And then consider these statements of His about Mosaic origination/recording of specific passages (from a concordance):
"During the Akkadian period, the sources, now largely in the Akkadian language, are abundant for the first demonstrable empire in history...we possess many inscriptions containing battle and campaign reports..." (von Soden, The Ancient Orient, p. 48, timeframe=c. 2300 BC, well before Abe)"The sources for the Old Babylonian period (note: c.1950-1530 BC) are unusually numerous and manifold..." (Soden, p.51)
"From numerous Babylonian cities as well as the kingdoms of Eshnunna and Mari we have hundreds and even thousands of legal and administrative documents of all kinds. These documents, with their date and oath formulas in which kings are named, along with other evidence, widen our knowledge of history." (Soden, p. 51)
"To these documents must be added thousands of letters from private and public archives..." (Soden, p. 52)
"It is not widely enough known that in the time of Moses the Canaanites were familiar with at least eight languages recording five completely different systems of writing" (Mendenhall, cited in PCE, 71)
"Ur-Nammu (2112-2095 B.C.) was the founding ruler of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur, the builder of the best preserved ziggurat in ancient Mesopotamia, whose reign inaugurated the last great period of Sumerian literary creativity...most of the literary and scholarly production of this period is known only from copies produced in the scribal schools in Nippur and Ur some two to three hundred years later, i.e. between 1800 and 1700. BC." (Finkelstein, cited in Pritchard, The Ancient Near East, Volume II: A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures, p. 31.)
Genesis 11.1-9 : A chiasm of concepts (BAW, 73)
Human unity (1-2)
Man speaks and acts (3-4)
God comes down to see (5)
God speaks and acts (6-7)
Human dispersion (8-9)
Genesis 6.8-9: A chiasm in the Hebrew word order (BAW, 86)
Noah
found favor
in the eyes of the Lord
These are the generations of Noah
Noah was a righteous man
perfect he was
in his generations
with God
walked
Noah
Genesis 12-20: A chiasm in Events (BAW, 95)
(A) Sarah and Pharaoh (12)
(B) Saving of Lot (14)
(C) Covenant for Land (15)
(D) Covenant for Abraham (17)
(C') Covenant for Seed (18)
(B') Rescue of Lot (19)
(A') Sarah and Abimelech (20)
(chapter 13 is inserted to explain how Lot is separated from Abr;
chapter 16--expulsion of Hagar--highlights the need for
the Seed passage)
Genesis 11-22: The entire story of Abraham (BAW, 96)
(A) Abraham's call; Promise of Seed (11:31-12.3)
(B) Sojourn in Canaan (12.4-9)
(C) Sojourn in Egypt; Denial of Sarai (12.10-20)
(D) Separation of Lot; Manifestation of Land (13.1-18)
(E) War on Sodom; Rescue of Lot by Abraham (14.1-24)
(F) Covenant Made: Land (15.1-21)
(G) Sarai's Effort (16.1-16)
(H) Covenant Made: Abraham (17.1-14)
(G') Sarah's Blessing (17.15-27)
(F') Covenant Made: Seed (18.1-15)
(E') Destruction of Sodom; Rescue of Lot by Angels (18-16-19.38)
(C') Sojourn in Gerar; Denial of Sarah (20.1-8)
(D') Manifestation of Seed; Separation of Ishmael (21:1-21)
(B') Sojourn in Gerar (21.22-34)
(A') Abraham's Test: Blessing of Seed (22.1-19)
Genesis 6.10-9.19: The Flood Story
(G. J. Wenham, "The Coherence of the Flood Narrative"
in VT,28 (1978): 336-48 , (cited in BAW p. 105)
A Noah (10a)
B Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10b)
C Ark to be built (14-16)
D Flood announced (17)
E Covenant with Noah (18-20)
F Food in the Ark (21)
G Command to enter the Ark (7.1-3)
H 7 days waiting for flood (4-5)
I 7 days waiting for flood (7-10)
J Entry to ark (11-15)
K Yahweh shuts Noah in (16)
L 40 days flood (17a)
M Waters increase (17b-18)
N Mountains covered (18-20)
O 150 days waters prevail (21-24)
P GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8.1)
O' 150 days waters abate (3)
N' Mountain tops become visible (4-5)
M' Waters abate (6)
L' 40 days (end of) (6a)
K' Noah opens window of ark (6b)
J' Raven and dove leave ark (7-9)
I' 7 days waiting for waters to subside (10-11)
H' 7 days waiting for waters to subside (12-13)
G' Command to leave the ark (15-17)
F' Food outside the ark (9.1-4)
E' Covenant with all flesh (8-10)
D' No flood in future (11-17)
C' Ark (18a)
B' Shem, Ham, Japheth (18b)
A' Noah (19)
Genesis 1-11: The Primeval History (RG, 8)--A different pattern
A Creation, God's word to Adam (1.1-3.24)
B Adam's Son's (4.1-16)
C Technological Development of Mankind (4.17-26)
D Ten Generations from Adam to Noah (5.1-32)
E Downfall: The Nephilim (6.1-8)
A' Flood, God's word to Noah (6.9-9.17)
B' Noah's Sons (9.18-29)
C' Ethnic Development of Mankind (10.1-32)
E' Downfall: Tower of Babel (11.1-9)
D' Ten Generations from Noah to Terah (11.10-26)
(used as transition to story of Abraham)
Genesis 11:27-22:24): The Abraham Cycle (RG, 28-29)
A Genealogy of Terah (11.27-32)
B Start of Abram's spiritual odyssey (12.1-9)
C Sarai in foreign palace; ordeal ends in peace and success; Lot parts (12.10-13.18)
D Abram comes to the rescue of Sodom and Lot (14)
E Covenant with Ab; Annunciation of Ishmael (15-16)
E' Covenant with Ab; Annunciation of Isaac (17-18.15)
D' Abram comes to the rescue of Sodom and Lot (18.16-19.38)
C' Sarah in foreign palace; ordeal ends in peace and success; Ishmael parts (20-21)
B' Climax of Abraham's spiritual odyssey (22.1-19)
A' Genealogy of Nahor (22.20-24)
The Story of Biblical History--a Chiasm?
A Creation of Heavens and Earth (Gen 1-2)
B Humanity's rebellion against God (Gen 3-11)
C God's Kingdom on Earth (Gen 12-David)
D The Apostasy of Humanity (Solomon-Malachi)
E The Hidden Years (The Intertestamental period)
F God enters History in the Messiah
E' The Hidden Years (The "Church Age")
D' The Apostasy of Humanity (cf. 2 Thess 2.3)
C' God's Kingdom on Earth (Rev 20:1-6)
B' Humanity's rebellion against God (Rev 20.7-9)
A' Creation of New Heavens and Earth (Rev 21-22)
...................................................
One obvious question arises here. We know from Sumerian myths that the religion of the probable home of Terah, Nahor, and Abe (Ur of Sumer, the southern site; but there is some data that their Ur was a small northern city instead) was rather 'un-biblical' in religious beliefs, and according to Joshua 24:2,14 at least Terah worshipped false gods there. This probably reflected a mixture of true and false religion (cf. Gen 31.19, 34f).
So how did the 'simpler and purer' tradition get into Abraham's
hands, in the form of 'tablets' (see "Accounts" above)?
Well, Terah already had as far back as Shem in HIS account (11.11-27). So the question comes down to the tablets of Gen 1-11.10. (Now, it could be that Ab did NOT have that data, and that somehow Moses got it instead, but as I noted above, it looks like Abraham was aware of the 'Noah found favor' motif and used that in his 'negotiations' with God over the destruction of Sodom, so in any event, we have to get SOME of the flood tradition to him (other than those of Sumer/Accad--having no 'sparing' passage--the sections on 'sparing' Atrahasis et. al. have very little in common with grace!).
So where might Abraham have encountered a source of greater antiquity than his own forefathers? And early enough in his post-Ur life to shape his Gen 18 negotiation with God?
There is actually a rather obvious choice--Melchizedek in Gen 14. This Melki-figure is one of the strangest biblical figures we encounter. He pops out of nowhere, is greater than Abraham, receives tithes of Ab, is a pattern for the Royal Priest-King Jesus (Ps 110), is ascribed immortality (probably) in the Book of Hebrews, and lives in Jerusalem. He had NO REASON to encounter Abraham (Salem was not in the 4-against-5 kings war in the passage), but sought him out. This figure serves the God who is the 'bringer forth of the heavens and the earth' (a broader Ugaritic and Phoenician parallel word for 'bara/create'--including notions of ownership. See Ancient Israel by de Vaux, vol 2., p.310 and TWOT, vol 2, p. 804). He apparently instructs Abe on the proper response to the king of Sodom's future offering (cf. 14:22ff)--he was obviously a prophet as well!--even to the point of eliciting an oath from Abraham to his God! (14.22).
Was this individual a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Son of God? Some think so, but I personally don't believe that makes sense in light of the Hebrews passages on him. I actually find an ancient Jewish tradition to be quite intriguing--the Jerusalem Targum on Gen 14.18 identifies Melki as Shem, the eldest son of Noah. According to the strict version of the genealogies, Shem would have still been alive at this time (Shem and Abe would have overlapped by 150 years, so even with a few extra gens in there, this is still VERY, VERY possible.) This would, of course, explain a number of things, especially why Abe paid such deference to this character! This would also, provide an excellent opportunity for the godly Shem to explain the ways of the Lord to the future father of the Jewish race (as a prophet, he probably was aware of Abe's special character), and to pass down the 'accounts' he would have gotten from his fathers before him (i.e. Noah, Adam). Thus the 'pure' stream of tradition would find its way into biblical sources. The overall impression I get from Abram's response to Melki is that of CONVERSION, and I think it noteworthy that the El Elyon (God most high) of Melki, is called YHWH by Abe in this passage.
Atrahasis;
Genesis 1-11
A. Creation(Atra)
Summary of work of gods
Creation of man
Creation (Bible)
Summary of work of God
Creation of man
B. First Threat (Atra)
Man's numerical increase
Plague
First Threat (Bible)
Genealogy of heaven and earth
Adam and Eve -- the fall
C. Second Threat(Atra)
Man's numerical increase
Drought
Second Threat(Bible)
Cain and Abel--genealogy
Cain and Abel--Lamech's taunt
D. Third Threat(Atra)
Numerical Increase
Atrahasis' Flood
Salvation in Boat
Third Threat(Bible)
Genealogy
Noah's Flood
Salvation in Ark
E. Resolution(Atra)
"Birth Control"
Resolution (Bible)
Dispersion (Babel)
"So the parallels observed between Atrahasis and Genesis 1-11 are no longer surprising. We find similar parallels between Atrahasis and other primeval histories (e.g. Old Iranian Flood Tale, Zoroastrian tale of Yima, primeval Greek history). These similar parallels make us feel encouraged that perhaps Genesis 1-11, while drawn from a common stock of tales, was written as a dissent from the civilized pragmatism of the older Atrahasis tradition""Atrahasis offers population control as the solution to urban overcrowding; Genesis offers dispersion, the nomadic way of life. Population growth is from the very beginning of the Genesis primeval history presented as an unqualified blessing. The blessing of Genesis 1.28 finds a fulfillment in the dispersion 'upon the face of the whole earth,' which concludes the primeval history. Genesis 1-11 then constitutes a rejection of Babel and Babylon--of civilization itself, if its continuance requires human existence to be treated as a contingent good. For Genesis the existence of a new human was always good." (BAW, 51)
Consider first how much 'simpler' the Genesis account of creation
is than the ANE myths:
Non-biblical Myths;
Genesis Account
The gods are identified with nature and natural forces;
God is NEVER identified with nature--He stands above it
Creation was accomplished through sexual procreation;
Creation had nothing to do with sexual procreation
Primeval darkness had a name, a personality, and deity;
Darkness was nothing more than just that.
The sea had a name, a personality, and deity;
The sea was nothing more than just that.
The abyss had a name, a personality, and deity;
The abyss was nothing more than just that.
The sun, moon, and stars were given names and histories and powers;
They are simply called the greater and lesser lights,
and the stars are barely mentioned.
The Shabbatuwas a day of terror;
The Sabbath was a day of blessing and rest.
Man created as slave labor to feed the gods;
Man created to enjoy God's blessing.
The serpent was huge and powerful;
The serpent was small and powerless (relied on wits)
Many, many gods in very complex and tumultuous relationships;
One God, balanced and stable.
Man is formed out of some 'part' of god (e.g. blood) mixed with clay;
Man is formed of dust, in the image of God.
"the system of power alliances (four kings against five) is typical in Mesopotamian politics within the period c.2000-1750, but not before or after this general period when different political patterns prevailed. (AOOT, p45, 47)--he had to have access to historical records.
Summary: The data indicates a reliable stream of information, from
earliest times down to at least the time of Moses. The historical particulars
reflect a pre-mosaic time and indicate a fixity and reliability of transmission.
........................................
[aec2.html]