Creationism According to the Genesis Author(s)

[Teluog]

Why did the author(s) of the Book of Genesis record the creation of Earth in 7 days? Obviously to the YEC the answer is "cause it was all created in 7 days!"

But what is the OEC reply to this? If the authors knew that creation happened over a week, then why wouldn't they say so?

I think we should take into account when the Book of Genesis was written as well. Was it written after the Sabbath law was prominent in Jewish culture? If so, would the authors have incorporated this into the account for religious reasons?

And if no one was around during the creation events, then how exactly did the authors find out what happened?

[KBertsche]

Why did the author(s) of the Book of Genesis record the creation of Earth in 7 days? Obviously to the YEC the answer is "cause it was all created in 7 days!"

But what is the OEC reply to this? If the authors knew that creation happened over a week, then why wouldn't they say so?

I think we should take into account when the Book of Genesis was written as well. Was it written after the Sabbath law was prominent in Jewish culture? If so, would the authors have incorporated this into the account for religious reasons?

And if no one was around during the creation events, then how exactly did the authors find out what happened?

As you hint, I believe one of the reasons for the 7-day structure is to provide a model for man to work six days and rest on the seventh. The idea of "Sabbath" is prominent in the account. (Verse 1 has 7 words in the Hebrew, and uses some less-common grammar in order to make it come out this way.)

[xcav8tor]

Hi Teluog,

Why did the author(s) of the Book of Genesis record the creation of Earth in 7 days? Obviously to the YEC the answer is "cause it was all created in 7 days!"

Well, technically, 6 days. This is confirmed in the 10 commandments as well:

YOU ARE TO LABOR SIX DAYS and do all your work... FOR THE LORD MADE the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them IN SIX DAYS; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy. (Exod. 20:9-11 HCSB)

But what is the OEC reply to this? If the authors knew that creation happened over a week, then why wouldn't they say so?

They did... Perhaps I am reading you incorrectly. Instead of "over a week's time" do you mean "over" as in, "more than a week" (ie. long ages of time)?

If you are asking OECs "Assuming for the sake of argument that your old earth views are correct, why didn't the author of Genesis 1 simply take advantage of the old-age Hebrew vocabulary available to him to just say so?" - that's an excellent question. I'd like to hear the answer to that one myself.

I think we should take into account when the Book of Genesis was written as well. Was it written after the Sabbath law was prominent in Jewish culture? If so, would the authors have incorporated this into the account for religious reasons?

I adhere to the "Tablet Theory" of Genesis in which the book is divided into 11 toledoths (family histories), each ending with a “colophon phrase” at the end which names the writer or owner of the tablet (typically worded, "these are the generations of...").
According to this theory, Genesis 1:1 to 2:4 are attributed to God and presumably written down by Adam on clay tablets. Adam then follows with his story, ending in 5:1; Noah to 6:9; Shem, Ham and Japheth to 10:1; Shem to 11:10; Terah to 11:27; Isaac to 25:19 (with Isaac recording for Ishmael in 25:12-18); Jacob to 37:2 (with Jacob recording for Esau in 36:1-43); and Jacob's 12 sons continuing to Exodus 1:6.

This being the case, Moses would be the author of Genesis in the sense of editor/compiler of these eye-witness tablets, and the personal eye-witness and author of the other 4 books attributed to him, together forming the Pentateuch.

For articles providing the basis for the Tablet Theory, go to:
http://www.trueorigin.org/tablet.asp and http://creation.com/who-wrote-genesi...doth-colophons

And if no one was around during the creation events, then how exactly did the authors find out what happened?

God was there. He talked to Adam in the garden of Eden. It was bound to come up in their discussion.

Regards,
xcav8tor