When we compare the cosmology of the Ancient Near East (ANE) with the Hebrew Scriptures, we focus on the concept of “Heavens”. Babylonian thought, mainly as found in the Enuma Elish, viewed the heavens as a creation from the body of the goddess Tiamat by Marduk. The idea is highly impregnated with mythological narratives that paint the heavens as a physical and a divine body at once. In contrast, according to the religious beliefs of the Egyptians, the heavens are personified as the goddess Nut (a star-covered woman arching over the whole earth). This cosmogony fuses the physical and divine, linking the daily rebirth of Ra with the celestial sphere. The Hebrew Scriptures offer a different perspective on Genesis 1. In place of the heavens being the work of numerous gods, they are seen as an expression of divine command by one Almighty God. Through God’s word, the universe is balanced with the heavens and thus viewed from a monotheistic perspective, not anthropomorphic like those zoomorphic objects in orthodox myth.
The links and distinctions between these cosmogonies are startling. Both biblical tradition and Near Eastern myth speak of heaven as having a divine origin. This indicates that they share a common desire to attach creation to a higher power. Also, the people of all these lands think of the heavens as part of the cosmos. A structured and physical firmament, their understanding suggests that the sky above is itself a part of the world. On the other hand, there is no lack of contrast either. The Hebrews Scriptures are strictly monotheistic. Creation is credited to a single god, but the Babylonians’ and Egyptians’ polytheistic tales differ from this transformation. Moreover, the manner of creation is different–the Hebrew narrative prefers a non-physical, spoken creation as opposed to the Babylonian or Egyptian myth richly interpreted stories.
These commonalities are probably products of these civilizations shared cultural context and geographical area. Ideas and beliefs could intermingle, shaping and remolding parts of each other. Moreover, their attempts to understand the cosmos represent an aspect of the human impulse to gain significance in the heavens and the stars. It was from here that their religious and cultural identities also arose.
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