Introduction to Pentateuch

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to Pentateuch. Evidence that the two narratives were written by the same person. The majority use conflict as evidence that Gen 1 and Gen 2 were written by distinct persons, in line with the JEDP theory. In response, it should be emphasised that both Gen1 and Gen2 may have originated as oral narratives that were later written down, however this is absolutely conceivable, though not very likely.

Whatever their initial sources, we shall show that one author is accountable for both written accounts, proving that any inconsistency would have been deliberate and not problematic for inerrantists.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this lecture, the students should be able to

INTRODUCTION

Two separate creation tales are told at the beginning of the Bible. The creation of people, animals, and plants is described in both stories, which makes them comparable. But they differ in a number of ways, and to some, it appears as though they disagree on important points.

For instance, although describing some of the same events, the stories present them in a different sequence. In Genesis 1, God first creates vegetation, then animals, and then man and woman at the same time. In Genesis 2, God first makes plants, then animals, and then he separates people into males and females.

The deity is also referred to by different names in the two tales. In the first story, the name Elohim, which is Hebrew for “God,” is used; in the second, YHWH (commonly referred to as “Lord”) is.

The literary styles of the stories are also highly dissimilar. In the first narrative, there are three days of planning and then three days of real formation. The formulaic phrase “and there was X” always ends the day. The seventh day marks the completion of creation, at which point God rests.

This symmetrical pattern implies a symmetrical cosmos. The concentration and organisation of the first creation narrative are absent from the second story, which runs from the second part of Genesis 2:4 until the conclusion of chapter 3. It is far less formulaic and instead tells a dramatic story in a sequence of seven scenes.

CERTIFICATION

At the end of this course (Introduction to Pentateuch), the student will be entitled to a certification issued from Anchor University, Lagos.

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