Genesis 1:27: Male and Female Created in the Image of Gods?

[David Bokovoy]

For those interested in biblical scholarship, a new book written for a popular audience has recently appeared that some may wish to consider: God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says.

Authored by Michael Coogan, director of publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum, the book presents a fascinating reading of the famous Genesis 1:27:

[WalkerW]

Very nice, David. This is excellent. Thanks for sharing.

[BCSpace]

[kolipoki09]

Genesis 1:2 was enough to convince me.

The phrase ?????????? (merachefet) translated in the King James Version as "moved" is a feminine verb, suggesting that a Goddess (Asherah?) was part of the creation of the earth. Proverbs 8 and Wisdom imagery do well to support this.

Cheers to Coogan for bringing focus to this important subject.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Is there an EV response to this? I wonder what Rob thinks of this.

This is excellent David.

[semlogo]

Good stuff

[David Bokovoy]

Thought you folks might appreciate this commentary. From our Latter-day Saint perspective, there is an interesting correspondence between Coogan's reading of Genesis 1:27 and the description of humanity in the Family Proclamation.

Best,

-DB

[Vance]

Is there an EV response to this?

Yes, it is called the "head in the sand" approach.

I wonder what Rob thinks of this.

I wonder also. I don't expect him to respond. Unless he can somehow fabricate some lame anti-Mormon argument.

Vance: Let's not make other posters the subject.

[WalkerW]

Thought you folks might appreciate this commentary. From our Latter-day Saint perspective, there is an interesting correspondence between Coogan's reading of Genesis 1:27 and the description of humanity in the Family Proclamation.

Best,

-DB

Edit: Do not quote temple content whether it's past, present, or rumored.

Skylla

[WalkerW]

Edit: Do not quote temple content whether it's past, present, or rumored.

Skylla

Sorry. I will rephrase: earlier LDS temple dialogue also alluded to Adam and Eve's union being modeled after heavenly examples.

[WalkerW]

John Walton said this of the seventh day in Genesis:

In the ancient world, the "rest" of the gods was always in a temple; in fact, temples were built with the purpose of deity resting in them. This rest of the gods often involved their taking control of the cosmos. A god could rest because order had been achieved and everything was now ready to run smoothly. Deities ran the cosmos from their temples. When stability had been assured, the regular daily business could be carried out without interruption. Consequently, when Genesis indicates that God rested on the seventh day, it tells us that in this account of the functional origins of the cosmos, the cosmos is being portrayed as a temple...In the ancient world, the physical temples may have often required long years of construction, but even after the entire construction phase was completed, it was not yet a functioning temple. The temple was made functional in a typically seven-day dedication ceremony. In this dedication ceremony, the functions of the temple were initiated, the functionaries installed, and then, on the seventh day, the symbol that represented the deity was brought in and placed in the central room of the temple. Only then could the temple begin functioning as it was designed to do. We would conclude then that Genesis 1 is composed along the lines of a temple dedication ceremony in which over a seven-day period, the functions of the cosmic temple are initiated and the functionaries installed. The functions center on the royal and priestly roles of people, but the imagery is defined by the presence of God who has taken up his rest in the center of this cosmic temple. Through him, order is maintained, and nonfunctional disorder is held at bay

[Ahab]

For those interested in biblical scholarship, a new book written for a popular audience has recently appeared that some may wish to consider: God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says.

Authored by Michael Coogan, director of publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum, the book presents a fascinating reading of the famous Genesis 1:27:

[Hannah Rebekah]

For those interested in biblical scholarship, a new book written for a popular audience has recently appeared that some may wish to consider: God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says.

Authored by Michael Coogan, director of publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum, the book presents a fascinating reading of the famous Genesis 1:27: