(This is not the place to explore further, but simply note the parallels between Genesis 1:2 and Jesus’ baptism [Mark 1:9–11]. In Genesis, the Spirit of God hovers [like a bird] over the primordial waters. At Jesus’ baptism in the waters of the River Jordan, the Spirit descends—in the form of a dove. This is perhaps also an echo of the dove motif in the “new creation” story of Noah and the Flood [Gen 8:8–12].)
