The Bible was Written Backwards
The authors and composers of the biblical texts did not live in isolation from the literary world of their day. They knew and built on a wide range of texts, traditions, legends, and stories.
Topics
Discover different ways in which Ancient cultures influenced the writing of the Bible. Each topic includes a page with a video and resources.
Genesis 1 and the Enuma Elish
Does the Genesis Creation Account reuse themes from a Babylonian Creation Myth?
From Dust (and Rib) you have come!
The Bible isn't the first text to depict humans as coming from dust, and Eve isn't the first Lady of the Rib!
Snakes in the Garden and the Tree of Life
The Garden of Eden reflects earlier traditions of the Garden of the Gods. And guess what? A snake steals the tree of life!
In the Beginning was the Word?
Does the Genesis Creation Account reuse themes from a Babylonian Creation Myth?
A Deluge of Flood Stories
The Story of Noah's ark is just one of many related flood stories from the Ancient Near East.
Biblical Law and the Ancient Near East
The Hebrew Bible has several law codes that all relate to each other and to other Ancient Near Eastern laws and traditions.
The History of Israel was Written Backwards!
The account of the history of Israel in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings is written looking backwards from after the fall of Judah
Kings and Patriarchs Before the Flood
The Genealogies of the descendants of Adam and Eve's found in Genesis 4 and 5 have some interesting parallels - with each other and with ancient Sumerian texts!
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