Creation Account in Genesis 1:1-2:4 as a Model of Political Governance

Abstract

The account of creation in Genesis 1-3 has been read and interpreted from diverse perspectives, and majority of the readers see in it a clear statement on the origin of the world. This type of reading may continue for some time to take the prime position since the story is told as if it were a factual or historical account of the creation of the universe. However, critical readers and interpreters have continued to point out the fact of the literary and imaginative nature of the account.” According to Gerhard von Rad, “When Israel talked of the creation and ordering of the cosmos, she was discussing matters that were topical for the man living here and now.”"” Many elements within the text itself point in many directions, calling the attention of the reader to search for deeper meanings. M. Vervenne puts it well when he considers the book of Genesis as “a marvelous literary work of human imagination which Ancient Israelite society created in order to develop an understanding of the 'condition humaine' and its foundationsin the divine realm in particular.”™ Just as Israel used the Genesis account to address the condition of life in its society, one can also critically use the same Genesis account to address some complex sociopolitical issues in the contemporary society.