Difference between revisions of "Biblical creation account"
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The God of the Bible's creation account in the book of Genesis is represented in the original Hebrew by the plural word ''Elohim'' ('gods', or 'spirits'). This does not, however, have anything to do with the Christian idea of the Three-in-One God, i.e. the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, since the concept was unknown until the second century AD. | The God of the Bible's creation account in the book of Genesis is represented in the original Hebrew by the plural word ''Elohim'' ('gods', or 'spirits'). This does not, however, have anything to do with the Christian idea of the Three-in-One God, i.e. the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, since the concept was unknown until the second century AD. | ||
| − | Genesis 1:1 to 2:1 (the chapter- and verse-divisions and numbers are of purely medieval origin) describes how this God created light and darkness, heaven and earth, the seas and plants, the sun, moon and stars, the fishes and birds, the animals and ''then'' man over the course of six 'days' (Hebrew ''yom''), before resting on the seventh. This account is contradicted in chapter 2, however, where the creation takes only one 'day' (still Hebrew ''yom'') and man is created ''before'' the animals. | + | Genesis 1:1 to 2:1 (the chapter- and verse-divisions and numbers are of purely medieval origin) describes how this God created light and darkness, heaven and earth, the seas and plants, the sun, moon and stars, the fishes and birds, the animals and ''then'' man over the course of six 'days' (Hebrew ''yom''), before resting on the seventh. This account is contradicted in chapter 2, however, where the creation takes only one 'day' (still Hebrew ''yom'') and man is created ''before'' the animals |
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| + | Creation occurred about 4000 BC. This was established by Dr. John Lightfoot, a 17th century Anglican clergyman. This was elaborated on by James Ussher, an Irish archbishop from Armagh. Ussher dated the arrival of Abraham in Canaan to 2126 BC and the Noahic flood to 2349 BC. The time of creation was calculated using the ages of famous pre-flood personages in the Bible to estimate the number of years between creation and the flood. | ||
Revision as of 15:42, March 13, 2007
The God of the Bible's creation account in the book of Genesis is represented in the original Hebrew by the plural word Elohim ('gods', or 'spirits'). This does not, however, have anything to do with the Christian idea of the Three-in-One God, i.e. the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, since the concept was unknown until the second century AD.
Genesis 1:1 to 2:1 (the chapter- and verse-divisions and numbers are of purely medieval origin) describes how this God created light and darkness, heaven and earth, the seas and plants, the sun, moon and stars, the fishes and birds, the animals and then man over the course of six 'days' (Hebrew yom), before resting on the seventh. This account is contradicted in chapter 2, however, where the creation takes only one 'day' (still Hebrew yom) and man is created before the animals
Creation occurred about 4000 BC. This was established by Dr. John Lightfoot, a 17th century Anglican clergyman. This was elaborated on by James Ussher, an Irish archbishop from Armagh. Ussher dated the arrival of Abraham in Canaan to 2126 BC and the Noahic flood to 2349 BC. The time of creation was calculated using the ages of famous pre-flood personages in the Bible to estimate the number of years between creation and the flood.
Sources
- Cruden, A., Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments (Lutterworth, 1930)
- The Holy Bible (King James Version)
- The New English Bible (Oxford & Cambridge University Presses, 1970)
- The New Jerusalem Bible (Darton, Longman & Todd, 1990)
- Peake, A.S., Commentary on the Bible (Nelson, 1962)
- Young, R., Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible (Lutterworth, 1939)