Myths in the Book of Genesis [Adam and Eve]

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In early biblical times, many totally different kinds of myths circulated among the ancient Jews. The book of Genesis in the old testament of the bible is believed, by many scholars, to have been filled with myths, especially in the first eleven chapters. This essay is going to look at one of these myths, the story of the creation of Adam and Eve. It will also compare the bible’s view and some views from different scholars, critics and scientists. Further more, it will talk about the possible sources for this myth, the context and the religious aspects that go with it. To start with, I will first define what a myth is. A myth, according to Cambridge advanced learner’s dictionary (2008), is “an ancient story or set of stories, especially explaining in a literary way the early history of a group of people or about natural events and facts.” So a myth is merely a story that usually has a moral at the end of it and is usually used to correct and guide young children as they mingle with society. Microsoft Encarta explains that “In the biblical Genesis story, Yahweh's creation of the world is described mainly in terms of separating—for example, the separation of light from darkness, and of sea from land. In other creation mythologies, the raw material for making the world derives from a specific source. So the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis begins in chapter 1 through chapter 2 where God created man, from dust and woman from one of man’s rib in his own image and placed them in a paradise land called the Garden of Eden. But if closely and critically read, it may be noticed that in the book of Genesis, there are two creation stories, explaining how Adam and Eve were created and came into existence. In Genesis 1:26-27, ‘…God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over

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