In the Beginning: Creation Myths from Ancient Mesopotamia, Israel and Greece

by Joan O'Brien

Addressed to students of classical mythology, religion, and comparative mythology, this volume contains myths of creation from three ancient cultures. Included are selections from the Hebrew Bible, the Mesopotamian Enuma Elish and Atrahasis , and Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days . The texts are complemented by essays on the cultural contexts in which the myths arose.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 1982

Reviews

[Belle Meade School]

291.24

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what it purports to be, a solid textbook for a course on the creation myths of the ancient Greeks, the Mesopotamians, and the Israelites. There is a last chapter that addresses the roles of women in those societies, with attention paid to the diminishing place of goddesses over time.