REL 101: Study Guide 2

Gen 7.1–5; 6.11–22

How many animals did Noah take into his ark? How do we know?

Gen 1–3

What are the similarities & differences between the 2 creation stories in Gen?

What is the overall effect that each story has on the reader?

What is the structure of the creation story in 1.1–2.4a? And in 2.4b–3.24?

What is the main purpose of Gen 1.1–2.4a? Gen 2.4b–3.24?

Which story do you prefer, if any? Why?

What is the significance of the creation of the woman in each account? Which do you find more appealing? Why?

What about the plural in Gen 1.26–27 (cf. Ps 82; Ex 15.11; 1 Kgs 22.19–23)? Cf. Ps 8, 136, 148; Prov 8.22–31; Job 38.

Consider the creation stories in Gen 1–3 again carefully. Slowly & carefully. (Did I mention slowly & carefully?)

What's happening with God's name or the stories' reference to God? (Remember the YHWH & Elohim mentioned in class.)

In either story, is there any textual hint about the state of things before or at the moment when God began to create? (Remember the Tanakh translation & NRSV as opposed to the KJV.) Does God create from nothing or something? If nothing, what does that mean? If something, what is that something?

Look up "tohu-bohu" in an English dictionary & figure out what it means & where the word comes from.

Pay attention to the order of creation in each of the creation stories in Gen 1–3. What does the order in each version indicate to you?

With the Enuma Elish in mind (divine combat between Marduk & Tiamat) read  Job 26.8–14; Ps 74.13–17; 89.5–10; Isa 27.1; 51.9–10 & see how these very old Israelite traditions "remember" creation. Look up Levtiathan & Rahab (not the woman, but the sea monster) in an encyclopedia or a Bible dictionary & see what they are. Any similarities with Tiamat in the Enuma Elish?

You can also look up Leviathan & Rahab in the R-drive program "NOAB." You may have to play with it a bit, but try opening the OCB (Oxford Companion to the Bible); it's the blue icon at the top of the screen. If it's not already there at the top of the screen, choose "Add Book" from the "File" menu & open the "ocb.and" to open the OCB & then click on the blue icon. Then find the words & open the related articles.