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Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology
The ancient Near Eastern mode of thought is not at all intuitive to us moderns, but our understanding of ancient perspectives can only approach accuracy when we begin to penetrate ancient texts on their own terms rather than imposing our own world view. In this task, we are aided by the ever-growing corpus of literature that is being recovered and analyzed.
After an introduction that presents some of the history of comparative studies and how it has been applied to the study of ancient texts in general and cosmology in particular, Walton focuses in the first half of this book on the ancient Near Eastern texts that inform our understanding about ancient ways of thinking about cosmology. Of primary interest are the texts that can help us discern the parameters of ancient perspectives on cosmic ontology—that is, how the writers perceived origins. Texts from across the ancient Near East are presented, including primarily Egyptian, Sumerian, and Akkadian texts, but occasionally also Ugaritic and Hittite, as appropriate. Walton’s intention, first of all, is to understand the texts but also to demonstrate that a functional ontology pervaded the cognitive environment of the ancient Near East. This functional ontology involves more than just the idea that ordering the cosmos was the focus of the cosmological texts. He posits that, in the ancient world, bringing about order and functionality was the very essence of creative activity. He also pays close attention to the ancient ideology of temples to show the close connection between temples and the functioning cosmos.
The second half of the book is devoted to a fresh analysis of Genesis 1:1–2:4. Walton offers studies of significant Hebrew terms and seeks to show that the Israelite texts evidence a functional ontology and a cosmology that is constructed with temple ideology in mind, as in the rest of the ancient Near East. He contends that Genesis 1 never was an account of material origins but that, as in the rest of the ancient world, the focus of “creation texts” was to order the cosmos by initiating functions for the components of the cosmos. He further contends that the cosmology of Genesis 1 is founded on the premise that the cosmos should be understood in temple terms. All of this is intended to demonstrate that, when we read Genesis 1 as the ancient document it is, rather than trying to read it in light of our own world view, the text comes to life in ways that help recover the energy it had in its original context. At the same time, it provides a new perspective on Genesis 1 in relation to what have long been controversial issues. Far from being a borrowed text, Genesis 1 offers a unique theology, even while it speaks from the platform of its contemporaneous cognitive environment.
After an introduction that presents some of the history of comparative studies and how it has been applied to the study of ancient texts in general and cosmology in particular, Walton focuses in the first half of this book on the ancient Near Eastern texts that inform our understanding about ancient ways of thinking about cosmology. Of primary interest are the texts that can help us discern the parameters of ancient perspectives on cosmic ontology—that is, how the writers perceived origins. Texts from across the ancient Near East are presented, including primarily Egyptian, Sumerian, and Akkadian texts, but occasionally also Ugaritic and Hittite, as appropriate. Walton’s intention, first of all, is to understand the texts but also to demonstrate that a functional ontology pervaded the cognitive environment of the ancient Near East. This functional ontology involves more than just the idea that ordering the cosmos was the focus of the cosmological texts. He posits that, in the ancient world, bringing about order and functionality was the very essence of creative activity. He also pays close attention to the ancient ideology of temples to show the close connection between temples and the functioning cosmos.
The second half of the book is devoted to a fresh analysis of Genesis 1:1–2:4. Walton offers studies of significant Hebrew terms and seeks to show that the Israelite texts evidence a functional ontology and a cosmology that is constructed with temple ideology in mind, as in the rest of the ancient Near East. He contends that Genesis 1 never was an account of material origins but that, as in the rest of the ancient world, the focus of “creation texts” was to order the cosmos by initiating functions for the components of the cosmos. He further contends that the cosmology of Genesis 1 is founded on the premise that the cosmos should be understood in temple terms. All of this is intended to demonstrate that, when we read Genesis 1 as the ancient document it is, rather than trying to read it in light of our own world view, the text comes to life in ways that help recover the energy it had in its original context. At the same time, it provides a new perspective on Genesis 1 in relation to what have long been controversial issues. Far from being a borrowed text, Genesis 1 offers a unique theology, even while it speaks from the platform of its contemporaneous cognitive environment.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
4 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
John H. Walton
121 books329 followersJohn H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament; Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context; Covenant: God’s Purpose, God’s Plan; The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament; and A Survey of the Old Testament.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See:
John H. Walton, Agriculture
John H. Walton, ceramics.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See:
John H. Walton, Agriculture
John H. Walton, ceramics.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 10, 2012
An excellent introduction into other ancient creation stories and how Genesis 1 reflects the ancient Near Eastern worldview in contrast AND in convergence. Walton's brilliant unique offering to the conversation of Genesis 1 is in the understanding that ancient Near Eastern culture including Israel wrote creation stories with a focus on the creation of order and function, not material. Genesis One is not a scientific document about physics and matter (as we moderns tend to read it) but rather it is about teleology, or the purpose and function behind the created order. It is an ancient creation story, not a modern one.
September 12, 2020
I have read three of Walton's Lost World books: The Lost World of Genesis One, The Lost World of Adam and Eve, and The Lost World of the Flood. They are all excellent and I highly recommend them. This book is essentially the academic version of the popular book The Lost World of Genesis One. As such, it digs much deeper and offers much more convincing analysis of Walton's primary interpretive thesis of Genesis 1:1 - 2:3. At the same time, since it is a much deeper academic dive, it most certainly is not for everybody. A little over half the book is spent analyzing similar Ancient Near Eastern literature. Also, while Hebrew is not required for this book, having at least an elementary level understanding of the language will be very helpful in understanding the semantic arguments that are made. Personally, I found this book to be even better than its Lost World cousin. It is an outstanding and thorough analysis of relevant texts and themes that comes to very satisfying and potentially revolutionary conclusions about the nature, message, and purpose of Genesis 1:1 - 2:3.
February 4, 2024
I really learned a lot from this fascinating book. I only wish that more of the book could have explored Genesis 1; most of the book was devoted to an exploration of parallel narratives in other Ancient Near East texts. Walton demonstrates that there is nothing particularly unique in Genesis 1's narrative of creation. Particularly fascinating to me was the ANE understanding of temples as microcosms of the universe. This understanding is even evident in Judaism. Josephus, in describing the veil of the Jerusalem temple writes: "Nor was this mixture of colours without its mystical interpretation: but was a kind of image of the universe. For by the scarlet there seemed to be enigmatically signified fire; by the fine flax, the earth; by the blue, the air; and by the purple, the sea. (Jewish Wars, chapter 5).
October 2, 2013
An excellent and challenging read: I had to refresh my vocabulary a few times, and break out the dictionary (has my mind really deteriorated this much after school?!). Walton argues that contemporary readers of Genesis, with our material ontology, ask the wrong questions of this ancient work. Instead, he proposes that the ancient Israelites had a functional ontology, and that Genesis 1 contains the account of God separating and creating order in the cosmos. Walton supports his ideas by surveying the ancient cosmologies of other ancient Near Eastern civilizations.
I would certainly recommend this book to those interested in the origin story and in understanding Genesis more clearly. Be warned though, this is not necessarily an enjoyable read, but instead an intellectually stretching and informative one.
I would certainly recommend this book to those interested in the origin story and in understanding Genesis more clearly. Be warned though, this is not necessarily an enjoyable read, but instead an intellectually stretching and informative one.
January 10, 2026
A wonderful account of how Ancient Near Eastern Cosmology is related to Genesis 1.
He provides a detailed walkthrough of Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cosmologies, quoting extensively from the sources. In the Mesopotamian sources, he includes Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Ugaritic, and other sources. He presents a clear picture of the metaphysics behind the accounts. The primary metaphysics of ANE creation involves functional ontology rather than material ontology; something exists when it has a designated purpose.
He also explores the cosmos as a temple idea. He shows how the explicit temple ideas in ANE creation accounts are implicit in the structure of Genesis 1.
He then moves step by step through the key elements in Genesis 1, relating them to ANE cosmology. At almost every point, the relationship is clear, but also distinctive. The approach unlocks a lot of meaning from the creation account, positioning it as primarily function and with an implicit temple motif.
Very Highly Recommended but be aware of heavily scholarly discussions such as Hebrew grammar, etc.
He provides a detailed walkthrough of Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cosmologies, quoting extensively from the sources. In the Mesopotamian sources, he includes Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Ugaritic, and other sources. He presents a clear picture of the metaphysics behind the accounts. The primary metaphysics of ANE creation involves functional ontology rather than material ontology; something exists when it has a designated purpose.
He also explores the cosmos as a temple idea. He shows how the explicit temple ideas in ANE creation accounts are implicit in the structure of Genesis 1.
He then moves step by step through the key elements in Genesis 1, relating them to ANE cosmology. At almost every point, the relationship is clear, but also distinctive. The approach unlocks a lot of meaning from the creation account, positioning it as primarily function and with an implicit temple motif.
Very Highly Recommended but be aware of heavily scholarly discussions such as Hebrew grammar, etc.
October 6, 2021
The author makes an argument and backs it up very well in demonstrating that the ancient near East people were not concern with the origin of the material world, but rather with the purpose and functionality of the world. The author of Genesis fall under that group. Thus the nonexistent is not conceptualized as "nothingness" but rather a primordial material (water, darkness, void) waiting for their deities or the One God for the Judeo-Christian perspective, to put it in order and give it purpose.
The author at no moment implies that God did not create out of nothing. But rather affirms that the ancient stories about creation do not address this questions since this was not in the cognitive framework of the ancient people. Creation just exited it was all over around them, they just wanted to know or affirm who was in charge, to what purpose and function (very teleological). In this way the author not just shows the possibilities of understanding Genesis in its original intent, context, meaning, and audience but also in rethinking modern controversies about faith and science.
The author at no moment implies that God did not create out of nothing. But rather affirms that the ancient stories about creation do not address this questions since this was not in the cognitive framework of the ancient people. Creation just exited it was all over around them, they just wanted to know or affirm who was in charge, to what purpose and function (very teleological). In this way the author not just shows the possibilities of understanding Genesis in its original intent, context, meaning, and audience but also in rethinking modern controversies about faith and science.
January 13, 2022
I like this:
“Genesis 1 does not provide a revised Cosmic Geography for Israel to adopt in contradistinction to the perception and belief systems of the rest of the ancient world. Instead, the known elements of cosmic geography are well represented in this text (and other biblical texts) and thoroughly integrated into it. Although slight variations occur in the biblical portrayal, the variations are not scientifically or theologically innovative. All of the elements of heaven and earth are located in the same places and have the same functions that they do throughout the ancient world.”
“Genesis 1 does not provide a revised Cosmic Geography for Israel to adopt in contradistinction to the perception and belief systems of the rest of the ancient world. Instead, the known elements of cosmic geography are well represented in this text (and other biblical texts) and thoroughly integrated into it. Although slight variations occur in the biblical portrayal, the variations are not scientifically or theologically innovative. All of the elements of heaven and earth are located in the same places and have the same functions that they do throughout the ancient world.”
April 17, 2019
A more ðan worþy succeßor to Kline’s approach on ðe cultural context of ðe Old Testament, puts forward anoþer angle to his framework hypoþeſis, makiŋ a convinciŋ caſe for Geneſis, chapter i beiŋ intended not as a chronological account of material origins but a deſcription of teleology in Creation.
April 10, 2020
A really helpful and thorough exploration of creational thought in the ANE. This is a book truly worth reading and reflecting on.
February 10, 2015
Muito grato ao autor pela dedicação à porção inicial da Escritura. Um estudo que realmente amplia o entendimento da estrutura cognitiva na qual o antigo Israel estava inserido, e nesse processo, minha percepção do texto mudou já que um contexto desconhecido foi desvendado a mim.
Criação, descanso, templo, palavras estas que passaram por uma nova "criação".
Palavras da conclusão do livro:
"The most important result of this study for the interpretation of Genesis is the realization that the Genesis account pertains to functional origins rather than material origins and that temple ideology underlies the Genesis cosmology. These conclusions have significant ramifications for the public discussions and controversies of our time, including those concerning the age of the earth, the relationship between Genesis and science, the interpretation of the biblical text in relation to evolution and Intelligent Design, and the shape of public science education. In the world of biblical studies, this analysis serves as an illustration of the role that studying and knowing the cognitive environment can have in hermeneutics and how comparative studies can advance our understanding in very productive ways."
Criação, descanso, templo, palavras estas que passaram por uma nova "criação".
Palavras da conclusão do livro:
"The most important result of this study for the interpretation of Genesis is the realization that the Genesis account pertains to functional origins rather than material origins and that temple ideology underlies the Genesis cosmology. These conclusions have significant ramifications for the public discussions and controversies of our time, including those concerning the age of the earth, the relationship between Genesis and science, the interpretation of the biblical text in relation to evolution and Intelligent Design, and the shape of public science education. In the world of biblical studies, this analysis serves as an illustration of the role that studying and knowing the cognitive environment can have in hermeneutics and how comparative studies can advance our understanding in very productive ways."
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October 31, 2021Well having started this 4 years ago I eventually finished it. Walton takes a comparative look at Genesis alongside the other creation accounts of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The conclusions he draws are fascinating. Regarding the non material but functional world view of Genesis 1. And also the idea of the 7 day cycle being akin to the inauguration of the temple rule of God (this latter point I was less convinced by) The big take away is that Genesis is not a unique account but contains some unique features, like the role of humanity to steward and care for creation, and how all of humanity was made in God's image. It also highlights how Genesis needs to be read in the light of other creation accounts to better understand the meaning of the text. I came away encouraged that the unique rule God gave to us to do, and they we have a unique status not just to serve 'God' but obscure and indwell this world. The language of high level, and I hope I get to read his less academic books on Genesis 1-3 to supplement this.
November 9, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this book. I had different expectations about this book before starting. It's great insofar as it sticks to its narrow topic within its non Jewish, ANE framework; but it's not a great reference as a biblical study on Genesis. In fact, Genesis 1 only takes up the very last portion of the book, and simply regurgitates themes and debatable distinctions presented throughout the previous chapters and in previous books. It is definitely a fantastic reference book, and I even agree with most of its conclusions, but there are definitely better academic books (by other authors) which teach the relationship between Genesis 1 & ANE cosmology. This book is really less about "cosmology" or "Genesis one" and more about being a supplemental volume to his first, non-academic publication titled "The Lost World of Genesis One," an emphasis on Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and other similar writings about Genesis-like concepts.
February 2, 2015
Some significant flaws (in my view), overall very useful.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews