In the Beginning...

We're reading Genesis for class now - part of an exploration into creation myths.

Gosh I sure enjoy reading Genesis, particularly in conjunction with the first part of Ovid. I've been assigned the combination of readings before but no amount of familiarity can eliminate the magic.

You see, Ovid's version of the creation story is seriously epic. For starters, there are the Greek/Roman gods. I just can't get enough of them! I mean, the story starts out all calm and serene, with a single unidentified Being organizing the Chaos that was into the world that is. It's really quite tidy. Humans are formed of the "divine substance" and all life forms exist in harmony for awhile. Then, guess what? They get a little rowdy. I so enjoy Ovid's description of the horrific evils which ensue:

Now men demand that the rich earth provide

more than the crops and sustenance it owes,

and piercing to the bowels of the earth,

the wealth long hidden in Stygian gloom

is excavated and induces evil;

for iron, which is harmful, and the more

pernicious gold (now first produced) create

grim warfare, which has need of both; now arms

are grasped in bloodstained hands; men live off plunder,

and guest has no protection from his host,

nor father-in-law from his daughter's husband,

and kindness between brothers is infrequent;

husband and wife both wish each other dead,

and wicked stepmothers concoct bilious

poisons that turn their youthful victims pale;

a son goes to a soothsayer to learn

the date when he will change from heir to owner,

and piety lies vanquished here below.

Oh those pesky wicked stepmothers, right? ;)

Well, the gods are less than pleased. And there's a Great Flood (sound familiar?) followed by a second creation. These humans spring from rocks tossed upon the earth. No longer divine, but sadly ordinary.

And that is when the story starts getting really interesting. The gods are now specifically named, take on their delightfully outlandish personalities, and frolic about the heavens and the earth. The "fall" and rebirth of humankind is the opening act for a wealth of fascinating stories. The world of "ordinary" humans is no longer quite so harmonious nor autonomous and now becomes a veritable playground for the gods, a place for them to meddle as they wish.

But what of Genesis? Oh goodness, we all know that story... right?

I always tend to think of Genesis as the Genesis, the creation story. That bit where God makes a lot of good things and ultimately forms Eve from the rib of Adam. But it's actually two stories in one. A sort of macro, then micro view of things.

Genesis 1 is strikingly similar to the first part of Ovid's tale. An all-powerful and fairly impersonal God is shown methodically creating all things. All things are Good, but nothing especially stands out.

(Notice that in this chapter God makes all animals first and then man and woman occur simultaneously.)

Genesis 2 is where the fun begins. It starts out with a new description of the creation of man. Now far more personal, God is referred to as the Lord God and painstakingly attends to Adam's every need. Animals are here created to be company for Adam, and Eve comes along later for the very same reason. Ultimately, the humans slip up and their harmonious existence in Eden comes to a rapid halt. Ordinary life ensues. Eventually there is a Great Flood. Ordinary life continues, resplendent with some epic stories of God's involvement in the human realm.

Both the ancient mythologies and more recent Christian tradition follow a similar path. Stuff gets created in a distant sort of way, we receive an explanation for our sometimes wicked behavior, and life as we know it springs into existence.

But what does it say about humankind as a whole that at least two long-lasting traditions feature a double creation story, a sort of general overview prior to the main event? I am curious as to why the tone and character of the deity responsible for creation morphs into a more anthropomorphic being as the story goes on. Why not just start out with the more personable god?

The contrast between the awesome wonder of creation as a whole followed by the up close and detailed account of our own beginnings is fantastic. I like to think it emphasizes our own eternal struggle. Look at us. So insignificant on the grander scheme of things, and yet the absolute center of our own universe.