The Genesis creation stories detail the Jewish and Christian view on how the Universe began. A careful reading of the Book of Genesis in the Bible reveals that there is not one, but two creation stories.
The first one runs from Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3.
The second one runs from Genesis 2:4 to Genesis 3:24.
Feature | Creation Story #1 | Creation Story #2 |
---|---|---|
God's name | God (elohim) | The Lord God (yhwh elohim) |
God's mood | Happy | Pissed off at the end |
Scope | Cosmic | Localized |
Creation method | Commanding, separating | Physically forming |
Creation organization | Systematic | Improvised |
JEDP identification | P (priestly) | J (Yahwist) |
Creation story #1:[]
Environments | Inhabitants |
---|---|
Celestial | |
Day 1 | Day 4 |
Day | Sun |
Night | Moon, stars |
Far Terrestrial | |
Day 2 | Day 5 |
Sea | Aquatic animals |
Sky | Flying animals |
Near Terrestrial | |
Day 3 | Day 6 |
Land | Land animals, humanity |
Plants | "You may eat these" |
Day 7: God was so happy about what he had done that he decided to take the first day off in the history of the Universe, which thus became the first Sabbath.
Creation story #2:[]
- God creates Adam
- Adam is lonely
- God creates animals for him
- Adam names them, but he is still lonely
- God creates Eve for him
- Adam is less lonely now
- A certain mischievous snake convinces Adam and Eve to eat the very enlightening fruit of a certain tree
- God gets pissed at all three of them
This article was originally at the Beacon Library (now defunct).
There is a good and a a bad side to Christianity, see the category page