Genesis 1-11 genre: separating science from exegesis; evaluating young earth, Walton, and William Lane Craig's archetypal history view

Mike separates the science question (not his area) from the exegetical question (his focus). He evaluates three views: (1) Six-day/young earth — an honest reading but one Mike moved away from after finding some Answers in Genesis arguments about the Hebrew word yom inaccurate (e.g., the claim that yom with an ordinal number always means a 24-hour day). (2) John Walton's temple/functional interpretation — at least exegetically motivated (creation is assigning names/functions, not bringing things into existence), though Mike is not convinced. (3) William Lane Craig's 'archetypal history' view (Craig calls it 'mytho-history,' a term Mike dislikes) — identifies Genesis 1-11 as a distinct genre within the book, draws on ancient Near Eastern comparative literature, and argues for narrative elasticity and flexibility. Mike finds this approach methodologically interesting. He reaffirms that Adam and Eve actually existed as historical persons, confirmed by the New Testament, regardless of uncertainties about timing.