Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology

por John H. Walton

Editorial:

Eisenbrauns

, 2011

Overview

John Walton presents comparative studies of ancient texts and their cosmologies. The first half of the book focuses on the ancient texts that inform our understanding of Near Eastern cosmology. Egyptian, Sumerian, and Akkadian texts are the primary focus, but occasionally Ugaritic and Hittite are included as appropriate. Walton posits that functional ontology was pervasive in ancient writing because bringing about order and functionality was the very essence of creative activity.

The second half of the book is devoted to a fresh analysis of Genesis 1:1–2:4. Walton studies significant Hebrew terms and shows that, like the rest of the ancient Near East, the Israelite texts use a functional cosmology that is constructed with temple ideology in mind. He contends that Genesis 1 was never an account of material origins but that, as in the rest of the ancient world, the purpose of this “creation text” was to outline functions for the components of the cosmos. All of this demonstrates that, when we read Genesis 1 as the ancient document it is rather than trying to read it in light of our current world view, the text recovers the energy it had in its original context. At the same time, it provides a new perspective on Genesis 1 in relation to what have long been controversial issues.

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Interested in more? Be sure to check out the Eisenbrauns Old Testament Studies Collection (3 vols.).

Product Details

• Title: Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology
• Author: John H. Walton
• Publisher: Eisenbrauns
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 228
• Resource Type: Monographs
• Topic: Biblical Studies

About the Author

John H. Walton is a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. Before teaching at Wheaton, Walton taught at Moody Bible Institute for 20 years.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The model of the cosmos as a kingdom was more relevant in the ancient world than our modern model of the cosmos, which typically portrays it as a machine.” (Page 9)

“I posit that, in the ancient world, bringing about order and functionality was the very essence of creative activity.” (Page viii)

“‘We ought then to think of creation in terms of functions rather than material objects.’” (Page vii)

“I will suggest that cosmic ontology in the ancient world was a functional ontology—that is, everything exists by virtue of its having been assigned a function and given a role in the ordered cosmos.” (Page 24)

“One of the most important of these issues is the concept of divine rest—the idea that deities in the ANE find rest in temples and that temples are built for the deity to rest in.” (Page 10)