<P> Genesis is perhaps best seen as an example of a creation myth , a type of literature telling of the first appearance of humans , the stories of ancestors and heroes , and the origins of culture , cities and so forth . The most notable examples are found in the work of Greek historians of the 6th century BC : their intention was to connect notable families of their own day to a distant and heroic past , and in doing so they did not distinguish between myth , legend , and facts . Professor Jean - Louis Ska of the Pontifical Biblical Institute calls the basic rule of the antiquarian historian the `` law of conservation '' : everything old is valuable , nothing is eliminated . Ska also points out the purpose behind such antiquarian histories : antiquity is needed to prove the worth of Israel 's traditions to the nations ( the neighbours of the Jews in early Persian Palestine ) , and to reconcile and unite the various factions within Israel itself . </P>
<P> Genesis is perhaps best seen as an example of a creation myth , a type of literature telling of the first appearance of humans , the stories of ancestors and heroes , and the origins of culture , cities and so forth . The most notable examples are found in the work of Greek historians of the 6th century BC : their intention was to connect notable families of their own day to a distant and heroic past , and in doing so they did not distinguish between myth , legend , and facts . Professor Jean - Louis Ska of the Pontifical Biblical Institute calls the basic rule of the antiquarian historian the `` law of conservation '' : everything old is valuable , nothing is eliminated . Ska also points out the purpose behind such antiquarian histories : antiquity is needed to prove the worth of Israel 's traditions to the nations ( the neighbours of the Jews in early Persian Palestine ) , and to reconcile and unite the various factions within Israel itself . </P>
what type of book is the book of genesis
what type of book is the book of genesis
a creation myth
a creation myth