Biblical vs. Greek Creation

Biblical Creation Basics

• God was there first
• Light and Dark
• Adam and Eve
• Exile

Greek Creation Basics

• Chaos
• Other Gods Born/Created
• Light and Dark
• Gaea/Uranus/Erebus
• Olympians

Major Similarities

• Light and Dark
• Creation Process

Light and Dark

• Light and dark were separated in both.
• At first, there was dark, then came light which created Night and Day.

Creation Process

• Both created Earth in a specific order of actions, one by one.
• Greek: chaos started, then love created order
• Biblical: sea then land and greens, types of plants, heavens and earth.

Major Differences

• Polytheistic/Monotheistic
• Division of Creation
• Beginning
• Wording
• Use of Figurative Language

Polytheism vs. Monotheism

• Greek creation tells of how numerous gods came into being and created the universe, like Gaea the earth goddess.
• The Biblical creation tells of one omnipotent God who created anything and everything in the universe.

Division of Creation

• Greek was not detailed, only saying chaos brought night and darkness, and love brought order. The gods freely made up their own rules about the universe.
• In Genesis, the creation of the land, sky, and earth were all divided at distinct times.

Beginning

• Greek: In the beginning, there were beings that had mysterious origins and multiple gods and goddesses that appeared.
• Christian: God is eternal and appeared before anyone else.

Wording

• Greek: written like a narrative, filled with action to keep the interest of and entertain readers.
• Biblical: Outdated terms, told as it is without much embellishment.

Figurative Language

• Greek: hyperboles
• Christian: metaphors
• Both: similes
• ex: "like dancing upon the waves" (Another Greek Creation Myth).

Overall, both creations involved dark and light but had their differences in literary portrayal, gods, and supernatural beings.

Works Cited
Criss, PJ. "Creation Myths from Around The World." JZR Aardvark. JZR, 2002. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
Loya, Iris. "Myths and Legends." The Earths Creation Biblical vs. Greek. E2BN, 2006. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.