authority over the cosmos. Understanding that Genesis is less about material origins then it is about the Hebrew understanding of Gods interaction with the world. It shows us that Yahweh interacts with his creation like he would a priest in the temple. This makes Yahweh much different then the other pagan religions of the near east. His original desire was always to dwell among his creation. The exilic period was hard for the Hebrew people and there was a feeling of abondment because of human action. The fall isnt about sin entering the cosmos but rather the authors feeling of seperation during the exile. Our reading of Genesis must be seperated from our western mindset and put in the mind of a Jewish priest living in the late exilic period. The story was true for the time period but we like to extend the Genesis account to all time periods. We try and get answers from Genesis that the author never gave us.
Sources
Wenham GJ 1994. Sanctuary symbolism in the Garden of Eden story. In RS Hess and DA Tsumura (eds.), ‘I studied inscriptions before the flood’: ancient Near Eastern, literary, and linguistic approaches to Genesis 1–11. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
Walton JH 2009. The lost world of Genesis one: ancient cosmology and the origins debate. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.
Levenson JD 1984. The temple and the world. The Journal of Religion
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1202664?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
http://www.academia.edu/234230/Cosmos_Temple_House_Building_and_Wisdom_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_and_Israel
Gudea cylinders A and B translated
http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.1.7#
Here is the oldest temple narrative we have available. 2100 years before Christ!
Beatrice Wells says
I have read Gudea. I actually have my own copy of this text. However, I must be missing something. I don’t see the specific references to 7. Can you point out which sections references 7 as it relates to temple inauguration? That you for your help.
Karen says
Thank you for an insightful and engaging article. The addition of some references would be very much appreciated.
Jim Alexander says
There’s a saying that goes ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same’ and looking at the very start of the bible, that saying becomes alive today just as it was countless thousands of years ago, during an age in time when animals never hunted each other for food.
Talk about a Time Warp!
So, going way, way back in time we have Eve talking to a beast of the field who says “You can’t believe what your husband told you about God, just look for yourself, test and see that you are being confined and constrained by believing it”.
It was apparent to the Serpent from the answers she had given to the Serpent that required her to recite what she remembered Adam telling her that God had told her about the forbidden fruit that she was not correctly understanding the Word of God and her ignorance of the Word spelled doom for all of creation as the Serpent pounced on it with his response “Has God said?”.
In just a few, short sentences, the Serpent convinced Eve that God was a liar, and that is going on today, exponentially.
When confronted by the evidence that they had made the Serpent their God, they blamed all but themselves, and that is still going on today.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Carol Wimmer says
Hi Josiah: I left a lengthy comment on this article posted on Jacob Wright’s page. I’d like to introduce myself to you. I live in Tulsa and have done extensive research on Genesis 1 through the lens of light, color, images of creation, and the subject of time. I don’t want to take anything away from your article. Our research on Genesis 1 is complementary – not contradictory. My only additional comment is my desire to step away from dualistic thinking. So, instead of asking, “Creation Story or Temple Inauguration?” I’d prefer we ask, “Creation Story and Temple Inauguration?” because the real possibility is that the priestly source wished the text of Genesis 1 to be both. It’s also likely that P saw the entire earth as Elohim’s temple. The birth of the second temple period in Israel’s history merely gives honor to the larger picture of Creation. At any rate, please check my comment on Jacob’s page. My book, “The Clock- A Timekeeping Tool for the Church of Tomorrow” is currently being studied by a core group of pastors here in Tulsa. If you are interested in breaking out of our many boxes regarding the text of Genesis 1, I can certainly add some interesting illumination to this conversation. Thanks for listening.
Rebecca says
The earth is flat and motionless. Do your own research. Don’t try to fit the Bible with the fairy tale you’ve been told by the freemasons who rule this world. The curvature of the earth is supposed to be 8 inches per mile squared, yet regular people have seen things that are supposed to be beyond the curvature of the earth… space is a lie. Nobody went to the moon. Lie. Do your own research, don’t believe the BS they tell you.
mannyseas says
I’m glad you mentioned this because I was about to say something hah. I completely agree with you on this! 1000%
Richard says
Hello Josiah,
Does the meaning of water in Genesis 1 as suggested above also apply to the use of water in The Flood account later in Genesis? If so, how would that inform your understanding of The Flood? How would taking into account that kangaroos (as just one example) would have had to have been able to swim to where Noah was to get on the the Ark and then swim all the way back to Australia after the flood was over.
Danielle says
https://youtu.be/fR82a-iueWw
This is a detailed teaching similar to what you are saying here by dr John Walton, Old Testement scholar
Steve says
Or, we could see the creation account as a witness to Jesus since he said in Luke 24 that he can be found in all the law and prophets and in John 5 that the scriptures bear witness to him.
http://livingroomtheology.com/2017/01/05/creation-a-witness-to-jesus/
Mark Dahl says
This new book better clarifies the position and the symbolism with more answers. It also shows how Adam and Eve were real people, but they were not physically created. Not at least as described in Genesis 1 and 2.
http://thechristianmythbusterseries.com/950-2/
Steve Galt says
” Several ancient texts chronicle this ceremony as lasting seven days.”
I have heard this before and don’t question it, but I’m wondering if you could point me to those sources. Thanks.