Description
Book SynopsisPlato's Timaeus and the Biblical Creation Accounts argues that the creation of the world in Genesis 1 and the story of the first humans in Genesis 2-3 both draw directly on Plato's famous account of the origins of the universe, mortal life and evil containing equal parts science, theology and myth.
This book is the first to systematically compare biblical, Ancient Near Eastern and Greek creation accounts and to show that Genesis 1-3 is heavily indebted to Plato's Timaeus and other cosmogonies by Greek natural philosophers. It argues that the idea of a monotheistic cosmic god was first introduced in Genesis 1 under the influence of Plato's philosophy, and that this cosmic Creator was originally distinct from the lesser terrestrial gods, including Yahweh, who appear elsewhere in Genesis. It shows the use of Plato's Critias, the sequel to Timaeus, in the stories about the Garden of Eden, the intermarriage of the sons of God and the dau
Trade Review
"Russell Gmirkin has presented ground-breaking research. The monograph is a tour de force in research on Ancient Near Eastern cultures. He has posited novel interpretations, in particular his interpretation of the early chapters of the book of Genesis, which is enlightening. There can no longer be any doubt that the Greek translators of Genesis had contact with and made use of Platonic ideas."
-Johann Cook, Platonism and the Bibles, Theological Studies
Table of Contents1. Comparative Methodology and Genesis 1-11, 2. Genesis 1 and Creation Myths, 3. Genesis 1 and Greek Cosmogenies, 4. Genesis 1 as Philosophy, 5. Genesis 1 as Science, 6. Genesis 2-3 as Myth, 7. Genesis 2-11 and Plato’s Critias, 8. Cosmic Monotheism and Terrestrial Polytheism in Plato and the Bible
