Don

own question is to show me what kinds of things you are looking for. And also to show what your idea of the answer or type of answer you expect. It also shows that you are not asking a question that you do not know how to answer, e.g. are not playing epistomological games.

I agree genre is crucial to determine meaning. I see Genesis being covenant prologue establishing the relationship of the parties of the covenant.

I never used the word “primitive” but I did say that the Bible often words things by appearances and not actual reality, I see this as a good thing as it can be understood by anyone in any era. The church got this exactly backwards, it was OK (so said the church) for Galileo and co. to say things “appeared” to do something, but not OK for them to say it “actually” did something, like the earth move. That is, the church said it was ok to “simplify the math explanation” by “pretending” the earth moved, but everyone knew the Bible said the earth cannot be moved so it did not.

I do not see Gen 1 as prose, I see it as a Creation hymn, as it is highly structured.