Genesis Visualized

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Definition: Genesis “the book of the generation of the heavens and earth”
3/10 Americans believe the Bible is the actual word of God and should be taken literally.
8/10 Americans believe the Bible is at least inspired word.

Yet Genesis has bewildered scholars for generations.

Who wrote it? Why are there so many inconsistencies? Why did they write it?
Everyone puts pen to paper for a reason, to say something distinctive, to make an argument.

How did the writers of the Bible do this?

Sources: an original document, a single unity. (saying something new)
Layers: Writings that were never intended to stand on their own, but rather added to expand existing documents.
Narrative Coherence: Who, what, when, how?
2 sources will disagree with narrative claims
2 layers will not.

Let’s follow the narrative of Genesis…
Oh wait, there’s not just ONE!

The Creation

“WHEN”: 1 day Genesis 2:4
or 6 days Genesis 1:3-2:3

1.) WHO created Heaven and Earth
a.) God Genesis 1:1
b.) Jesus Colossians 1:16
c.) Jesus and God 1 Corinthians 8:6

2a.) WHAT:
Stars, light and darkness created on the first day
or,

3a.) Plants and Animals-Genesis 1: 25-27
i.) from water
ii.) from earth
Man and Woman together Genesis 1:27
or,

3b.) Man Genesis 2:18-19
Plants and Animals Genesis 2:18-19
Woman Genesis 2:18-22

Location of the Garden of Eden
Most exact range: between the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers.
More tentative range: between the Euphrates, Tigris, Ganges, and Nile
But the flood devastated the face of the Earth, so it’s hard to tell.

The Flood

1.)How were animals on the ark grouped?
a.) In pairs Genesis 7:8,9,15
b.) In 7’s Genesis 7:2

2.) When did Noah’s family enter the ark?
a.) The day of the flood.&:11-13
b.) 7 days before. Genesis 7:7-10

3.) How many days did it rain?
a.) 40 days Genesis 7:17
b.) 150 days Genesis 7:24

4.) Did everyone not on the ark drown?
a.) Yes. Genesis 7:21-23
b.) Some survived. Numbers 13:33

5.) How long was the ark afloat?
a.) 7 months. Genesis 8:4
b.) 10+ months. Genesis 8:5

6.) When did the land dry after the flood?
a.) 1st day of the first month Genesis 8:13
b.) 27th day of the second month. Genesis 8:14

The Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis

1.) The Flood hypothesis 5600 BC
a.) Glaciers retreating from last ice age swell Mediterranean.
b.) Mediterranean spills over the Bosporous
c.) Water pours through gap at 200 times what flows over Niagara Falls, for 300 days +

Yet — other texts reinforce a global flood.

The Epic of Gilgamesh[9]
Plato: Laws, Timaeus, Critias[10]
Hopi, Saanich, Comox peoples of North America[11]
Australian Tiddalik peoples[12]
The Great Flood of China [13]

Genesis is a whole new world.

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