Related Articles

Show All Topics

How Accurate is Biblical Chronology?

Thiele discovered an underlying harmony in the Biblical records that is not only internal but external as well. Once he solved these apparent discrepancies in the Biblical data, he found that the reigns of the Jewish kings matched the Assyrian chronology perfectly.

Read Article

A Comparison of Narrative Elements in Ancient Mesopotamian Creation-Flood Stories with Genesis 1-9

From the parallels in form and content between Creation-Flood stories, is is more likely that someone (i.e., Moses) recorded such a work in the 15th century B.C. rather to attribute them to a collection of fragments that were distributed through the first half of the first millenium B.C. Published in Origins v. 11, n. 1.

Read More

Genesis One in Historical-critical Perspective

I hope to illustrate how an approach that attends to the culture, history, philosophy and religion of the Bible's time and place can enhance our understanding of its message.

Download PDF

The Genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11: A Statistical Study

The numerical ages of the partriarchs listed in Genesis 5 and 11 seem nonrandom, as though they were recorded in some kind of preferred pattern. This suggests the figures should not be used to estimate chronology before the time of Abraham. Published in Origins v. 9, n. 2.

Read More

Adam and Adapa: Two Anthropological Characters

The word "parallel," though difficult to replace, may be inappropriate and quite inadequate to take account of the complex relationships that exist between biblical and extrabiblical literary tradition. It is the purpose of this essay to address that problem with specific reference to the Adapa myth.

Download PDF

The Doctrine of Beginnings

The way we perceive God, the way we look at the world around us, and the way we understand our own selves all have their roots in the opening verse of Scripture: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

Read Article

The Word "Earth" in Genesis 1:1

Does the word "earth" refer a) to the physical material of the earth; b) to the planet earth as a part of our solar system; c) to our earth in the sense of the land upon which life can exist? We will address this question very briefly by reviewing four problems. Published in Origins v. 8, n. 1.

Read More

The Meaning of the Chronogenealogies of Genesis 5 and 11

Genesis creation is intended to be the beginning or opening of history. The genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 contribute to the progression of time in scripture. They trace humankind in time and through time forward to two heroes, Noah and Terah. Published in Origins v. 7, n. 2.

Read More

Implications of Various Interpretations of the Fossil Record

The various interpretations of the fossil record given above show how one can gradually change his ideas from a belief in creation as described in the Bible to naturalistic evolution. There are sociological factors that favor a trend in this direction. This writer hopes that efforts will be made to go in the opposite direction closer to God. Man's most important relationship is with his God, and we should do all we can to improve it. Published in Origins v. 7, n. 2.

Read More

Wood from the Ark — a Knotty Problem

A review of the article, Wood from "Mount Ararat": Noah's Ark? Wood retrived from Mount Ararat dates by carbon-14 at about 700 AD, much too young to be related to Noah's ark. Published in Origins v. 7, n. 2.

Read More

Genesis 5 and 11: Chronogenealogies in the Biblical History of Beginnings

It is important to consider Genesis 5 and 11 in view of: 1) their unique nature and function in the book of Genesis and in relation to other genealogies, 2) their textual history, and 3) their interpretation. It shall be the purpose of this paper to reflect on the first two of these areas of importance. Published in Origins v. 7, n. 1.

Read More

Can the Bible Establish the Age of the Earth?

I maintain that there is no biblical basis for any date in the B. C. scale for a biblical event preceding the birth of Abraham.

Download PDF

The Structure of the Genesis Flood Narrative and Its Implications

Analysis of the literary structure of the Flood narrative shows that it is the product of a single author, and not a compilation from various sources. Published in Origins v. 6, n. 1.

Read More

The Literary Structure of the Genesis Creation Story

The Documentary hypothesis and the so-called Tatbericht-Wortbericht theory have been the two main starting points of any relevant scholarly study of this text. Recently, under the influence of contemporary literary studies, attention has been drawn to the validity of the synchronic approach, and more and more scholars have thus become aware of the importance of the literary structure of this text.

Download PDF

The Genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 and Their Alleged Babylonian Background

With the discovery in the early 1870's of the Babylonian flood account, which was recognized to be closely related to the flood story in Genesis, there was opened a new chapter of comparative studies relating the various aspects of the book of Genesis to materials uncovered from ancient Near Eastern civilizations.

Download PDF

Some Issues Regarding the Nature and Universality of the Genesis Flood Narrative

The account of the flood as given in Genesis is brief, and many different interpretations have been given to the events described therin. Three expressions used in that narrative will be analyzed below in an attempt to show their original meaning. Published in Origins v. 5, n. 2.

Read More

The Unity of the Creation Account

There is a distinct "name" theology involved in the distribution of the different names used for God in Genesis 1 and 2. The author who composed these two narratives as part of a larger whole wished to say something specific about God by using these names this way. Published in Origins v. 5, n. 1.

Read More

Adam in Ancient Mesopotamian Traditions

Since the recovery and publication of texts from the Ancient Near East is a continuing endeavor, the materials already published need to be reexamined from time to time in the light of more recent information.

Download PDF

The Meaning of Genesis 1:1

It may be surprising to some students of the Bible that the translation and meaning of the opening words of the Bible are disputed. For 2,000 years the first verse of the Bible has been officially translated into Western languages with the familiar words, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Now three authorized versions of the Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Protestant communities translate the first verse of the Bible differently.

Read Article

Study in the John Day Country

A meeting of the Bible-Science Subcommittee was held at Prineville, Oregon, where papers were read and discussed. Published in Origins v. 3, n. 1.

Read More