The Bible Bar
The Bible Bar
Department of Bible, Bar-Ilan University
Gen 1: A Creation Story Unlike Any Other
31 minutes Posted Feb 2, 2026 at 1:01 pm.
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Guest: K. Lawson Younger Jr., Assyriologist.  In this episode of The Bible Bar, we read Genesis 1 alongside ancient Near Eastern creation stories with K. Lawson Younger Jr., a leading Assyriologist. Drawing on texts from Mesopotamia and the wider ancient Near East, the conversation sets Genesis 1 in its ancient world and explores what makes the biblical account distinctive.  Along the way, we talk about the Enuma Elish, why Genesis lacks divine conflict, how creation happens through speech and order, what it means to be human in these texts, and how ancient audiences may have understood these stories.

 podcast website: https://sites.biu.ac.il/en/bible-bar