5: Ancient Near Eastern Myths versus the Biblical Account
The cultures surrounding Israel produced creation and flood stories—Enuma Elish, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and others. These accounts feature multiple gods in conflict, chaotic matter that already exists, and a flood sent for petty reasons. The biblical account is radically different: one sovereign God who creates by His word out of nothing, a good and ordered creation, a moral reason for the Flood, and a clear promise afterward. Genesis is not a cleaned-up version of pagan myth; it is a polemic against those myths. Where pagan stories deify the sun, moon, stars, or forces of nature, Genesis 1 places them as created objects on Day 4, serving God’s purposes. Where pagan flood heroes survive by cunning or favor of one god among many, Noah is righteous and walks with the one true God. The genealogies and historical continuity in Genesis tie the events to real people and places, unlike the timeless, cyclical myths of the surrounding nations. Modern scholars sometimes claim Genesis borro...