Creation, Genesis 1–11, and the Canon

Abstract

The compositional strategy of Genesis 1–11 is reflected in the shape of the Pentateuch as a whole. It appears that the author of Genesis 1–11 is the author of the whole Pentateuch. His views can be seen in the way programmatic poetic texts have been distributed throughout the pentateuchal narratives. Explanatory comments inserted into the ancient poems, such as "in the last days" and "ships shall come out from the Kittim," reflect an overriding interest in an eschatology similar to that of the late prophetic literature—for example, Ezekiel and Daniel. A central purpose of the eschatological framework of the Pentateuch is to bring the whole of Genesis 1–11 into the realm of Israel's own history and thus prepare the way for an understanding of concepts such as the Kingdom of God in terms of the concrete realities of creation.