Analysis of the Bible as Literature: Key Texts and Themes

This essay, prepared for a Bible as Literature course, provides a detailed analysis of selected texts from the Old Testament and the Epic of Gilgamesh. The first part of the essay examines five key citations, including the Golden Calf incident, God's testing of Abraham, the two versions of Creation, Cain's question, and the concept of impermanence in Gilgamesh. Each text is analyzed for its significance within its respective narrative, exploring themes such as faith, morality, and the human condition. The second part delves into the story of Adam and Eve, discussing its impact on Western culture, focusing on themes of consistency, counterbalance, and the portrayal of women. The essay references scholarly sources to support its interpretations, providing a comprehensive overview of the selected texts and their broader implications.

Running head: THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE
THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE
Part One
1. The Golden Calf (Exodus 32.1-35)
The following stanza explains the time when the righteous separated themselves from the
pagans and by doing so, Moses was informed by the Almighty that he had tried to communicate
with the Israelies however they failed when they tried to worship the golden calf (L'Engle, 2018).
His angered the Almighty and as a punishment, he struck the delegates with lightning and
destroyed them with a violent earthquake.
2. God’s testing of Abraham (Genesis 22.1-19)
The following stanza explains the actions of Abraham when he responded to the
commands of God positively when was told to kill his son Issac. This is poignant because of the
fact Abraham lost his other son Ishmael in (21 8-21). This two stories are later mirrors of one
another that focused on the loss of the sons as well as God’s provision
3. The two versions of Creation (Genesis 1.1-2.3 and 2.4b-25)
In Genesis 1.1-2:3, it is mentioned that God created the heaven and the earth when it was
still formless and dark. In that darkness, God first created light and then he separated light from
darkness, God then created ocean and sky and then he created land. He separated light from
darkness and made day and night. This way He created life and so forth he made changes
throughout the Earth.
In Genesis 2:4-25, it explains the fact on how the account of heaven and earth and how it
was formed. When there was still no sign of shrubs and plants, God sent rain for the first time
and from there the life began to form. As time went further ahead life evolved and God created

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Adam and from his rib he created Eve and brought her to him. This explains why man leaves his
father and mother and unites with his wife so that they become one flesh. Both of them were
naked and they felt no shame.
4. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4.9)
The book of Genesis explains this stanza when Cain slayed his brother and after doing so
he was confronted by God. God told him that a man should not be alone to which Cain asked
God that whether he is his brother keeper. God agreed with Cain and said he was correct.
5. “There is no permanence…” (Gilgamesh 106-107)
The following stanza explains the futility of seeking to defy mortality. What is actually
insufferable to Gilgamesh is that the sense that the cycle should be from nature to nature
(Gadotti, 2014). This is similar to the first three ordeals of his last two journeys that he took from
death through the purificatory ordeals and their patterns in relation to human life.
Part Two
"Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild
animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
The story of Adam and Eve provides a number of things that can be related to the
Western culture. One of the most important factors involved is consistency. As per the story of
Adam and Eve, they have faced countless challenged that were separated from time however
always reconciled. Healing ruptures is one of the key elements to heal ruptures. It cannot be

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directly called a story of love but a series of choices that helps in determining to be with one
person repeatedly.
In terms of divine authorization of the subjugation of women, the Book of Genesis has
been a medium of primary source for gender and morality. Although the story is reflected with
the information of the Hebrew culture, and bias context is more inclined towards history rather
than divine in origin. This is more so because for the last 2000 years, Eve has been the
representation of the identity of all women in existence. It is through their actions and nature, the
identity of women was presented (Epstein, 2015). It is also though Eve’s actions the interest
women are unveiled. In Western civilization, women have been represented as disobedient,
guileless, weak-willed, disloyal, and seductive and behaviors that are influenced by self-interest
since ancient times. The message of Genesis expresses that regardless of what women
accomplish on the planet, men ought not completely confide in women and even women ought
not confide in one another either. Notwithstanding as indicated by the scholar Tertullian, women
mean the first sin and the fall of human race. The view of Eve has advanced and persevered
through surprising tirelessness that endures as a blockage with the end goal to rectify the
techniques for sexual orientation among genders (Calvin, 2018). Eve has additionally been
recognized as the foundation for a considerable length of time of laws and measures with the end
goal to constrain the activities, rights and the status of women. It very well may be reflected
deliberately or unwittingly that would fill in as the instrument utilized against women with the
end goal to challenge male authority. In western human progress, this idea is so profoundly
established in the socio-religious factors that there has been numerous endeavors to dishonor it or
essentially defaming it (Holm-Hudson, 2017). By serving as a body of patriarchal fiction and
historical fiction and myth, this concept has met with minimal success. Another factor involved

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is counterbalance. As love acts as a balance between independence and interdependent, the fact
is unclear whether Eve actually wanted to be a second fiddle to Adam (Sa’di, 2017). She wanted
both a relationship and a state of autonomy. She was independent and has both qualities of
selfishness and selflessness. This was shown as an antidote for loneliness for Eve. Another factor
that is reflected is coronation as other than Eve, Adam was equally involved. When it is
described, it is not just a story of Adam or just the story of Eve. It is both of their stories told
together. There have also been attempts in order to correct the popular belief that Eve tempted
Adam in order to eat the fruit despite the fact that in Genesis 3:6 it is mentioned that both she and
Adam ate the fruit together.
Therefore from the above discourse it very well may be reasoned that the perspective of
even and women everywhere throughout the world has been suggested into the universe of
culture from a degree that characterizes the normal condition and conduct of women. From a
malignant view and degree this proceeds to unpretentiously impact the negative strategies to
display the impression of women ought to be continually conceived inside the brain while seeing
the pictures associated with it.

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REFERENCES
Calvin, John. Commentaries of the First Book of Moses Called Genesis. Lulu. com, 2018.
Epstein, Klaus. The genesis of German conservatism. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Gadotti, Alhena. Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle.
Vol. 10. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2014.
Holm-Hudson, Kevin. Genesis and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Routledge, 2017.
L'Engle, Madeleine. Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols in Antarctica and Other
Unexpected Places. Convergent Books, 2018.
Sa’di, Ahmad H. "Thorough surveillance: The genesis of Israeli policies of population
management, surveillance and political control towards the Palestinian minority." (2016).
The Epic of Gilgamesh: An English Verison with an Introduction. Penguin, 1960.