The Story through the Bible

Genesis 1

The Bible is an ancient document, don't treat it like a modern textbook.

Words mean what people intended them to mean they carry nothing on their own.

The Bible does not need any other text to be understood. It's basic meaning and purpose are clear and understandable without other contexts or explanations. That's principle one. So when we read something we are able to take in essence a face value understanding for all main points.

Context does provide clarity. If I tell Jerry to live long and prosper he can understand exactly what I said. However if he has a shared cultural experience with me, which I know he does, he also understands something more because that's a star trek reference and I might me something deeper or slightly adjacent to the point.

A different level of meaning comes only with cultural context. If I tell Him “Dial the gate" and he hasn't watched hours and hours of stargate he might not have a clue what i'm talking about. If he has he'll know I'm ready to go. Translations will do that for us when obscure direct word for word translation would lose meaning and words are there to convey meaning they aren't always the meaning in and of themself.

Third we have language drift that muddles things up. I want to hear from y'all what does “Nimrod" mean? -idiot- Right… but did you know it did not always mean that? It wasn't until Bugs Bunny came along that people used that word in that manner. Nimrod was the great hunter in Genesis that founded the ancient Babel where the tower was built and we'll get to that story later. His name means to rebel. But the great hunter was a sarcastic cut at Elmer Fudd by Bugs that shifted to an unknowable and different meaning.

So… when we Study the Bible we need to know these things nuances of meaning exist in the original languages and translations do their best to understand that and put it into our words that will provide the same meaning. This is why I think the word literal is a bad word when talking about translation, because literal does not exist in translation, it only exists from the same language to the same language.

Why oh Why am I talking about all of this… because we need to grab some of that cultural context to get the bigger picture as we start the longest study we’ve ever done. It will be so long in fact I might take breaks to do something different every once in a while… I don’t know I haven’t planned that far ahead. I do want to re-iterate that the fundamental meaning is conveyed and this does not change the primary understanding we should have from a plain reading of the Bible.

I want to start with that context, and I apologize that it’s a lot before we get to the Verses of the Bible but it’s relevant trust me.

Ancient Egypt’s cosmology states Atum rose from the formless waters developing himself in his own egg and from it he becomes land and creates all things including the other gods. One god the land Gev and the sky Noot. Which were separated from each other by the air god Shu. - Atum brings order and creation to the formless waters as he creates himself from the waters.

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Sumerian cosmology begins in a formless abyssal water known as Nammu, from which the first deities emerged. Among them, An (the sky) and Ki (the earth) formed the foundational pair. Their union birthed Enlil, the god of air, who separated his parents, creating space for the world to exist.

Enlil's authority grew as he fathered several gods, including Enki (the god of wisdom and water) and Ninhursag (the earth goddess). Together, they shaped the landscape and populated it with humanity. Enki, in particular, played a crucial role in the creation of humans, fashioned from clay to serve the gods.

Sumerian cosmology emphasizes the interplay of divine forces and the cyclical nature of life. The myths often reflect themes of order versus chaos, with the gods actively involved in maintaining harmony in the universe.

Their creation emphasis often falls on bringing order like the ability to make bread, domesticate animals, sow and reap crops, weave baskets,etc.

Last is the ancient Babylonian account.

Long ago, in the depths of the primeval world, before the earth and sky were fully formed, there existed two great forces: Apsu, the god of fresh water, and Tiamat, the goddess of the boundless salty sea. Together, they birthed the first generation of gods, young and full of life. But their constant clamor—laughter, disputes, and the endless swirl of creation—soon became unbearable to the elder god, Apsu. Their noise disturbed the deep, quiet waters in which he found peace.

In his frustration, Apsu resolved to put an end to it all. He confided in Tiamat, telling her of his plan to silence their children forever. While Tiamat hesitated, troubled by the thought of destroying their offspring, Apsu's resolve hardened. The younger gods, unaware of the danger, continued in their joyful chaos—until the wise and cunning Ea, the god of wisdom, uncovered Apsu’s dark plan.

Ea knew that Apsu’s wrath could mean the end of all creation. Acting swiftly and with cleverness, he devised a plan. With a powerful spell, he cast Apsu into a deep, dreamless sleep. Then, as Apsu lay helpless, Ea struck, killing the ancient god before he could carry out his terrible deed.

But Ea didn’t stop there. From Apsu’s lifeless form, he fashioned a sanctuary, a place of safety and creativity amidst the waters of chaos. In the stillness that followed Apsu’s death, the world began to change and take shape, though a storm was still brewing, for Tiamat, filled with grief and rage, would soon rise to avenge her fallen consort.

But Apsu’s death did not bring peace for long. In the depths of the waters, Tiamat, his consort, mourned. The loss of Apsu stirred something dark within her. Grief twisted into fury, and fury into chaos. No longer the serene mother of creation, Tiamat transformed into a fearsome force of destruction. Her once nurturing waters became a roiling, deadly sea. From her depths, she birthed a legion of monstrous beings—serpents, dragons, and terrible creatures unlike anything that had come before. These would be her army, her instruments of revenge. Kingu the chief among these.

In desperation, the younger gods convened, seeking a champion who could stand against her might. Marduk, the young storm god, stepped forward. He was bold, confident, and wise beyond his years. He promised to defeat Tiamat and restore order—on one condition: that he be made the supreme ruler of all the gods.

The gods, seeing no other hope, agreed to his terms. Armed with magical weapons and a mighty net, Marduk faced Tiamat in the heart of the storm. The battle that followed was titanic. Tiamat, in her monstrous form, lashed out with all the fury of the ancient deep. But Marduk, guided by the winds and wielding his immense strength, cast his net over her and trapped her. With a thunderous blow, he split her in two. From her sundered body, he fashioned the heavens and the earth, separating the sky from the sea, bringing structure to the chaotic waters from which all things had sprung.

From the blood of Kingu, Tiamat’s fallen champion, Marduk drew the essence of life. With his hands, he shaped this sacred substance, mingling it with the clay of the earth. From this mixture, humanity was born—fragile yet imbued with divine purpose.

These new beings were not like the gods, yet they were crafted with care and intention. Marduk decreed that humans would serve the gods, tending to the world that had been carved from the chaos of Tiamat’s body. They would toil, build, and worship, their lives woven into the fabric of the cosmos, sustaining the balance Marduk had fought to establish.

Thus, from the remnants of chaos, life itself emerged—a new order of existence, bound to both the earth and the heavens, destined to walk in the shadow of the gods.

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What have you noticed about all of these ancient cosmologies or creation stories?

Chaos / Formless waters they come up out of the waters

God’s work to fashion things, or even fight against the sea to rule it

Now… with that said I know this will seem like a non-sequitur but I would like you to tell me how you would describe nothing, the word nothing. What does it mean, how do you picture it?

Imagine there is no such thing as no-thing nothing isn’t a concept you had ever been taught, the number zero doesn’t even exist. Trying to start a story with nothing is not possible in the way we view nothing. I think if there was a chat with any of these groups and they understood what we meant by nothing they would equate that with their chaotic aka without order - formless waters they all begin with.

Questions so far?

Now we finally get to the beginning of OUR cosmology. What we understand to be the order of the universe. We’re coming from a very very different perspective and it’s hard to shift and think in an alien way about how other people thought. It’s easy to think about other peoples thoughts… it’s hard to think about how they think.

Genesis 1:1 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:2 ESV

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.