What are the different stories in the Bible about the creation of the world?

Answer 1

• The first biblical creation story

The first biblical creation story, in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, is believed to have been written by the anonymous source now known as the Priestly Source. All of creation takes exactly six days. Light [day] was created on day 1; then the firmament, which was believed to separate the waters of the heavens from the lower waters; then by gathering the lower waters in one place the land appeared. Grasses and trees were created; sun; moon and stars - the lights in the firmament; fish, land creatures and fowl; finally man, both male and female. Of importance here is that both man and woman were said to have been created after all the other creation.

• The second biblical creation story

The second biblical creation story, in Genesis 2:4b-20, is believed to have been written by the Yahwist, or 'J' Source. This story differs in content from the first, but also in tone, mood and orientation. Here man is created first, and only Eve is created after all other living things.

• The third biblical creation story

This consists of fragments of a more primitive creation story, found in the Book of Psalms and the Book of Job. Although the third creation story is fragmented, there is enough detail remaining, to see that it is very similar to some early Mesopotamian creation stories, and scholars can thus recognise what the story would once have dealt with.

By Job 38, God and Satan have failed in their attempts to defeat Job, and God angrily tells Job what he had accomplished and asks Job where he was when God did all this. In other words, by what right does Job place himself equal to God. In the beginning, God:

• • laid the foundations of the earth;
  • shut up the seas and said come no farther;
  • commanded the morning and caused the dawn to know its place;
  • caused it to rain;
  • created the rivers, thunder and lightning;
  • provided the raven his food;
  • created all the beasts and gave the horse its strength;
  • taught the hawk to fly;
  • made both man and behemoth;
  • defeated the leviathan , a many-headed chaos monster of creation.
• A fourth biblical creation story

Some scholars see a further creation story in Genesis chapter 5, which appears to be a summary of the second story, but differs from it in key aspects.