Who wrote the Biblical Creation stories?

Answer 1

Answer 1: Moses

The first book of Moses is called Genesis. Therefore, it's believed that Moses wrote Genesis, which contains the creation account.

Answer 2: Historical Analysis

The first biblical creation story, in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, is considered by biblical scholars to have been written by the 'P' (Priestly) source. The second biblical creation story, in Genesis 2:4bff, is considered by biblical scholars to have been written by the 'J' (Yahwist) source.

Answer 3: Edited by Moses but Written Earlier

If you are referring to the creation accounts in The Bible there is really only one account contained in Genesis 1-2 and others in other parts of the Bible, although the Genesis account is the best known. The final editor of the Genesis account, probably Moses, used a common custom of his day by writing an account which focuses on the creation of the world and all that is in it in Genesis 1:1 to 2:4a and then an account which focuses on the creation of mankind in Genesis 2:4b and following.

Since we know from other ancient sources that writing was known and used for centuries before even Abraham, (contrary to skeptical nineteenth century theories) then it is possible that Abraham, as has been suggested by scholars, was either the author or collector of these accounts, with Moses being the final editor.

The archeological discovery of the Ebla Tablets is just another of many discoveries which make the skeptical JEDP theories of the nineteenth century seem rather unlikely. The Ebla Tablets, which contain a creation account with details very similar to Genesis, and which pre-date Abraham, may well indicate a common knowledge among the ancients of the real truth of the Genesis account. Although we do not know the author of these tablets, we do know that they also confirm the historicity of the biblical record in a number of other places, which suggests that the scenerio of likely biblical authors is more likely to be correct. Even archeologists who do not necessarily believe the Bible, when speaking about the Ebla Creation Tablet acknowledged that 'we'd better forget about JEDP' (my paraphrase.)

Answer 4: Oral Tradition Prior to Writing Down

Regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, it is safe to say that, long before any of the books in the Old Testament were written, they were passed down orally. So the person who composed the creation story and the person who put it to paper are two different people. But, something being written doesn't make it truer. An oral tradition can be true just as the written word can be false.

That being said, the creation stories in the Old Testament are a mix of material created by the Hebrew people and the older creation stories of the cultures around them. They grew and changed with retelling and as people moved around they adopted some of the forms common in their area. They wouldn't even have known they were changing anything because they had no written copy. Historians believe that this explains some of the contradictory elements of the modern Bible.

People who have faith in the perfect accuracy of the Bible do not believe that it is correct because it was written down right away by an eye witness. They believe it is correct because God would have guided the writer and ensured that errors would not be made in the written record.

Another good thing to consider when reading the Bible is: who translated it? The various books of the Bible are written in many languages and have been translated from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English and the meaning gets changed along the way. The preserve the most accuracy translating the Hebrew directly to English and having the translation done by someone who knows the culture it was written in. This would preserve common word use then that might not be how the word is used now. (An example in English. Corn used to mean anything small, like grains of salt or wheat. Now it means maize. Corned beef makes a lot more sense when you know that and you know it is cured with salt.) Get a few copies of different translations and read them, the differences can be surprising. (As a side note, the idea, that the hand of God ensures accuracy, also applies to translators.)

Answer 2

The first biblical creation story, in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, is considered by biblical scholars to have been written by the 'P' (Priestly) source. The second biblical creation story, in Genesis 2:4bff, is considered by biblical scholars to have been written by the 'J' (Yahwist) source.