Literary Types in Genesis 1-11
Pardon me for using “types” where “genre” would be more precise, but I frequently do so in teaching in order to avoid having to explain details. Further, “genre” doesn’t maintain the same meaning across all critical disciplines.
In my previous post on the historicity of Genesis 1-11, I wrote as though one could establish a single literary category that would cover all 11 chapters. But those who have studied this passage will realize this is not so. At a minimum, Genesis 5 and 11:10-32 (genealogies) differ from the remainder. Chapter 10 is also in a category of its own, and its relationship with the rest of the book could provide some interesting discussion.
I personally accept the general outlines of source theory, and thus see a combination of multiple sources in both the stories of creation and the flood. But those fault lines, as interesting as they are, are not what I’m talking about now. Whatever one believes about the background, somebody, somewhere felt that the material fitted together.
If we assume that the person who did so was not an idiot, then they probably had some idea how things connected. Assuming that blatant chronological issues are the result of oversight is questionable at best. The author or final redactor, whichever you prefer, probably understood the text in such a way that it didn’t blatantly contradict itself.
Because of this, it would be worthwhile to see the difference between Genesis 1:1-4a, which I would see as liturgy, and Genesis 2:4b-25, which is much closer to myth in its literary character. Which of these is more likely to be concerned with chronology? Well, Genesis 1 seems to say more about it, but Genesis 2 is more likely to have that as a concern based on its form. Even myths are concerned with sequence.
So we can identify at least four types of literature, liturgy, myth, genealogy, and a more generalized tribal genealogy along with some geography in Genesis 10. In deciding historicity we need to address each of these types. I do acknowledge that others might disagree on the categorization, which is precisely how it should be. Those are the questions of which good historical study of the Bible is made.
Hi Henry,
I like your categories. I hadn’t thought of Gen 1:1-4 as liturgy, but it does have that sort of feel to it. The historicity of the genealogies is something I have been thinking about recently. Their inclusion feels like an attempt to de-mythologize the other stories in Gen 1-11. It has certainly forced me to consider the difficult choice of where I draw the line between myth and history in the Bible. If I don’t draw a line I am faced with a significant quandary with my view of scripture. I look forward to your thoughts on the topic.
I just thought of something that I think makes sense of these conflicts a little better to me. A myth is an icon. Think of Rublev’s Trinity or the Icon of the Anastasis. Here again we see something far different than we would with a photo – either of the hospitality of Abraham, or in Christ rising from the dead. But it is no less true for that.
I think calling Genesis 1-11 an icon of creation is about perfect. Here we see the key people and events with which to understand our origins, the nature of God, and man. Dostoyevsky called it “a carven image of the world, and of man, and of human characters, and everything is named and set forth unto ages of ages” and I think that exactly right.
Like icons, I think it folly to interpret Genesis with “literalism” – that is, asking questions like “how did Cain find a wife” or “how did the Dinosaurs fit on the Ark”. These are not questions the icon is addressing, anymore than the icon of the Anastasis is meant to show the viewer the architectural layout of Hades or the relative size of Satan and Jesus’ big toes. “Ah”, someone might say, “but if the icon draws their big toes at different sizes, and this is not indeed so, is not the icon in error?” The answer is “no” – any more than the Bible would be in error by tasting bad when baked into a cake.
Wonders for Oyarsa: Excellent points. I like the icon metaphor and will probably steal it sometime. Hopefully I won’t forget who gave it to me!
Vance: The historicity of the genealogies is a tough one. On the one hand they present some pretty fantastic and mythical appearing information in the ages. On the one hand, Babylonian mythology has ancient kings with great ages prior to the flood. On the other hand, literarily they have the most historical feel of any portion of Genesis 1-11.
What I love about it is that it basically says the same things as “myth” without any of the popular confusion and negative connotations surrounding the term.