An Interpretation of Genesis 1:1-2:3 in Light of Ancient Near Eastern Traditions and Modern-Day Science

In the fields of religion and science, people seek to comprehend the world in which they live. According to the Judeo-Christian religious tradition, the universe and all its elements were created by an omniscient, omnipotent God in accordance to his holy design and purpose. This explanation, articulated in the book of Genesis, has influenced several thousand years of human history. However, the literal 24-hour days-of-creation explanation and interpretation deduced from the Genesis 1:1-2:3 creation account is contested by recent scientific discoveries as an invalid explanation for the origins of the universe and mankind. To explore the “how” and “why” questions of the origins, this project presents an interpretation of the Genesis 1:1-2:3 creation account in light of its ancient Near Eastern context and compares this interpretation to modern-day scientific understanding. The evaluation of this comparison reveals that theistic evolution is the best explanation, satisfying the veracity of both religion and science.