[asa] Berosus

Berosus was a Babylonian priest who compiled the history of Babylon where he
gives an account of creation which bears no similarity with Genesis, and the
flood in terms paralleling Genesis. But he carries on to Babel and includes
the following:

"The city of Babylon owes its foundation to those who were saved from the
catastrophe of the flood; these were the giants, and they built the tower
which is noticed in history. But the tower being overthrown by the
interposition of God, the giants were scattered over all the earth.

. in the tenth generation, in the city of Babylonia, called Camarina (which,
by some, is called the city Urie, and which signifies a city of the
Chaldeans) there lived, the thirteenth in descent, a man named Abraham, a
man of noble race and superior to all others in wisdom.

Of him they relate that he was the inventor of astrology and the Chaldean
magic, and that on account of his eminent piety he was esteemed by God. It
is further said that under the directions of God he removed and lived in
Phenicia, and there taught the Phenicians the motions of the sun and moon,
and all other things; for which reason he was held in great reverence by
their king."

Berosus (or Berossus) did the same thing I did. He sat in a library and
compiled his history from the historical records available at the time, all
of which have long perished by now. The similarities with Genesis 1-11 are
best explained by Berosus drawing on the writings of earlier authors who
likely drew on the same sources incorporated by the author of Genesis. The
differences are there because Berosus did not copy Genesis, maybe he was
unaware of it.

Josephus also drew on historical accounts which included both Genesis and
Berosus. Likewise, Josephus had literature unavailable to us today.
Eusebius, Polyhistor, Africanus and Syncellus all did the same thing.

All the early historians give an account of the flood, Babel and Abraham in
close sequence. That is, all events occurred within the span of only a few
generations. Thus it is that Glenn's idea and Hugh Ross are completely out
to lunch on this issue. There is no way tens of thousands or millions
(egad) of years intervene between the flood and Abraham.

Dick Fischer

Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association

Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History

 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org> www.genesisproclaimed.org

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Received on Tue Oct 31 14:41:32 2006