Bobzammel

Anybody notice the parrarels between the two?

Zeus creates mankind out of clay and places him on the Earth. However Prometheus, another God, steps in and gives mankind fire, from which knowledge arises(Similar to the Apple). After finding this out, Zeus then punishes mankind and Prometheus as well. Prometheus is given a fate similar to the descriptions of the devil's punishment in REVELATION-being chained and tormented forever and ever.

Tercel

I'd just like to note that as a liberal Christian who believes the genesis creation story to be mythological anyway, I'm fairly neutral here.
Some random thoughts:

Anybody notice the parrarels between the two?
Yeah, but do they prove anything? There's only so many possible different explanations for things like creation. Given the vast number of different religions out there, it seems pretty likely that there will exist parallel explanations which are completely coincidental.

Am I remembering my Greek myths wrongly or didn't Hera also participate in making mankind?

As for Prometheus' eternal punishment, that's hardly anything special... there are a fairly limited number of things people the world over will think of if they try to imagine the worst possible punishment.

Chronologically, doesn't the Hebrew creation story pre-date the greek one anyway - wouldn't that mean that if there was borrowing it would have gone the other way?

The ideas in Revelation though are almost-certainly influenced by Greek and other thought.


I seem to recall reading a fundie argument that lots of cultures had ancient creation stories very similar to the Bible's one and that was a good thing since it showed the Bible's one more likely to be true. (on the basis that all cultures originally descended from Adam & Eve and were taught the true Biblical story of their origins which they gradually corrupted over time) So even if you had a good case for parallels, I'm not sure it would worry a fundamentalist.

Marduk

This sounds pinched from the Babylonian/Sumerian story as well. Which makes sense, it is a creation story and ALL these cultures made things from clay; houses, pottery, statues etc. In Central America they say man was first made from wood.
Anything which has a creation motif is going to sound similar on many levels, less you lose the creation element.

vtran31

the Greek myth of man's creatio has little alike with the Biblicla account of creation. ahvent read it in a while, but I shall try to go through it, someone who knows Greek myth correct me if I'm wrong

PS. Hera did not play a role in the creation of man

Some dude, anyone know, was appointed the task of distributing traits, or was it create, to certain animals. He had no traits left when he came to humans so he asked Prometheus to help. Prometheus did and gave em a bunch of stuff. No women yet. He wanted to give em fire but Zeus would not, because if he did he thinks they would not rely on the gods anymore. so Prometheus stole fire and gave it to man. man prospered and Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock for all eternity and his liver was pecked out by an eagle everyday and grew back. incindentaly, someone freed him one day and Zeus forgave him, some legends say Hercules did so. Zeus wanted to punish the humans so Pandora, the first women I believe was made. the gods gave her wonderful traits and hera, or was it Zeus?, gave her the trait of curiousity. they gave her a box that had all sorts of nasties, dead disease and the like and told her not to open it. one day she did. all the monsters got out except one,. some legends say it was hope and others knowing the future. it is not much like Adam and Eve. plus there is the fact the Hebrews would not have interacted with the Greeks before the return form Babylon, the latest date for the Genesis story

philechat

On Greek myth, Prometheus not only stole fire for the humans but also tricked Zeus in the offerings of sacrifice. Epimatheus gave all the other animals except humans all the different qualities, and Prometheus gave fire to mankind. In Aeschlyus' tragedy Prometheus was also credited for teaching mankind other crafts. Both Prometheus and Epimatheus helped Zeus in the war against the Titans, though Titans themselves.

The Greeks probably had ambivalent feelings toward Prometheus: on one hand, Prometheus was often satirized in comedies and Satyr plays. On the other hand, he figured in Aeschlyus' tragedy (two parts of which unfortunately lost) a blameless character who gained sympathy from the chorus, and made several powerful accusations to Zeus (thus the modern retelling of Prometheus-as-hero).

happyboy

there are a LOT of similarities between christian/jewish myths, and pagan myths. take the flood story, for instance: many cultures around the world have a flood myth, with an ark/raft/boat/what-have-you, and one family, or group of people chosen to survive the coming flood. christians like to think this makes THEIR flood story true.

sorry, people, no it doesn't. it means that flood stories are very common in the minds of humans. and even if ONE of these stories is true, the odds are heavily against it being the christian one, due to the sheer number of flood stories out there.

happyboy