28 January 2025
The first chapter covers cosmology. Walton lays out the literature that seem to address this topic. The material is divided into subheadings of Mesopotamian and Egyptian, and then the whole thing is discussed, but again dividing between Mesopotamian and Egyptian outlook. Walton reminds us that there is nothing resembling a systematic theology of any kind. Heiser explained in several different places that most of the relevant literature is more about propaganda, making boasts on behalf of various deities. Thus, it's not about cosmology, per se, but about the gods.
You can find in the book a far more detailed reference to the source documents and which edition and translation was used for this survey, but most readers would hardly have use for that. I'll list the common names of the documents
Mesopotamian Materials
Eridu Genesis -- roughly 1600 BC: There are gaps in the copies available, but it covers the civilizing of humans, they become too "noisy" and are destroyed in flood. One king is forewarned and survives in some kind of boat.
Atraá¸Ğasis -- 1600 BC: Lesser deities tire of work and rebel, creating humans to do their work for them. They propagate too quickly and population is trimmed by a series of natural disasters. Then a flood is used, and the main character is warned. He builds a boat and saves some fauna. Details are obscured because the document has gaps in it.
Enuma Elish -- varied editions found, roughly around 1100 BC and after. This is much more complete with multiple tablets. Marduk ascends in the pantheon followed by some conflict between various deities. Marduk is challenged for supremacy and eventually wins. The cosmos is produced from the corpse of his opponent. Humans are then produced from the corpse of another vanquished deity in order to relieve the deities of their work. The extant document closes with the declaration of fifty names for Marduk.
The Gilgamesh Epic -- This tale is by far the most complete, and dating it is very difficult because the story was developed over many centuries. The earliest are from Sumer found in Old Babylon 2000-1600 BC. There are claims some version of it is referenced in the Ebla Tablets making it as early as 2600 BC. Our best copy is Akkadian, collating four different epic tales about Gilgamesh, consisting of twelve tablets. It's not really a cosmology, but includes comments that mention creation, etc. It's too much to summarize the contents here; you'll have to look it up online.
Egyptian Materials
Memphite Theology -- 700 BC., possibly as early as the time of Ramses II. Ptah is the god of Memphis, Atum is credited with creation, but the two collaborated in a highly symbolic account.
Creation accounts are embedded in other documents: Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts and Book of the Dead. Walton doesn't summarize them because of complex symbolism. A rough outline lists 8 deities organized as four couples. There's a primeval egg and creation is divided into several steps. There are various versions of these accounts.
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Walton warns us again that there is nothing in the Mesopotamian literature that we would call a genuine creation account in any of this. Rather, it's all entwined in accounts of the creation of the various deities. It's all a very minor part of the documents. Creation is more accidental than planned. He uses a couple of fancy terms: "cosmogony" (creation of the cosmos) and "theogony" (creation of deities) to emphasize this as distinct from the biblical accounts. Rather, it's more about the organization of the cosmos. He doesn't mention this, but we know from Jeff Benner's work that the Hebrew words translated in Genesis as "created" (bereshit) is actually filling and organizing. Indeed, Walton seems unaware of that.
Walton then offers a summary of what he makes of the various stages of creation from the Mesopotamian sources. Sumerians believed most of it was spontaneous, but the records are scant. Akkadians had four basic competing narratives. He tries to offer comparisons and parallels with the biblical text, and his biases show up here. The most significant issue is the purpose of humanity. In this he lacks even a hint of the Unseen Realm thesis. However, he notes that the Mesopotamian myths seem to agree humans exist only to serve the deities by working to make offerings -- the gods needed people.
He then compares the various flood narratives with Noah's. Noteworthy of certain common elements.
We continue on this chapter in the next episode...
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