Texts in Conversation
The Building of Ningirsu Temple ends with the deity entering his new temple to begin living there after a seven-day dedication. Genesis follows the same pattern, closing creation with God resting on the seventh day in the cosmos as his temple.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Gudea Cylinders B v 1
The Dream of Gudea; Building of Ningirsu's Temple
Ancient Near East, Sumerian
1 The warrior Ningirsu entered the temple: 2 the lord of the temple had arrived! 3 Like an eagle lifting its eyes toward a wild bull, 4 the warrior's entry into his temple 5 was like a storm roaring into battle. 6 Ningirsu stepped into his temple, 7 and it became the shrine of the Abzu when a festival is held; 8 the lord came forth from his temple 9 like Utu rising over the land of Lagash. 10 Bau's going to her quarters 11 was like a faithful wife taking her home in hand; 12 her entry into her bedchamber 13 was like the Tigris at high water; 14 when she sat down beside her couch, 15 she was the lady, the daughter of holy An, a lush garden bearing fruit. 16 Daylight came forth, and destiny was decreed; 17 Bau entered her quarters, 18 and there was abundance for the land of Lagash. 19 The day dawned, and Utu of Lagash lifted his head over the land.
Date: 2125 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Genesis 2:2
Hebrew Bible
1 The heavens and the earth were completed with everything that was in them. 2 By the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, and he ceased on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation. 4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created—when the Lord God made the earth and heavens.
Date: 5th century BCE (final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
... All of these details resonate with the Genesis account. The ways in which the cosmic temple of Genesis 1 will function for humanity are proclaimed (and thus come into existence), and the functionaries who carry out the activities that follow are installed. Then the deity comes to rest in the temple and the temple becomes a functional structure. Like the temple-inauguration in the Gudea texts, the "furniture" and staff are installed, the fish fill the rivers, and the animals fill the land. Then the prince enters, and finally the deity takes up his rest in the throne room. As is the case in temple construction, the mere completion of the material construction phase does not produce a functioning temple. Only when the functions are identified, the functionaries installed, and the deity has entered the temple does it begin to function. ...
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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