Syndicated: The Bible Bar - Genesis 1 (Joshua Berman & K Lawson Younger) Ep. #241

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Feb 26, 2026

K Lawson Younger, emeritus Old Testament professor and Assyriologist, offers concise expertise on ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies. Short takes cover how Genesis 1 compares with Egyptian and Mesopotamian creation stories. They discuss divine speech as creative power. They trace links like Tiamat and tehom and explore the image of God and humanity’s royal role.

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ANECDOTE

Kiddush Moment At A Conference Banquet

Joshua Berman recalls a conference banquet where he chanted the Kiddush aloud at Lawson Younger's request.
Berman describes that moment as 'a moment of Kiddush with grace in every meaning of the word.'

INSIGHT

Genesis 1 Intends Theological Who Not Scientific How

Genesis 1 answers who the Creator is, not how creation happened.
Joshua Berman and K Lawson Younger stress the structure culminating in Shabbat shows theological purpose rather than scientific detail.

INSIGHT

Ancient Thought Merged Gods With Nature

Ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies and theogonies intertwine gods with physical things like sun, moon, and rivers.
Younger contrasts this with Genesis 1 where the material world is created by God and is distinct from the Creator.

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In this syndicated episode, The Biblical Mind features the inaugural release of The Bible Bar, a new podcast from Bar-Ilan University hosted by Dr. Joshua Berman. The first episode dives into one of the most debated chapters in Scripture: Genesis 1.

Dr. Berman welcomes eminent Assyriologist and Old Testament scholar Lawson Younger to explore how the biblical creation account relates to ancient Near Eastern cosmogonies and theogonies. What makes Genesis similar to Egyptian and Mesopotamian creation stories—and what makes it radically different?

Younger explains how ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed creation and divinity as intertwined, where sun, moon, rivers, and mountains were themselves gods. In contrast, Genesis 1 insists on a Creator wholly distinct from creation. The world is not divine—it is spoken into being.

The conversation explores Tiamat and tehom, the image of God, the Memphite Theology, and the striking emphasis on divine speech. Rather than offering a scientific account, Genesis answers a different question altogether: Who is the Creator, and what does that mean for humanity?

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to The Bible Bar as it works chapter-by-chapter through the Torah.

You can find the podcast on their webpage or Spotify channel here:
https://sites.biu.ac.il/en/bible-bar/page/10098
https://open.spotify.com/show/3kHJ6MrxrEDobNRDsOPKn4

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Chapter:
00:00 Introduction to the Bible Bar
03:17 What Do We Have In Genesis 1?
06:52 Who, Or What, Is God?
13:30 What Does Genesis 1 Have to Say About Humanity?
17:43 Does the Bible Borrow from Other Cosmogenies?
21:26 What Does the "Image of God" Really Mean?
25:03 What Is Memphite Theology?
30:46 The Shared World of the Author and Audience