Exploring Genesis: The Bible’s Ancient Traditions in Context
Answer Biblical archaeology’s earliest questions.
Exploring Genesis: The Bible’s Ancient Traditions in Context
In this FREE eBook, discover the cultural contexts for many of Israel’s earliest traditions. Explore Mesopotamian creation myths, Joseph’s relationship with Egyptian temple practices and three different takes on the location of Ur of the Chaldees, the birthplace of Abraham.
The esoteric stories and lost landscapes in the Book of Genesis present a great challenge for historians. Biblical scholars and archaeologists have nonetheless been able to provide cultural contexts for many of Israel’s earliest traditions. Learn about early Biblical figures, cities and environments in this FREE eBook.
The Creation story from Genesis explains how the world was formed and how humankind was created. Was this story heavily influenced by an ancient Babylonian Creation myth called Enuma Eliš? In “The Genesis of Genesis,” Victor Hurowitz explores this question. A text which describes the divine activities of the gods and the creation of man, Enuma Eliš includes many of the motifs found in the Biblical Creation story. To what extent is there a relationship between these two texts? In this comparative study, Hurowitz examines the similarities and differences between the Babylonian myth and the Biblical story and sets them in the historical context of the ancient Near East.
The story of Joseph in Genesis is well known. Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph ended up in a prison in Egypt and there became known for his ability to interpret dreams. Summoned from the dungeon to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph shaved before approaching the ruler of Egypt. Most people in ancient Mesopotamia did not shave. Why, and what, did Joseph shave? In “Why Did Joseph Shave?” Lisbeth S. Fried examines Egyptian ideas of cleanliness and purity. These ideas may explain why Joseph had to appear hairless—and circumcised—before entering Pharaoh’s palace.
In the story of Abraham, we learn how one man was called by God to become the founding father of the Israelites in the land of Canaan. In Genesis, Abraham was said to have been born in Ur of the Chaldees. However, there were many places named Ur in antiquity. Where was Abraham’s Ur? Sir Leonard Woolley claimed to have found it at Tell el-Muqayyar, now called Ur, in southern Iraq. There, the British archaeologist unearthed evidence of royal burials, a ziggurat, several temples and hundreds of golden baubles, weapons and vessels. Did Woolley actually locate the patriarch’s native land, or was the famed excavator too eager to match the Biblical account with his archaeological site? In “Abraham’s Ur: Did Woolley Excavate the Wrong Place?” Molly Dewsnap Meinhardt describes Woolley’s excavations at Ur and the intrigue incited by his identification of Abraham’s birthplace.
Since Sir Leonard Woolley’s excavation of Ur in Iraq in the 1920s and 30s, his identification of the site as the birthplace of Abraham became one of the most popular theories for where the patriarch’s native land is located. The identification of Abraham’s birthplace received such widespread acceptance that Pope John Paul II planned to visit Iraq as part of his tour of Biblical sites to celebrate the new millennium. However, a careful reading of Biblical and ancient texts indicates that this Ur might not be the patriarch’s hometown after all. In “Abraham’s Ur: Is the Pope Going to the Wrong Place?” Hershel Shanks explores another popular theory for where Abraham was born: in Turkey.
Hershel Shanks’s review of the case for a northern Mesopotamian site as the home of the Biblical patriarch reopened the debate in the pages of Biblical Archaeology Review. In “Where Was Abraham’s Ur? The Case for the Babylonian City,” Alan R. Millard lists the many strengths of the traditional southern Babylonian location.
The articles in this eBook are a preview of the many Biblical stories and histories covered in Biblical Archaeology Review, Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey.
Recent Blog Posts
The Nun of the Rings
Deborah in the Bible
Want more Bible history?
Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update.
Unlock Unlimited Access to the Bible's Past
Unlock Unlimited Access to the Bible's Past
Become an All-Access Member to explore the Bible's rich history. Get Biblical Archaeology Review in print, full online access, and FREE online talks. Plus, enjoy special Travel/Study discounts. Don't miss out—begin your journey today!
That said, I disagree about the interpretation of the word “Ur”. If there’s more than one of such places, it may indeed represent some generic term for “town”, just as South Asia uses “pur”, even as Mogol India refers to “abad”.
Ur doesn’t have to be used biblically as “town”, since the term could have been incorporated as a foreign expression.
But Abraham is never depicted biblically as an Ur-dwelling urban citizen, rather as a full-fledged nomad of the open spaces. From the mentioned residences of some relatives, my feeling is that he would be considered in modern times as a wandering Kurd, and that his local hometown, if any, becomes therefore irrelevant.
When one starts separating Biblical truth from historical truth one starts undermining the divine inspiration of the Bible. That is to say in this context, if one believes God was the ultimate author of the Genesis account (see the biblical definition of inspiration, 2 Tim 3:16), then He didn’t mislead and misstate the historical truth. He doesn’t go to surrounding creation traditions and myths to fill-in His story. The Genesis account stands firmly alone: if anything, it influenced other cultures’ creation accounts. For sure it was a stalwart stand-alone contrast to man-made and error-laden, idol-generating origin accounts.
So if one does appeal to other cultures’ origin accounts influencing Genesis, the unstated axiom is the Bible is not truly inspired as the Bible defines inspiration, God is not the ultimate author, truth is relative. BAR is surely allowed to operate under this unstated axiom. Let us not berate them for it. Obviously many of their readers operate under these presuppositions. I believe it to be false and destructive to truth, but it is their prerogative. For the record, however, let it be known that the literal interpretation of most Old Testament texts still remains the champion of biblical archaeology discoveries and analysis. When in doubt or stumped unbelieving archaeologists turn to a literal interpretation of the Scriptures and this approach has the best record of solving problems and leading to new discoveries…despite what critics falsely claim. Remember, they are defending a worldview that attempts to rid them of guilt and subordination to God. It is coherent that they discount the Bible’s worldview. I probably would too in their shoes. Let’s love them; we’re all under grace. Love leads to grace, grace leads to guilt resolution and humility, which leads to a liberating acceptance of the Bible and its truth…and better living. Woe am I, the sinner, but God has mercy…made available for all.
I can’t find my book of Genesis I want to read it because my bible study is in Genesis.. So please help me find it. I’m not to good with my IPad so be patients with me. I love your magazine and look for it to come in.i get the paper because I can’t read on here to long because my sight is bad..But thank you for the free down loads
It is puzzling to hear someone suggest as above, “It is a matter for the science of archeology to sort out how much of the Biblical story and its transcendant Truth is historical-factual, and how much is not.” When did we become smarter than God? It becomes more puzzling still considering the fact that history has repeatedly demonstrated that archeologists who theorize that the Bible isn’t accurate in a certain point eventually end up being proven wrong. People did not believe King David existed. They believed the Bible was wrong because there was no evidence of David’s existence. Then the Tel Dan Stele was discovered proving otherwise. People thought the Bible was wrong about the Hittites. Oops. Turns out they existed after all. There are many such examples. Time and again people show their arrogance by telling the world that they have discovered that the Bible is wrong only to have God blow the sands and reveal once again that the Bible is true and historically accurate. With not a single piece of proof positive evidence, people believe blindly in evolution, yet when they are unable to find proof positive evidence of a tiny detail of the Bible, no matter the overwhelming proof that already exists, they are ready to throw out the whole Bible. Talk about double standards. It is hard to make people believe you are an honest broker if you subscribe to such philosophies. Mankind’s knowledge is so puny and limited, and yet we are arrogant enough to believe that we know more about what happened millennia ago than the people who saw it for themselves in context. In most circles, such a world view would be considered insanity, but for critics of the Bible, it seems okay. Perhaps it is because they live in a world of insanity. For those who feel so smart and powerful that they can prove God’s word wrong, perhaps they should consider the questions God asked Job when he felt a bit self-important: “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know” (Job 38:3-5)! The more digging we do, the more verification we find of the Biblical accounts that have been preserved unchanging for millennia. Yet scientists change their views seemingly with each new edition of a magazine or journal publication and repeatedly have their theories revised, because they found out that there was something they had not considered. Why then would we put our trust in the fickleness of ever changing theories and ideas of arrogant self-important scientists over that of the changeless God who got it right from the beginning?
Love reading all your comments. It leaves me with much food for thought and reinforces my belief in the Bible. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and theories…
We frequently read that the Bible, written by Moses 3,500 years ago, is partly influenced by foreign myths. Why do we not accept that foreign myths are adapted from the Biblical events and beliefs? The Israelites/Jews believed that eavery letter was holy and must be accurately written down. That left little room for errors. I believe that the Bible is accurate.
Mervyn Kersh
Have you read your own statement at the beginning of your article? You mention
“Abraham was said to have been born in Ur of the Chaldees, but there were many places named Ur in antiquity.”. If your statement is true about “many places named Ur”, although you do not provide details of “the other places named UR”, isn’t it clear that “of the chaldees” is a qualification of the exact location of the place UR? Ur was/is in southern Assyria (Iraq).
Abraham was the tenth generation from Noah through Shem and was born 352 years after the Deluge, in 2018 B.C.E. Although listed first among the three sons of Terah, at Genesis 11:26, Abraham was not the firstborn. The Scriptures show that Terah was 70 years old when his first son was born, and that Abraham was born 60 years later when his father Terah was 130 years old. (Ge 11:32; 12:4) Evidently Abraham is listed first among his father’s sons because of his outstanding faithfulness and prominence in the Scriptures, a practice that is followed in the case of several other outstanding men of faith such as Shem and Isaac.—Ge 5:32; 11:10; 1Ch 1:28.
Abraham was a native of the Chaldean city of Ur, a thriving metropolis located in the land of Shinar, near the present junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. It was about 240 km (150 mi) SE of Nimrod’s onetime royal city of Babel, or Babylon, so notorious for its unfinished Tower of Babel.
In Abraham’s time, the city of Ur was steeped in Babylonish idolatry and the worship of its patron moon-god Sin. (Jos 24:2, 14, 15) Nevertheless, Abraham proved to be a man of faith in Jehovah God, even as his forefathers Shem and Noah; and as a consequence, he earned the reputation “the father of all those having faith while in uncircumcision.” (Ro 4:11) Since true faith is based on accurate knowledge, Abraham may have received his understanding by personal association with Shem (their lives overlapped by 150 years). Abraham knew and used the name of Jehovah; to quote him: “Jehovah the Most High God, Producer of heaven and earth,” “Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth.”—Ge 14:22; 24:3.
Watchtower online library see Ur:
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200270144
Regarding the historical accuracy of the Bible, the October 25, 1999, issue of U.S.News & World Report said: “In extraordinary ways, modern archaeology has affirmed the historical core of the Old and New Testaments—corroborating key portions of the stories of Israel’s patriarchs, the Exodus, the Davidic monarchy, and the life and times of Jesus.” While faith in the Bible does not hinge on archaeological discoveries, such historical accuracy is what you would expect of a book inspired by God.
The practical wisdom contained in the Bible benefits people of all backgrounds. Long before the discovery of microorganisms and their role in spreading disease, the Bible recommended hygienic practices that are still relevant today. (Leviticus 11:32-40; Deuteronomy 23:12, 13) Family members who apply the Bible’s advice about how to treat one another are happier. (Ephesians 5:28–6:4) A person who lives by Bible principles may become a more conscientious employee or a more reasonable employer. (Ephesians 4:28; 6:5-9) Applying Bible principles is beneficial for emotional health as well. (Proverbs 14:30; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Colossians 3:8-10) Such practical advice is what we would expect from our Creator.
WHAT IS THE REWARD? The wisdom found in the Bible can make even an inexperienced person wise. (Psalm 19:7) In addition, once we gain confidence in the Bible, it can help us as no other book can in taking the next step toward having stronger faith.
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009321?q=bible+archaeology&p=par
Gracias por la información;es muy interesante ayuda bastante si es q le damos el enfoque desde un punto hebreo