Book contents
- Stories of Origins in the Bible and Ancient Mediterranean Literature
- Stories of Origins in the Bible and Ancient Mediterranean Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I After the Flood and Before It
- 1 The Dispersion of the Peoples after the Flood
- 2 The Planting of the First Vineyard after the Flood
- 3 The Creation of the First Woman and the Origin of Evil
- 4 The Destruction of the Generation of Heroes
- Part II From Man to Nation: Literary Patterns
- Bibliography
- Index of Sources
- Index of Names and Places
3 - The Creation of the First Woman and the Origin of Evil
from Part I - After the Flood and Before It
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 December 2023
- Stories of Origins in the Bible and Ancient Mediterranean Literature
- Stories of Origins in the Bible and Ancient Mediterranean Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I After the Flood and Before It
- 1 The Dispersion of the Peoples after the Flood
- 2 The Planting of the First Vineyard after the Flood
- 3 The Creation of the First Woman and the Origin of Evil
- 4 The Destruction of the Generation of Heroes
- Part II From Man to Nation: Literary Patterns
- Bibliography
- Index of Sources
- Index of Names and Places
Summary
This chapter examines the similarities between biblical and Greek literature regarding the story of the first woman, found in the genealogical traditions of both cultures. Many ancient Near Eastern stories describe the process of the creation of the first humans from clay, and these may have disseminated and influenced the story of the creation of the woman in biblical literature, as well as the story of Pandora (especially the description of Hephaestus as a potter, in contrast to his usual portrayal as a blacksmith). However, Near Eastern literature does not include a comparable story about the creation of the first woman as distinct from the man or one that explains the origin of evil in connection to it. In addition to the unique parallel, it transpires that the Pandora tradition was integrated into the Catalogue of Women and other Greek genealogical traditions within the same sequence as the Flood hero Deucalion.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023