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Catherine L. McDowell
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The Image of God in the Garden of Eden: The Creation of Humankind in Genesis 2:5-3:24 in Light of the mīs pî, pīt pî, and wpt-r Rituals of Mesopotamia ... and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures) Hardcover – September 9, 2015

by Catherine L. McDowell (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 ratings
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Catherine McDowell presents a detailed and insightful analysis of the creation of adam in Gen 2:5–3:24 in light of the Mesopotamian mīs pî pīt pî (“washing of the mouth, opening of the mouth”) and the Egyptian wpt-r (opening of the mouth) rituals for the creation of a divine image. Parallels between the mouth washing and opening rituals and the Eden story suggest that the biblical author was comparing and contrasting human creation with the ritual creation, animation, and installation of a cult statue in order to redefine ṣelem ʾelohîm as a human being―the living likeness of God tending and serving in the sacred garden.

McDowell also considers the explicit image and likeness language in Gen 1:26–27. Drawing from biblical and extrabiblical texts, she demonstrates that ṣelem and demût define the divine-human relationship, first and foremost, in terms of kinship. To be created in the image and likeness of Elohim was to be, metaphorically speaking, God’s royal sons and daughters. While these royal qualities are explicit in Gen 1, McDowell persuasively argues that kinship is the primary metaphor Gen 1 uses to define humanity and its relationship to God.

Further, she discusses critical issues, noting the problems inherent in the traditional views on the dating and authorship of Gen 1–3, and the relationship between the two creation accounts. Through a careful study of the tôledôt in Genesis, she demonstrates that Gen 2:4 serves as both a hinge and a “telescope”: the creation of humanity in Gen 2:5–3:24 should be understood as a detailed account of the events of Day 6 in Gen 1.

When Gen 1–3 are read together, as the final redactor intended, these texts redefine the divine-human relationship using three significant and theologically laden categories: kinship, kingship, and cult. Thus, they provide an important lens through which to view the relationship between God and humanity as presented in the rest of the Bible.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Eisenbrauns
  4. Publication date
    September 9, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.96 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1575063484
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1575063485
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Eisenbrauns; 1st edition (September 9, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1575063484
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1575063485
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.96 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 ratings

About the author

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Catherine L. McDowell

Catherine L. McDowell

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Catherine is a native of North Carolina. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill (B.A., History), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in S. Hamilton, MA (M.A. in Old Testament, M.A. in Religion), and Harvard University (M.A. and Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations). She is currently an Associate Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. She also teaches Hebrew and Old Testament courses at Séminaire Théologique Mondelus in Milot, Haiti.

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
3 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Joshua Sherman
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book about a core Biblical theme
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2021
This book is excellent. If you have wanted to dig into the Image of God in more depth, it is a fantastic resource, and a must-read for the serious student. After reading this book, there are many, many details in Scripture that have “come alive” for me.

Note - this is an academic work. It is well and clearly written, so lay readers can still get a lot out of it. But it is also very detailed, and includes some examination of the original language that will mean more to those with a solid background in Hebrew. (I don’t have any detailed knowledge of Hebrew, and I still got a lot out of it. So don’t be intimidated by that! I just know I will get more out of this book if I ever study Hebrew and read it again.)
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