Hi Ken. You asked:
> Why are the first 11 chapters of Genesis included in Holy Writ? In
> particular what should we understand about the scriptures recorded in
> Genesis 1, 2 and 3? Do the creation stories, and the fall story teach us
> anything at all? Presumably, (and I agree here) they do not teach us about
> the actual particular events that took place to get the universe to its
> present condition. That is, these stories do not record "literal history"
> in the sense that we could have captured it on a video camera. But what is
> the meaning of the repetitive "and God saw that it was good" recorded in
> Gen. 1? Was there ever a time when the creation really was "good" in and of
> itself? - a goodness which did not, evidently, depend on the presence of
> humans - but continued to be good even after the creation (appearance) of
> humans? If so what was the quality of this goodness? Does it include some
> measure of harmony among creatures and between the Creator and His
> creation? Or is it sheer poppycock to think of the creation story in these
> terms? If sheer poppycock, then why are these stories included in the Canon?
With a bit of playfulness I might suggest that the only way to get a
definitive answer to your first and last questions, Ken, would be to go back
in time & chat with the folks who made the decision to craft the "primeval
history" literature of Genesis 1-11 and to include it in the Hebrew canon.
More seriously, I would suggest looking at resources like Nahum Sarna's
book, _Understanding Genesis_ (New York: Schocken Books, 1966). Sarna, a
Jewish scholar, brings his familiarity with Ancient Near Eastern culture to
bear on several of your questions.
Howard Van Till
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