Great Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology: The Atra-Hasis Epic

Dear Patrick (re: 9/22/08 post),

Thanks for your good question about the authorship of Genesis and the Atra Hasis Epic.

The issue of the authorship of Genesis has been the subject of dispute for at least 200 years. Although we cannot be exhaustive here, i will outline some basic thoughts for your consideration.

1. We reject the widely accepted notion that Genesis was written by multiple authors during the Babylonian exile, 6th century B.C. There are many reasons to reject this outdated and erroneous thesis. Events contained in Genesis refer to many specific practices and customs that are unique to that time period. No one in the 6th century B.C. could possibly have known about them and put them in their proper historical context. A good article on this subject was published in Bible and Spade , "The Wealth and Power of the Biblical Patriarchs", published in the Winter 2006 issue, and available in our bookstore here: www.biblearchaeology.org/.../product.aspx?id=3

2. Our theory is that Moses was the editor and compiler of Genesis, as the events contained therein obviously predate his life. This means, that while Moses lived long after the Flood and after the Atra Hasis epic was written, Genesis actually PREDATES the Atra Hasis Epic. Current scholarship accepts the notion that the Biblical Flood story was borrowed from other Mesopotamian Flood stories, such as Atra Hasis or the Gilgamesh Epic. We reject this thesis. After the Flood, the story was passed down through Noah's descendants, and obviously many elements were changed over time. The Atra Hasis epic is one such version of the original, correct and God-breathed version recorded in Genesis. We published a series of 4 more technical articles about this subject, found here: www.biblearchaeology.org/.../...uction-Part-I.aspx

3. ABR Founder, David Livingston published an article about the authorship of Genesis, which can be found here on our website:
www.biblearchaeology.org/.../...mpose-Genesis.aspx

4. We want to encourage you that the Bible is not a rehash of Sumerian tales, but inspired by God Himself, and the vehicle of His Revelation to all mankind. I have found the following statements helpful, taken from the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy:

a. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.

b. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms: obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises.

c. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives.

d. WE AFFIRM  that inspiration, though not conferring omniscience, guaranteed true and trustworthy utterance on all matters of which the Biblical authors were moved to speak and write.

I hope you find this answer helpful in your study and understanding of God's Holy Word.

Blessings---Henry Smith, ABR

hsmith - 9/24/2008 4:16:07 PM