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The Challenge: Is Genesis History or Myth?
Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This single verse opens the biblical narrative by asserting that God, not chance, not chaos, nor any pantheon of warring deities, is the singular Creator of everything that exists. This opening statement stands in stark contrast to the polytheistic mythologies of the ancient Near East. Yet over the past two centuries, the Genesis creation account has been relentlessly attacked by skeptical scholarship and naturalistic science, with many alleging that it is no different from the creation myths of surrounding pagan cultures such as the Enuma Elish. Critics charge that Moses, or whomever they suppose composed the Pentateuch, simply borrowed from Mesopotamian traditions and recast them in monotheistic terms.
Such views are not merely academic. If the Genesis creation account is no more than an ancient myth, the implications are devastating. The theological structure of the Bible rests squarely on the foundation of Genesis 1–11. If this foundation is mythical or unreliable, then the authority, truth, and historicity of the rest of Scripture is undermined. It is essential to determine whether the creation narrative in Genesis is historical revelation or merely an ancient fable disguised as theology.
What Is a Myth, and Does Genesis Fit That Definition?
A myth, as classically defined, is a traditional story involving gods or supernatural beings intended to explain the origin of the universe, life, and human behavior. Myths are typically fanciful, filled with divine conflict, violence, magical transformations, and personifications of natural forces. Most ancient cultures in the Near East had such stories—the Egyptians, Babylonians, Canaanites, and Sumerians. These texts often include bizarre plotlines, morally flawed deities, and anthropomorphic projections of human traits onto divine beings.
By contrast, Genesis 1–2 exhibits none of the hallmarks of mythological literature:
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The language is straightforward, structured, and solemn—not poetic or symbolic.
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There is no conflict among gods. In fact, there is no pantheon—only one sovereign God who speaks creation into existence by divine fiat.
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The text reflects order, intention, and design, not chaos or divine warfare.
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Creation unfolds in a sequence with precise declarations, evaluations (“God saw that it was good”), and boundaries (days).
Genesis does not seek to explain origins through symbolic drama. It records creation as an orderly, progressive, and real-time event initiated and completed by the eternal God.
Comparing Genesis to Ancient Creation Stories
Critics often draw comparisons between Genesis and the Babylonian Enuma Elish, alleging literary dependence or adaptation. A careful comparison, however, reveals profound differences that far outweigh superficial similarities.
1. The Nature of God(s):
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Enuma Elish begins with multiple deities in a chaotic primordial state. The gods are petty, violent, and immoral. Marduk gains supremacy by defeating the goddess Tiamat and using her body to create the cosmos.
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Genesis begins with one eternal God, who is holy, all-powerful, transcendent, and orderly. There is no struggle, no resistance—only command and creation: “Let there be…” and there was.
2. The Means of Creation:
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Enuma Elish: The world is formed through violence and dismemberment—Tiamat is slain and her carcass split in half to create the sky and earth.
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Genesis: Creation results from divine speech, not violence. God’s Word is sufficient to bring everything into existence (Psalm 33:6, 9).
3. The Purpose of Humanity:
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Enuma Elish: Man is created from the blood of a rebel god (Kingu), for the purpose of serving the gods and relieving them of their burdens.
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Genesis: Man is created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27), with dignity and purpose, to steward the earth and fellowship with his Creator.
4. Cosmological Structure:
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While both accounts mention firmaments, waters, dry land, celestial bodies, and mankind, these common elements reflect shared human observation, not literary borrowing.
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Shared features (e.g., sequence of dry land before vegetation, luminaries after firmament) do not prove copying. Rather, they support the reality that these are actual cosmological events that other cultures distorted.
5. Literary Dependence:
There is no evidence that Genesis 1 borrowed from Enuma Elish or any other pagan source. The Genesis account is written in Hebrew, with its own unique structure and vocabulary. Furthermore, Genesis contains internal markers of historical narrative—not myth (e.g., repeated use of “and God said… and it was so… and it was good… and there was evening and morning”).
Old Testament archaeologist Alfred J. Hoerth rightly concludes:
“Archaeologists cannot excavate remains of creation, but from texts like these [Enuma Elish], they know what other ancient cultures had to say about first things. Archaeology does not show that… the biblical account… owes anything to other ancient cultures or their myths. The complete Enuma Elish reveals many dissimilarities with Genesis. The omnipotent God in Genesis is very unlike the frightened, feuding, and foul gods of the epic.”
Genesis does not borrow from pagan stories. If anything, pagan myths are corrupted memories of the true creation events, distorted by oral tradition over time. Genesis stands as the divine correction to these false narratives.
Jesus and the Biblical Writers on Genesis 1
The New Testament writers and Jesus Christ Himself consistently treat the Genesis creation account as literal history, not figurative myth:
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Jesus affirmed the creation of male and female by God: “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” (Mark 10:6).
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Paul grounded his theology in the historical Adam and Eve, creation, and fall (Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45).
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Hebrews 11:3 states: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God…”
Nowhere in Scripture is Genesis 1–2 treated as allegory, metaphor, or myth. Rather, it is consistently referenced as foundational, historical, and revelatory. Denying the literal creation account unravels the entire biblical worldview: sin, death, redemption, marriage, and final restoration all depend on it.
Genesis Is Not a Science Textbook, But It Is Historically Accurate
The Genesis creation account is not written in the technical language of modern science—but that does not mean it is inaccurate. It is written for all peoples, in all generations, using phenomenological language (language describing what is seen) that conveys truth without delving into microphysics or quantum mechanics.
If God had revealed the mechanics of creation in scientific terms comprehensible only to modern readers, the text would have been unintelligible to its original audience and useless for millennia. Instead, God chose to give a clear, truthful, and universally understandable account of the origin of the universe, life, and humanity.
The brevity of the creation account does not negate its truthfulness. The Bible does not need to provide exhaustive detail on every subject it addresses in order to be accurate and sufficient.
The Uniqueness and Lucidity of Genesis
Viewed in isolation, Genesis might appear similar to other ancient stories. But when examined carefully, it is categorically different:
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It presents God as transcendent and personal, not a product of the universe.
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It introduces a linear timeline, not cyclical mythological time.
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It presents a moral universe, governed by a holy Creator.
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It establishes human accountability, dignity, and purpose.
Genesis gives the only rational, consistent, and coherent worldview for the origin of all things. It provides a framework for morality, responsibility, marriage, work, and the meaning of life. No pagan myth can match its clarity, structure, or theological depth.
Conclusion: Genesis 1–2 Is Historical, Not Mythical
The creation account in Genesis 1:1–2:4 is not a myth, legend, or theological allegory. It is a revelatory record of what actually took place “in the beginning.” While other cultures preserved corrupted memories of creation, only the Genesis account provides the true, divinely inspired record. Its clarity, moral coherence, theological profundity, and narrative order demonstrate that it stands in stark contrast to mythological systems like the Enuma Elish.
The assertion that Genesis is myth is a failure to respect the text on its own terms. It is not an inferior imitation of pagan literature but God’s true Word to humanity regarding its origin. The Bible presents Genesis 1–2 as literal history, the foundation for all theology, and the starting point for God’s redemptive plan. Those who discard it as myth do so at the cost of undermining the entire structure of biblical truth.
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About the Author
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
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LinkedIn Cut off my response to you. Here is An old Irish example of creation In principio fecit Deus Cawlum et Terram, i.e., God made Heaven and Earth at the first, [and He Himself hath no beginning nor ending].
2.He made first the formless mass, and the light of angels, [on the first Sunday]. He made firmament [on the Monday]. He made earth and seas [on the Tuesday]. He made sun and moon and the stars of Heaven [on the Wednesday]. He made birds [of the air] and reptiles [of the sea on the Thursday]. He made beasts [of the earth] in general, and Adam to rule over them, [on the Friday]. Thereafter God rested [on the Saturday] from the accomplishment of a new Creation, [but by no means from its governance].
3.[Thereafter] He gave the bailiffry of Heaven to Lucifer, with the nine orders of the Angels of Heaven. He gave the bailiffry of Earth to Adam [and to Eve, with her progeny]. [Thereafter] Lucifer sinned, so that he was leader of a third of the host of angels. The King confined him with a third of the host of angels in his company, in Hell. And God said unto the Foe of Heaven: [Haughty is this Lucifer], unite et confundamus consilium eius.
4.Thereafter Lucifer had envy against Adam, for he was assured that this would be given him [Adam], the filling of Heaven in his [Lucifer’s] room. Wherefore he [Iofer Niger] came in the form of the serpent, and persuaded [Adam and] Eve to sin, in the matter of eating of the apple from the forbidden tree. Wherefore Adam was expelled from Paradise into common earth.
5.Thereafter the Lord came to them, and He said unto Adam, Terra es et in terram ibis [i.e., of earth was he made and into earth shall he go]. In sudore uultus fui comedes panem tuum [i.e., he shall not obtain satisfaction without labor]. He said further unto the woman: Cum dolore et gemitu paries filios tuos et filias tuas [i.e., it shall be with … insufferable pain that thou shalt bring forth thy sons].
6.The progeny of Adam sinned [thereafter], namely the elder of the sons of Adam, Cain the accursed, who slew his brother Abel … [through his jealousy?] and through his greed, with the bone of a camel, as learned men say. [In this manner?] began the kin-murders of the world.
7.As for Seth, one of the three sons of Adam [who had progeny], of him are the men of the whole world.
Noe s. Lamech s. Mathusalem s. Enoch s. Iared s.
Malalahel s. Cainan s. Enos s. Seth s. Adam
For it is Noe who is the second Adam, to whom the men of all the world are traced. For the Flood drowned the whole seed of Adam, except Noe with his three sons, Sem, Ham, Iafeth, and their four wives Coba, Olla, Oliva, Olivana.
Afterwards, when God brought a Flood over the whole world, none of the people of the world escaped from the Flood except it be the people of that ark – Noe with his three sons, and the wife of Noe, the wives of his sons.
Ut dixit poeta,
A host that a wintry death would not subdue
Noe, there was no hero’s weakness,
A story with horror has been made clear with
keenness
Sem, Ham, and Iafeth.
Women without evil colour, great excellences,
above the Flood without extinctions,
Coba, vigorous was the white swan,
Olla, Oliva, Olivana.
8.Now Sem settled in Asia, Ham in Africa, Iafeth in Europe –
Sem settled in pleasant Asia;
Ham with his progeny in Africa noble Iafeth and his
sons, it is they who settled in Europe.
Sem had thirty sons, including Arfaxad, Assur, and Persius. Ham had thirty sons, including Chus and Chanaan. Iafeth had fifteen including Dannai, Gregus, Hispanius, Gomer. Or it is twenty-seven sons that Sem had.
Thirty sleek sons, a brilliant fact,
they sprang from Ham, son of Noe
twenty-seven who are from Sem,
and fifteen from Iafeth.
9.[With regard to] Iafeth [son of Noe], of him is the northern side of Asia – namely Asia Minor, Armenia, Media, the People of Scythia; and of him are the inhabitants of all Europe.
Grecus s. Iafeth, of him is Grecia Magna, Grecia Parva and
Alexandian Greece. Espanus s. Iafeth from whom are the Hispani.
Gomer son of Iafeth had two sons, Emoth and Ibath. Emoth, of
him is the northern people of the world. Ibath had two sons,
Bodb and Baath. Bodb, who had a son Dohe.
Elinus son of Dohe had three sons, Airmen, Negua, Isacon. As for Airmen, he had five sons, Gutus, Cebidus, Uiligothus, Burgundus, Longbardus. Negua had three sons, Saxus, Boarus, Uandalus. Isacon, moreover, one of the three sons of Elenus, he had four sons, Romanus, Francus, Britus, Albanus.
This is that Albanus who first took Albania, with his children, and of him is Alba named: so he drove his brother across the Sea of Icht, and from him are the Albanians of Latium of Italy.
10.Magog, son of Iafeth, of his progeny are the peoples who came to Ireland before the Gaedil: to wit Partholan s. Sera s. Sru s. Esru s. Bimbend (sic) s. Magog s. Iafeth; and Nemed s. Agnomain s. Pamp s. Tat s. Sera s. Sru; and the progeny of Nemed, the Gaileoin, Fir Domnann, Fir Bolg and Tuatha De Danann. As the poet said,
Magog son if Iafeth there is cerainty of his progeny; of them
was Parthalon of Banba -decorous was his achievement.
Of them was noble Nemed son of Agnomain, unique; of them
were Gand and Genand, Sengand, free Slaine.
The numerous progeny of Elada, of them was Bres, no untruth:
son of Elada expert in arms, son of Delbaeth son of Net.
S. Inda, s. Allda -Allda who was s. Tat, s. Tabarn s. Enda, s.
Baath, [son of] pleasant Ibath.
S. Bethach s. Iardan s. Nemed grandson of Paimp: Pamp s. Tat
s. Sera s. Sru s. white Braiment.
Of Braiment s. Aithecht, s. Magog, great in reknown: there
happened in their time a joint appearance against a Plain.
11.Baath, [one of the two sons of Ibath] s. Gomer s. Iafeth, of him are the Gaedil and the people of Scythia. He had a son, the noble eminent man whose name was Feinus Farsaid. [It is he who was one of the seventy-two chieftains who went for the building of Nemrod’s Tower, whence the languages were dispersed.]
Howbeit, Nemrod himself was son of Cush s. Ham s. Noe. This is that Feinius aforesaid who brought the People’s Speech from the Tower: and it is he who had the great school, learning the multiplicity of languages.
12.Now Feinius had two sons: Nenual, [one of the two] whom he left in the princedom of Scythia behind him; Nel, the other son, at the Tower was he born. Now he was a master of all the languages; wherefore one came [to summon him] from pharao, in order to learn the multiplicity of languages from him. But Feinius came out of Asia to Scythia, whence he had gone for the building of the Tower; so that he died in the princedom of Scythia, at the end of forty years, and passed on the chieftainship to his son, Nenual.
13.At the end of forty two years after the building of the Tower, Ninus son of Belus took the kingship of the world. For no other attempted to exercise authority over the peoples or to bring the multitude of nations under one had, and under tax and tribute, but he alone. Aforetime there had been chieftains; he who was noblest and most in favour in the community, he it was who was chief counsellor for every man: who should avert all injustice and further all justice. No attempt was made to invade or to dominate other nations.
14.Now that is the time when Gaedel Glas, [from whom are the Gaedil] was born, of Scota d. Pharao. From her are the Scots named, ut dictum est
Feni are named from Feinius a meaning without secretiveness:
Gaedil from comely Gaedel Glas, Scots from Scota.
15.It is Gaedel Glas who fashioned the Gaelic language out of the seventy- two languages: there are their names, Bithynian, Scythian, etc. Under poeta cecinit
The languages of the world, see for yourselves Bithynia,
Scythia, Cilicia, Hyreania, Gothia, Graecia, Germania, Gallia with
horror, Pentapolis, Phrygia, Palmatia, Dardania.
Pamphylia, Mauretania, populous Lycaonia, Bacctria, Creta,
Corsica, Cypros Thessalia, Cappadocia, noble Armenia, Raetia,
Sicilia, Saracen-land, Sardinia.
Belgia, Boeotia, Brittania, tuneful Rhodos, Hispania, Roma,
Rhegini, Phoenicia, India, golden Arabia, Mygdonia, Mazaca,
Macedonia.
Parthia, Caria, Syria, Saxones, Athenae, Achaia, Albania,
Hebraei, Arcadia, clear Galatia, Troas, Thessalia, Cyclades.
Moesia, Media, Persida, Franci, Cyrene, Lacedaemonia,
Langobardi, Thracia, Numidia, Hellas (?) – hear it! Lofty Italia,
Ethipia, Egypt.
That is the tally of languages without tarnish out of which
Gaedel cut Gaedelic: known to me is their roll of
understanding, the groups, the manifold languages.
May I suggest a copy of Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth,