Was Genesis Taken From Pagan Legends?

Some critics claim Genesis 2-3 was written by borrowing from pagan legends found throughout Mesopotamia. But how much evidence supports an alleged connection?

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Video on the Genesis Flood and Gilgamesh:

Sources:

Tryggve Mettinger - The Eden Narrative

Encyclopaedia Judaica: Second Edition

G. Herbert Livingstone - The Pentateuch in Its Cultural Environment

Richard Hess & David Toshio Tsumura - I Studied Inscriptions From Before the Flood

Mark Chavalas & K. Lawson Younger Jr. - Mesopotamia and the Bible

H.E.M. Braakhuis - Xbalanque's marriage: A commentary on the Q'eqchi' myth of sun and moon

Douglas Bush - Mrs. Bennet and the Dark Gods: The Truth about Jane Austen

Geza Roheim - Australian Totemism

Steven - Hijmans - The Sun Which Did Not Rise In the East

David Carr - The Formation of Genesis 1-11

Thorkild Jacobsen - The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion

#Archaeology #Bible #Israel

[AlexanderLayko]

If multiple cultures have the same stories than maybe those stories actually happened? Why is that never a possibility? Why does everything have to be "sourced" or "borrowed"? 🤔

[tomainsworth]

One possible reason for similarities between Bible and other local texts: Genesis could have been written as a response to the myths of local cultures, in order to bring out the nature of Yahweh, as he had revealed it to the writers. So its the differences that indicate what Yahweh is like. Example: sun and moon, normally deities, are not mentioned till the 4th day of creation and then not named they are just dismissed as lights in the sky, underlining that Yahweh is the ONLY God. So the similarities are a deliberate literary device used by the writer(s)

[stephendianda]

skeptics love to accuse us of cherry picking but they thinks that they can do the same to discredit our faith and also think that's no problem

[austinapologetics]

I'd recommend anyone who thinks Genesis is just plagiarizing other myths to actually read these other myths and see how similar they really are.

[josecarvajal]

I really doubt they were actually thinking about copying stories, simply we have similar stories that may have a common origin, and evolved differently in each society. For example, the Twin Heroes myth is very prevalent among precolombian cultures, in the Taino culture of the Caribbean it evolved into quadruplets. I doubt the taino said "ok let's take this Mayan myth but instead of two, we'll have FOUR HEROES hehe, chackmate mayans". Instead, the Mayan and Taino myths have the same origin

[DanielApologetics]

Awesome work, IP! I somehow seen this argument sprung up again lately among online skeptics, so good to see it addressed also from your channel.

[disarmedbeatle]

This ministry had come to my attention at a perfect time in my life. I am closer to God now than I think I’ve ever been because of Inspiring Philosophy

[Jim-Mc]

You wouldn't need to explain to an American that a civil war happened, you'd just skip right to your point about it. Same in Genesis. They share common context because they assume knowledge of common true events. However some of these examples here of correlations are just bad syncretism.

[RangerRyke]

These cultures may not have borrowed from one another but any similarities that show up multiple times throughout different cultures may very well be because those stories were passed down from before the cultures split.

[DimensiondelosSecretos]

Oh man, if I had a penny for every time someone comes to me with this "genesis is a copy of other culture writings" I would be rich jajaja...
Great video brother...

P.S
I'm still waiting for that video about how people before adam, would continue to soul build after they died.

Love you man 😇😇😇

[Actuary]

The epic of Gilgamesh has an ark that was built, animals loaded onto that ark, birds being released from the ark after the water receded to check for dry land, and sacrifices being made after dry land was found. These are not “vague” similarities and it stretches credulity to believe otherwise.

[IchigosBestFriend]

Your work breaking this stuff down is awesome. I love learning about this

[trevorbanahaskey]

No, Pagan Legends were taken from Genesis.

[japavlic]

At the heart of it all is this: God redeeming man and giving us a way to access Him: Christ. God may have very been orchestrating similarities to possibly lead future generations to Christ. The aim of all history is to draw people to Him.

[queagle]

To me, this is very similar to how parallels have been drawn between Jesus and pagan deities. Similar motifs and themes can be found, but no evidence of direct influence or plagiarism. Why can’t cultures have independent traditions and stories?

[OliVer-gmcl]

I remember first time watching a video from your channel, it was Job's story. Made me research more and study the scriptures diligently. Thanks Inspiring Philosophy! God bless you!

[Beastinvader]

South Africa and Australia have similar languages, political structures, and values.
Clearly South Africa stole this from the Australians.

Obviously Britain is the third factor behind both. Similarly, these ancient people lived in similar theological contexts. Similar worldviews. It's narrow to say one borrowrd from the other when in fact it's more likely they adopted widespread views into more culturally specific contexts.

[Hambone]

I would say that Genesis definitely alludes to Sumerian stories in order to repudiate their theology. Everyone who heard the Noah flood story for the first time would have already believed in a flood. The Noah story alters the reason the flood occured to correct the theology.

[ReasonedAnswers]

The comparison of Mayan mythology to Greek mythology was A+. I wish I'd seen this before talking to you last night as I would have asked you to make it on the show. :)

[gabrielstephens]

These names are the ten generations from Adam to Noah all in Genesis Chapter 5.

Adam = Man
Seth = Appointed
Enosh = Mortal
Kenan = Sorrow or Tent/tabernacle
Mahalalel = Blessed God
Jared = Shall come down
Enoch = Teaching
Methuselah = His death shall bring
Lamech = lament or humble
Noah = Rest or comfort

Put the names together in a sentence and you have the plan of salvation -- the gospel message. Yes, "Mankind is appointed mortal sorrow. The blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing comfort."

Or

"Mankind is appointed mortal tents/flesh. The blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring the humble comfort."

Adam is MANKIND (#120). When Seth was born, Eve said, "For God hath APPOINTED (#7896) me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." Enosh means "MORTAL" (#582). It is from the root anash: to be incurable; used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness. Kenan means "SORROW (2 Chr. 35:25, Jer. 7:29). Balaam, looking down from the hills of Moab, employed a pun regarding the name of the Kenites when he prophesied their destruction (Nu. 24:21, 23). Mahalalel, from mahalal (#4111) which means "BLESSED"; and El, the name for GOD. Jared, from the verb yered, meaning "SHALL COME DOWN" (#3382). Enoch, means "TEACHING" (#2596). He prophesied of the Second Coming of Christ (Jude 14, 15). As soon as Methuselah died, the flood would be sent forth. "Muth, " means DEATH in the Old Testament. Shalach means "TO BRING" or "to send forth." In the year that Methuselah died, the flood came. Notice, Methuselah was 187 when Lamech was born, and lived 782 more years. Lamech was 182 when Noah was born (Gen.5:25-28). The Flood came in Noah's 600th year (Gen. 7:6, 11). 187 + 182 + 600 = 969 which was Methuselah's age when he died (Gen. 5:27). Lamech comes from Lemek (#4347), a root still seen today in our English word, "lament". Lamech suggests "DESPAIRING." (This name is also linked to the Lamech in Cain's line who inadvertently killed his son Tubal-Cain in a hunting incident (Genesis 4:19-25). Noah is from nacham, "to bring relief" or "COMFORT" (#5118); (Gen. 5:29).

Put the names together in a sentence and you have the plan of salvation -- the gospel message. Yes, "Mankind is appointed mortal sorrow. The blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing comfort."