The Israelites clearly connected with this way of describing creation. ![]() Likewise, in another creation story, the Canaanite god Baal defeats the sea god Yam (Hebrew yam means sea) with similar results. Thus he becomes head god of the Babylonians, which results in praise and homage. He then cuts her carcass in half and makes sky and earth from the pieces. For example, in the famous Babylonian creation story Enuma Elish, the god Marduk defeats the goddess Tiamat, who represents the sea. The “cosmic battle” motif is prominent in other creation texts from the ancient Near East. ![]() The Israelites were not alone in thinking this way. Israel’s proper response is awe and praise. Sea is a symbol of chaos, and so Yahweh’s victory in the conflict establishes order. One of the ways the Old Testament describes creation is through a conflict between Yahweh and the sea (or “waters” or one of the sea monsters, Leviathan or Rahab). Israel’s understanding of creation shows how indebted they were to current notions in the ancient world. What is the biblical view of creation? We typically look to Genesis 1-2 to answer this question, but other Old Testament passages have something to say about this, too.
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