THE BIBLE AMONG THE MYTHS

The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature?

The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature?

Introduction

There are several ancient texts that describe the creation of the universe but the Bible is considered the most accurate for several reasons. The creation of the world and everything in it is often considered a myth due to the various reasons. It is known for sure that there is no accurate record of these events and event their authors are unknown. What is known that they were passed down verbally through several generations; hence, their accuracy can be questioned. Keeping in view the foundations of genesis, it can be considered that this is just a myth with no strong base or accuracy. This brings up questions about whether the Bible can be trusted or not.

The argument is mainly based on the fact that although there are several similarities between the Bible and the ANE literature, the Bible is being characterized as a myth while the ANE literature is not considered to be a myth. Thus, Oswalt tries to give an answer to those who think that the Bible is in fact a myth. He does this by giving strong points in favor of the Bible particularly the book of Genesis since the content of this book can be considered the primary reason the Bible has been considered a myth by some scholars.

Discussion

John Oswalt, a research professor of the Old Testament at the Wesley Biblical Seminary sets to answer the questions people have about the Old Testament. Oswalt focuses only on the Old Testament and its counterparts that exist in Canaanite, Babylonian, Egyptian and Near East cultures. The book is divided into two parts called “The Bible and Myth”, and “The Bible and History”.

The human mind is a complex thing that thinks continuously and asks questions regarding anything that catches their attention. The nature of the human mind has led to the understanding that there is a difference in the way the mind thinks about religion. The difference between what religions teaches us and that what is presented by science makes the mind think about the reliability of the things mentioned in the Bible. The book of Genesis in particular is the focus of attention because it contains several things that create doubts in the mind.

The creation of the world and everything in it is often considered a myth due to the various reasons. Post-evangelicals use such arguments quite often while discussing the things mentioned in the Bible. Some events in the Bible such as the flood and creation are highly debated because some people have justifications for these events. People consider these events as myths and based on the assumptions of humans. Similarly, the claim that God is responsible for everything that takes place on earth is also considered a myth because such events are normal and it is God who has just accommodated himself in the events that have been taking ...