Genesis creation myth in the context of "Priestly source"

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⭐ Core Definition: Genesis creation myth

The Genesis creation narrative is the creation myth of Judaism and Christianity, found in chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Genesis. While both faith traditions have historically understood the account as a single unified story, modern scholars of biblical criticism have identified it as being a composite of two stories drawn from different sources expressing distinct views about the nature of God and creation.

According to the documentary hypothesis, the first account – which begins with Genesis 1:1 and ends with the first sentence of Genesis 2:4 – is from the later Priestly source (P), possibly composed during the 6th century BC. In this story, God (referred to with the title Elohim, a term related to the generic Hebrew word for 'god') creates the heavens and the Earth in six days, solely by issuing commands for it to be so – and then rests on, blesses, and sanctifies the seventh day (i.e., the Biblical Sabbath). The second account, which consists of the remainder of Genesis 2, is from an earlier non-Priestly source, traditionally the Jahwist source (J) dated to the 10th or 9th century BC. In this story, God (referred to by the personal name Yahweh) creates Adam, the first man, by "forming" him from dust – and places him in the Garden of Eden where he is given dominion over the animals. The first woman, "built" from a rib taken from Adam's side, is created to be his matching companion; after the couple are expelled from the Garden in Genesis 3 for disobeying God, Adam names the woman Eve.

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Genesis creation myth in the context of John Philoponus

John Philoponus (Greek: /fɪˈlɒpənəs/; Ἰωάννης ὁ Φιλόπονος, Ioánnis o Philóponos; c. 490 – c. 570), also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria, was a Coptic Miaphysite philologist, Aristotelian commentator and Christian theologian from Alexandria, Byzantine Egypt, who authored a number of philosophical treatises and theological works. John Philoponus broke from the AristotelianNeoplatonic tradition, questioning methodology and eventually leading to empiricism in the natural sciences. He was one of the first to propose a "theory of impetus" similar to the modern concept of inertia over Aristotelian dynamics. He is also the historical founder of what is now called the Kalam cosmological argument.

Later in life Philoponus turned to Christian apologetics, arguing against the eternity of the world in his De opificio mundi, a theory which formed the basis of pagan attacks on the Christian doctrine of Creation. He also wrote on Christology, espousing a Miaphysite view. His by-name ὁ Φιλόπονος translates as "lover of toil", i.e. "diligent," referring to a miaphysite confraternity in Alexandria, the philoponoi, who were active in debating pagan (i.e. Neoplatonic) philosophers.

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Genesis creation myth in the context of Scivias

Scivias is an illustrated work by Hildegard von Bingen, completed in 1151 or 1152, describing 26 religious visions she experienced. It is the first of three works that she wrote describing her visions, the others being Liber vitae meritorum and De operatione Dei (also known as Liber divinorum operum). The title comes from the Latin phrase Sci vias Domini ('Know the Ways of the Lord'). The book is illustrated by 35 miniature illustrations, more than that are included in her two later books of visions.

The work is divided into three parts, reflecting the Trinity. The first and second parts are approximately equal in length, while the third is as long as the other two together. The first part includes a preface describing how she was commanded to write the work, and includes six visions dealing with themes of creation and the Fall. The second part consists of seven visions and deals with salvation through Jesus Christ, the Church, and the sacraments. The third part, with thirteen visions, is about the coming kingdom of God, through sanctification, and increased tension between good and evil. The final vision includes 14 songs, plus a portion of the music drama which was later published as the Ordo Virtutum. In each vision, she first described what she saw, and then recorded explanations she heard, which she believed to be the "voice of heaven."

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Genesis creation myth in the context of Byzantine Era

The Byzantine calendar, also called the Roman calendar, the Creation Era of Constantinople or the Era of the World (Ancient Greek: Ἔτη Γενέσεως Κόσμου κατὰ Ῥωμαίους, also Ἔτος Κτίσεως Κόσμου or Ἔτος Κόσμου; lit. 'Roman year since the creation of the universe', abbreviated as ε.Κ.), was the calendar used by the Eastern Orthodox Church from c. 691 to 1728 in the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It was also the official calendar of the Byzantine Empire from 988 to 1453 and it was used in Russia from c. 988 to 1700. This calendar was used also in other areas of the Byzantine commonwealth such as in Serbia — where it is found in old Serbian legal documents such as Dušan's Code, thus being referred as the "Serbian Calendar" and today still used in the Republic of Georgia alongside Old Style and New Style calendar.

The calendar was based on the Julian calendar, except that the year started on 1 September and the year number used an Anno Mundi epoch derived from the Septuagint version of the Bible. It placed the date of creation at 5509 years before the incarnation of Jesus, and was characterized by a certain tendency that had already been a tradition among Jews and early Christians to number the years from the calculated foundation of the world (Latin: Annus Mundi or Ab Origine Mundi— "AM"). Its Year One, marking the assumed date of creation, was September 1, 5509 BC, to August 31, 5508 BC. This would make the current year (AD 2025) 7534 (7533 before September 1).

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Genesis creation myth in the context of Covenant theology

Covenant theology (also known as covenantalism, federal theology, or federalism) is a biblical theology, a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall structure of the Bible. It is often distinguished from dispensational theology, a competing form of biblical theology. It uses the theological concept of a covenant as an organizing principle for Christian theology. The standard form of covenant theology views the history of God's dealings with mankind, from Creation to Fall to Redemption to Consummation, under the framework of three overarching theological covenants: those of redemption, of works, and of grace.

Covenentalists call these three covenants "theological" because, though not explicitly presented as such in the Bible, they are thought of as theologically implicit, describing and summarizing a wealth of scriptural data. Historical Reformed systems of thought treat classical covenant theology not merely as a point of doctrine or as a central dogma, but as the structure by which the biblical text organizes itself. Covenant theology is upheld by Christians of the Reformed tradition, including the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Reformed Baptist, and Reformed Anglican traditions. The most well-known form of Covenant Theology is associated with Presbyterians and comes from the Westminster Confession of Faith. A variant of this traditional Presbyterian form is sometimes called Baptist Covenant Theology or 1689 Federalism, to distinguish it from the standard covenant theology of Presbyterian Westminster Federalism. It is usually associated with the Particular Baptist strand and comes from the Second London Confession of Faith of 1689. Methodist hermeneutics traditionally use a variation of this, known as Wesleyan covenant theology, which is consistent with Arminian soteriology.

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Genesis creation myth in the context of Jewish principles of faith

A universal formulation of principles of faith, recognized across all branches of Judaism, remains undefined. There is no central authority in Judaism in existence today, although the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish religious court, could fulfill this role for some if it were re-established. Instead, Jewish principles of faith remain debated by the rabbis based on their understanding of the sacred writings, laws, and traditions, which collectively shape Jewish theological and ethical frameworks.

The most widely recognized existing version is the 13 principles outlined by Maimonides. He stressed the importance of believing that there is one single, omniscient, transcendent, non-corporeal, non-compound God who created the universe and continues to interact with his creation and judge souls' reward or punishment. Other principles include the future emergence of the Messiah, the resurrection of the dead, and the principle that God revealed his laws and 613 mitzvot to the Jewish people in the form of the Written and Oral Torahs.

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Genesis creation myth in the context of Baptist covenant theology

Baptist covenant theology, also known as 1689 Federalism or Baptist federalism, is a Baptist conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall structure of the Bible. It sees the theological concept of a covenant as an organizing principle for Christian theology. The standard form of covenant theology views the history of God's dealings with mankind, from Creation to Fall to Redemption to Consummation, under the framework of three overarching theological covenants: those of redemption, of works, and of grace.

Covenentalists call these three covenants "theological" because, though not explicitly presented as such in the Bible, they are thought of as theologically implicit, describing and summarizing a wealth of scriptural data. Historical Reformed systems of thought treat classical covenant theology not merely as a point of doctrine or as a central dogma, but as the structure by which the biblical text organizes itself. The most well known form of covenant theology is associated with Presbyterians (paedobaptists) and comes from the Westminster Confession of Faith. Baptist covenant theology (credobaptist) is distinct from Westminsterian covenant theology, and finds its most influential expression in the Second London Confession of Faith of 1689.

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