The Book of GenesisEssay Preview: The Book of GenesisReport this essayThe book of Genesis consists of numerous different stories written in different styles, by different people conveying various messages. Numerous devices are used in order to communicate the meaning of each story. Although all of them describe people in the ancient Israel, in particular their life and relationships, there is a deep subtext in them. Evidently, each story is based on the faith in God and knowledge that He is powerful. However, many stories in Genesis are duplicates (stories told more than once) and, moreover, most of them are mixed. Evidently, different Jewish traditions had different names for God. Consequently, in the Bible God is called different names, which sometimes helps to identify the author of the text. In my essay I will focus on the story written by the person who call God “Yahweh” (Jehovah) and therefore is named the “J-author”, and the “P- author” (priestly source, or based on the documentary hypothesis theory by Julius Wellhausen.
CreationThe Creation story, in particular, the “J” part of it, has two layers. The first one is what is seen on the surface: God playing with mud, not expecting that it would result in anything particular. It is ironic that the very idea to create the man seems to appear unexpectedly and throughout the whole story God seems to be thinking on the spot and greatly enjoying the process He is involved in. Therefore, through a nice story about the creation of Earth and men, the author makes it clear that (1) a man cannot live without a woman, as she is the only one who really suits him, and (2) what really gives joy to manhood is companionship. “The Lord said, “Its not good for the man to be alone.”” (Gen 2: 18).
The P version of creation, however, presents the story in a more structured and organized way. There are 7 days, each one of them having a purpose; it reminds more of a constructor put together. The P author makes it looks like God thoroughly planned everything and then only fulfilled his ideas. Man and woman are created together in this story and only on the 6th day, while in the J version the two are created separately: first – the man, and then- woman out of his rib. Usually, people perceive what is written in Genesis about creation based on the J- story.
FloodThe story of the flood is told as a charming, interest-holding narration, like for a child. God is represented as a loving guide, who, however, at some point is disappointed in His children and decides to kill them (Genesis 6:5). It seems like God is also disappointed in Himself as humans were a result of His job; therefore, he decides to start everything anew and wipe out everything he had created before (like an unsuccessful rough draft). However, God wants to be fair and decides to leave Noah as He found him righteous. Noah, from his side, after the survival with his family and animals thanks God with sacrifice (the common attribute in “J-stories”). It is funny that when god “smelled the pleasing aroma” (Gen 8: 21) he made a covenant not to destroy Earth again with the flood (9: 11). Not telling, though that He will not
totemize the human victims that He would kill in a different way. It would be great to know how the flood would happen.
For these reasons there is quite a much increased concern from the Biblical writers the flood (e.g. Leviticus 15:1 and 1 Kings 19:13).
Another interesting point is the question of where did this flood comes from ? The earliest manuscripts of Biblical manuscripts that I know of date after the flood in what is now Bithynia (b’Yuvriel, Egypt) or the Old Testament (i.e. the New Testament itself).
A short dig around that will get you a good understanding of some of the more interesting aspects of a Flood. It will also give you an idea about what it was that caused the problem and what the effects were on the surrounding culture. For example, all of the descriptions of the flood show the destruction of crops, animals, people, and other living things in their way. Many people were killed, mostly in an attempt to escape the flood. The destruction of the livestock included, at one point a large portion of the livestock (e.g. sheep). The destruction of the people (e.g. slaves) also involved their destruction.Biblical manuscripts describe events that begin when one has no food on hand (e.g : e.g. famine, famine, famine of wheat) and ends after a specific rainfall (e.g. flooding) event. This flood of food could not have occurred accidentally. However, they did provide some clues about how rainfall events would develop.Biblical manuscripts show the Flood caused by the flood and it is said that it would have been an event that caused human destruction (e.g. a desert/papyrus scene):
The flood took place in the year 836. This flood has no time on the earth.