Did Genesis Borrow From The Ancient Mesopotamian Sources?

Enuma Elish, Gilgamesh, Adapa etc

Or are atheists as usual just using anything they can find on the Internet against the Bible.

Here are a few quotes from Assyriologist Scholars on this subject.

K.A. Kitchenis (a British Bible scholar, Ancient Near Eastern historian)

The individual themes of creation and flood ... recur in other writings. Thus the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish (called 'Babylonian creation' in most books), completed by circa 1000 from older sources, has been repeatedly compared with Gen. 1-2. But despite the reiterated claims of an older generation of biblical scholars, Enuma Elish and Gen. 1-2 in fact share no direct relationship. Thus the word tehom/thm is common to both Hebrew and Ugaritic (north Syria) and means nothing more than 'deep, abyss.' It is not a deity, like Ti'amat, a goddess in Enuma Elish. In terms of theme, creation is the massively central concern of Gen. 1-2, but it is a mere tailpiece in Enuma Elish, which is dedicated to portraying the supremacy of the god Marduk of Babylon. The only clear comparisons between the two are the inevitable banalities: creation of earth and sky before the plants are put on the earth, and of plants before animals (that need to eat them) and humans; it could hardly have been otherwise!The creation of light before the luminaries is the only peculiarity that might indicate any link between the Hebrew and Enuma Elish narrative; but where did it earlier come from? Not known, as yet. Thus most Assyriologists have long since rejected the idea of any direct link between Gen. 1-11 and Enuma Elish, and nothing else better can be found between Gen. 1-11 and any other Mesopotamian fragments."

[b]Richard Hess (is an American Old Testament scholar)

"In the study of material on Genesis 1-3, consideration should be given to G. F. Hasel's essays on the methodology and problems of applying the comparative approach to the first chapter of Genesis. In few other passages of the Bible have so many facile comparisons been made with ancient Near Eastern myths and so many far-reaching conclusions posited. Hasel provides observations on fundamental distinctions in the creation accounts, with a strong focus on an antimythological apologetic for Genesis." [ISI, "One Hundred Fifty Years of Comparative Studies on Genesis 1-11", p.19f]


G. Herbert Livingston

"As a literary production, Genesis 2 and 3 have no parallel in ancient Near Eastern literature. The Epic of Adapa, often presented as a parallel, is not really so, either in literary structure, in moral emphasis, or in theological content." [PCE, p. 143]

Ake W. Sjoberg (and W.G. Lambert, as referenced)

"As Gosta will see, I have in some cases parted from the 'Uppsala School' where, we have to admit, a strong stress was placed upon Mesopotamian influences on Old Testament concepts. I will begin with the Babylonian epic of creation, Enuma Elis, and agree with Professor W.G. Lambert that there was hardly any influence from that Babylonian text on the Old Testament creation accounts." ["Eve and the Chameleon", in In the Shelter of Elyon (Barrick and Spencer, eds), p217]

Sources:

http://christianthinktank.com/gilgymess.html (really good website )

Wikipedia ( only for info on some scholars)

No big deal if genesis is similar to mesopotamian literature. The bible makes it clear that Abraham(the father of faith) was originally from the Land of Ur in mesopotamia. So if the mesopotamian have similar stories, it only goes to corroborate the authenticity of the Genesis account.

Annunaki:
No big deal if genesis is similar to mesopotamian literature. The bible makes it clear that Abraham(the father of faith) was originally from the Land of Ur in mesopotamia. So if the mesopotamian have similar stories, it only goes to corroborate the authenticity of the Genesis account.

I agree, some people just don't realize that similar stories have nothing on the bible.

One example is the flood stories around the world , 1st time I heard about it, I believed it actually supported the bible.

But as usual bible haters think similarities means copy or one of the same.

Annunaki:
No big deal if genesis is similar to mesopotamian literature. The bible makes it clear that Abraham(the father of faith) was originally from the Land of Ur in mesopotamia. So if the mesopotamian have similar stories, it only goes to corroborate the authenticity of the Genesis account.

Interesting pov.

so where is the Mesopotemian Gilgamesh now? The Bible is still waxing strong, with all the attempts to still its spread. I really don't care if the Gilgamesh is even in existence and half of the world believes in it. Islam is here, as ridiculously as the koran's claims is, it is still growing. That hasn't changed anything in the Bible.
l keep saying this. these are deities, let us their followers drop everything material like knives, guns and bombs. let's meet in the spiritual realm, there, we will know. spirit talk to spirit. let's see.

analice107:
so where is the Mesopotemian Gilgamesh now? The Bible is still waxing strong, with all the attempts to still its spread. I really don't care if the Gilgamesh is even in existence and half of the world believes in it. Islam is here, as ridiculously as the koran's claims is, it is still growing. That hasn't changed anything in the Bible.
l keep saying this. these are deities, let us their followers drop everything material like knives, guns and bombs. let's meet in the spiritual realm, there, we will know. spirit talk to spirit. let's see.

The bible is fading in much developed countries. The areas filled with poverty, lack of proper education and exposure are the ones caressing the bible.

The Bible is a fabrication of ancient scrolls.

hmmmm, Ifeness.

If believing that makes u sleep well at not night, then why not, go for it.

And upon this rock I shall build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against'
if you are as smart as you let urself feel, you shd have known what that statement means.
no one can fight to kill the Bible like the Catholic Religion did. Did they prevail? No. Christ will return and meet his Church with the Bible still waxing strong.

analice107:
hmmmm, Ifeness.

If believing that makes u sleep well at not night, then why not, go for it.

And upon this rock I shall build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against'
if you are as smart as you let urself feel, you shd have known what that statement means.
no one can fight to kill the Bible like the Catholic Religion did. Did they prevail? No. Christ will return and meet his Church with the Bible still waxing strong.

Only one thing can make me sleep. A hot party with my girl and her friend.

I will gladly give you every penny in my account the day your Jesus comes back.

ifenes:


Only one thing can make me sleep. A hot party with my girl and her friend.

I will gladly give you every penny in my account the day your Jesus comes back.

And you think He is coming for you right?
Will He take you along? No!

He is not coming to promise you paradise but to punish you in hell.


YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO LIVE, BUT YOU CAN'T CHOOSE NOT TO DIE.

Hell is the best expression of death.
It's not a threat but a warning.

HCpaul:


And you think He is coming for you right?
Will He take you along? No!

He is not coming to promise you paradise but to punish you in hell.


YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO LIVE, BUT YOU CAN'T CHOOSE NOT TO DIE.

Hell is the best expression of death.
It's not a threat but a warning.

How old are you HCpaul? It's shocking you truly believe Jesus will come to take Christians to paradise.

ifenes:


How old are you HCpaul? It's shocking you truly believe Jesus will come to take Christians to paradise.

My age has nothing to do with the coming of the bride.

If age is the answer, then the glory belong to the aged.
Age is not a logo of the saint, and not a symbol of the elect.

On the day Jesus will come to harvest the earth, the question will not be who is old and who is young, who is a christian or who is an atheist, but who is a doer of the word of God.


I have value for life, so that is why i hold unto the idea of eternal life.

You can focus on knowledge, science and technologies but mind you, it is the living that invents and propose scientific advancement.

Jesus too came across atheist in his time and he overcame them.

Can you explain how he did that?

ifenes:


How old are you HCpaul? It's shocking you truly believe Jesus will come to take Christians to paradise.

My Bros one thing Christians don't get is there aren't the only ones who can scare people with hell and a rapture. The he'll in Islam is worse and hotter

HCpaul:


My age has nothing to do with the coming of the bride.

If age is the answer, then the glory belong to the aged.
Age is not a logo of the saint, and not a symbol of the elect.

On the day Jesus will come to harvest the earth, the question will not be who is old and who is young, who is a christian or who is an atheist, but who is a doer of the word of God.


I have value for life, so that is why i hold unto the idea of eternal life.

You can focus on knowledge, science and technologies but mind you, it is the living that invents and propose scientific advancement.

Jesus too came across atheist in his time and he overcame them.

Can you explain how he did that?

Be warned one day Peter Pan will come and harvest the earth

urahara:


My Bros one thing Christians don't get is there aren't the only ones who can scare people with hell and a rapture. The he'll in Islam is worse and hotter

so you get scared when Hell is being mention ? You get scarred because God's judgment is coming upon you.

HCpaul:


My age has nothing to do with the coming of the bride.

If age is the answer, then the glory belong to the aged.
Age is not a logo of the saint, and not a symbol of the elect.

With your age I will determine if it is a waste of time to reply you.

On the day Jesus will come to harvest the earth, the question will not be who is old and who is young, who is a christian or who is an atheist, but who is a doer of the word of God.

When did the pompous Jewish bastard become a farmer? Very interesting,so Jesus is coming for christians alone,those who have had their brains replaced with tomatoes.

I have value for life, so that is why i hold unto the idea of eternal life.

No it is simply fear. You fear the story of hell fire your parents told you when you were a baby

You can focus on knowledge, science and technologies but mind you, it is the living that invents and propose scientific advancement.

Mention on scientiic advancement that have been derived by reading the bible?

Jesus too came across atheist in his time and he overcame them.

Elaborate on this

Can you explain how he did that?

I will see if its worth explaining if you mention the atheist jesus overcame.

urahara:


My Bros one thing Christians don't get is there aren't the only ones who can scare people with hell and a rapture. The he'll in Islam is worse and hotter

Exactly!

malvisguy212:
so you get scared when Hell is being mention ? You get scarred because God's judgment is coming upon you.

I am not scared in a mythical land. I am trying to say that if you are trying to scare people to join your religion because of hell then you have to revise your tactics because other religions have hotter hells.

ifenes:


With your age I will determine if it is a waste of time to reply you.



When did the pompous Jewish bastard become a farmer? Very interesting,so Jesus is coming for christians alone,those who have had their brains replaced with tomatoes.




No it is simply fear. You fear the story of hell fire your parents told you when you were a baby


Mention on scientiic advancement that have been derived by reading the bible?


Elaborate on this


I will see if its worth explaining if you mention the atheist jesus overcame.

- Your father (the devil).
- The Pharisee
- The Scribes
- Thomas (Jesus disciple)
- The Saducees
- The Isrealites.
- The World
- You!

And many more...


My time is not yet come.

HCpaul:



- Your father (the devil).
- The Pharisee
- The Scribes
- Thomas (Jesus disciple)
- The Saducees
- The Isrealites.
- The World
- You!

And many more...


My time is not yet come.

Looks like the devil is doing a better job then

ifenes:

Looks like the devil is doing a better job then

Yes! At least by decieving you with false theory that their is no God.

We will meet on the Judgement throne.
Don't ask me why.... Because i said so.

analice107:
so where is the Mesopotemian Gilgamesh now? The Bible is still waxing strong, with all the attempts to still its spread. I really don't care if the Gilgamesh is even in existence and half of the world believes in it. Islam is here, as ridiculously as the koran's claims is, it is still growing. us their followers drop everything material like knives, guns and bombs.

what could be more ridiculous than a book which was alledgelly inspired by God Almighty, yet it says the earth is flat, rabbit is ruminant, insect has four legs, etc something that an infant should know, your god doesnt, how pathetic! well, atleast you couldnt deny the fact that islam is growing, infact fast! christianity is a forgotten thing! the founders had long left it since they saw the irrationality in it, it is in subsahara africa that people still take xtianity serious, just for one reason, sorcery! in the name of "miracle".