1990 ThM thesis, The Uniqueness of the Creation of Marriage in the Eden Narrative in its Ancient Near Eastern Literary Context, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX
Advisor: Robin Cover
SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS
This study has been a literary investigation of the creation of humans as depicted in the Eden narrative and in four Mesopotamian accounts, “Enki and Ninmaḫ,” Atraḫasis, Enuma elish, and KAR 4. The goal of this study has been to elucidate reasons why the Eden narrative depicts the creation of humans as the creation of marriage while the Mesopotamian accounts do not. The main reason was seen to lie in the differing world views and viewpoints of the narratives.
In the Eden narrative the humans are placed in a garden paradise and granted responsibilities and privileges which are all described in relation to their benefits to the humans. They are to tend the garden while enjoying its beauty and bounty, and while freely eating of it. Paradise is theirs to care for and to enjoy. In naming the animals the man exercises his freedom to order the world as his own. One responsibility, that of obeying the Lord God by keeping the Limit, introduces a fatal hazard to the man and occasions his need for a corresponding help. The Lord God perfectly achieves this correspondence by creating the woman out of the man’s very own bone and flesh. Thus, the creation of humans in the Eden narrative is depicted from the perspective of human needs and interests. The world view and viewpoint of this account is that of an anthropocentric paradise. Since the narrative centers on human interests there is a literary reason for highlighting marriage, both as a general feature of humanity and as well as a specific provision for the man’s need for a corresponding help. A marriage ideal is relevant in an anthropocentric paradise.
In contrast, all four of the Mesopotamian accounts portray the world as existing primarily for the benefit of the gods. It is a theocentric world. It is also a toilsome world, where much manual labor is necessary to provide food and shelter for the gods. In all four of these accounts humans are created to relieve the gods of this labor. The methods by which humans are created are all depicted as being theocentric. The ingeniousness and skillfulness of these methods are depicted as complements to the creator gods. The use of divine substances in the creation of humans is depicted as it benefits the gods. Only the gods speak and act in these accounts’ depictions of the creation of humans. Given this world view and viewpoint, there is no literary reason to describe the creation of humans as the creation of marriage. A depiction of human marriage would not serve the interests of the gods as portrayed in these accounts. A marriage ideal is not relevant in a toilsome, theocentric world.
This study has focused on one key difference between the Eden and Mesopotamian accounts of the creation of humans: the presence or absence of a marriage ideal. In investigating this difference these accounts have been shown to differ in their underlying world views and viewpoints. While this underlying difference must certainly reflect differences between Hebrew and Mesopotamian culture this study has not attempted to compare and contrast those cultures. It is perhaps precarious to have come to any conclusions about these texts apart from a thorough investigation of the cultures that produced them. However, it is hoped that this study may be a small contribution to a greater understanding of these accounts. May others continue the work of elucidating these ancient texts, about which we still know so little.
Those who, with the present author, believe that the Eden narrative is a divinely inspired text will seek its application to their lives. One application is this: as men and women today seek to keep their responsibilities and enjoy their freedoms before God, they should certainly draw on the resources of the marriage relationship, which by its very design was intended to help achieve this end. That marriages today do not enjoy the innocence of Eden only makes it more important that the strength and motivations that marriage provides not be wasted.
Russell Yee 