Israelite Creation in Context

The first chapters of Genesis are among the best known in the entire Bible – and the most debated. For many readers, the biblical creation story represents a rift between Scripture and Science; others attempt to interpret Genesis in light of scientific discoveries. But what if there’s more to the creation narrative than the so-called origins debate? In this course, you will look behind the curtain of ancient Israel to see what Genesis 1-3 really meant in its original Hebrew context. So much of our modern understanding is based on our modern knowledge. But what if we look at the verses and lean on the things that ancient Israelites and the neighbors knew and understood? Our understanding of what happened in Eden may take on a different shape. In this course, you will encounter the familiar creation stories from an ancient Israelite perspective and ponder Israel’s priestly polemic against other Near Eastern ideas about life reality.