# Genesis 1 Is Not Babylonian Mythology – The Separation of the Waters Is a Late Insertion - Author: Paul Csavdari - Site: MEKORAH - Content type: Article - Editorial status: Current position - Canonical URL: https://paulcsavdari.blog/2026/07/11/genesis-1-is-not-babylonian-mythology-the-separation-of-the-waters-is-a-late-insertion/ - Published: 2026-07-11T00:51:37+02:00 - Last revised: 2026-07-11T00:51:37+02:00 ## Subject Collections - [Genesis and Mythology](https://paulcsavdari.blog/ai/category/genesis-and-mythology.md): Articles focused on Genesis, ancient myths, creation, origins, and their theological and historical meaning. Canonical category page: https://paulcsavdari.blog/category/genesis-and-mythology/ ## Official Summary Introduction: Truth from the Text, Not from Assumptions Genesis 1, the first chapter of the Hebrew Bible, describes the creation of the world by a sovereign God who orders chaos by His word, without battles or mythological dramas. Yet verses 1:6–8, which speak about an… ## Full Text **Introduction: Truth from the Text, Not from Assumptions** Genesis 1, the first chapter of the Hebrew Bible, describes the creation of the world by a sovereign God who orders chaos by His word, without battles or mythological dramas. Yet verses 1:6–8, which speak about an “expanse” (rāqîaʿ) that separates the waters into “above” and “below” the sky, have been used for centuries to claim that Genesis 1 is a copy of Babylonian mythology, especially the Enuma Elish epic. Critics say that the “deep” (tehom) resembles Tiamat, that the rāqîaʿ is a solid dome like in Mesopotamian myths, and that the “waters above” the sky (connected to the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11) reflect a foreign cosmology. Nothing could be more false! This article clearly demonstrates, with evidence from the biblical text and from Enuma Elish, that the “separation of the waters” in Genesis 1:6–8 is a late insertion, added to make Genesis 1 compatible with the mythological flood narrative in Genesis 7:11, which is influenced by Babylonian cosmology. By removing this insertion and replacing it with the idea that the sky (rāqîaʿ) is “stretched out above the existing waters” (where the Spirit was hovering in Gen 1:2), Genesis 1 becomes a purely theological text, without any trace of Babylonian mythology. We will analyze each element—tehom, rāqîaʿ, the waters above, the ordering of chaos—and we will rewrite Genesis 1 to show how clear, logical, and clean it becomes without this foreign alteration. If you read to the end, you will see that every parallel with Enuma Elish disappears, and Genesis 1 shines as divine revelation, not as a recycled myth. **Genesis 1: What the Text Actually Says** Genesis 1 describes the creation of the world in six days, with a clear and rational order: - **Gen 1:1–2:** “In the beginning God created the heavens [šāmayim] and the earth [ʾereṣ]. The earth was formless and empty [tōhū wābōhū], darkness was over the surface of the deep [tehom], and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters [ʿal-pənê hammāyim].” Here, tehom is an undefined watery mass, passive, under the control of the Spirit. - **Gen 1:3–5:** God creates light by His word (“Let there be light!”), separating it from darkness. - **Gen 1:6–8:** “Let there be an expanse [rāqîaʿ] between the waters, and let it separate waters from waters […] and it separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse […] and God called the expanse ‘heavens’ [šāmayim].” This passage introduces the “waters above” the sky, an idea that seems to support the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11. - **Gen 1:9–10:** The waters “under the heavens” are gathered together, revealing the dry land, called ʾereṣ, and the waters become seas. - **Gen 1:14–20:** The lights are “in the expanse of the heavens” (bəraqîaʿ haššāmayim), and the birds fly “across the face of the expanse of the heavens” (ʿal-pənê rəqîaʿ). Everything is orderly, without conflict. But the “separation of the waters” in Gen 1:6–8 raises serious questions. Why separate the waters when the Spirit is already “above the waters” in Gen 1:2? Where are the “waters above” the sky in the rest of Genesis 1? Why do they appear only in Gen 7:11, in a flood context? The answer is simple: the “separation of the waters” is a foreign addition, inspired by Babylonian mythology. **Enuma Elish: A Myth, Not a Revelation** Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation epic, describes a completely different story: - **Tablet I:** Apsu (fresh waters) and Tiamat (salt waters), primordial deities, mingle and give birth to other gods. - **Tablet IV:** Tiamat, a living and hostile goddess, is killed by Marduk, who splits her body in two: the upper half becomes the sky, which holds back the waters above, and the lower half becomes the earth. - **Tablet V:** Marduk organizes the sky with gates for the upper waters, which allow the rain to fall. The supposed parallels with Genesis 1 are: tehom (as Tiamat), rāqîaʿ (as a solid dome), the separation of the waters (like the splitting of Tiamat), and the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11 (like the Babylonian gates of heaven). But these parallels are forced and depend on a single passage: Gen 1:6–8. Let’s dismantle them one by one. **The Evidence: Why the “Separation of the Waters” Is a Mythological Insertion** **1. Tehom Is Not Tiamat** Critics say that tehom (the “deep” in Gen 1:2) is an echo of Tiamat, the goddess of chaos in Enuma Elish. Wrong. Let’s see what the texts say: - **Gen 1:2:** “Darkness was over the surface of the deep [tehom], and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” Tehom is a watery mass, associated with “the waters” (māyim), without personality, will, or opposition. It is passive matter, ordered by God without a struggle (in Gen 1:9–10 the waters are gathered into seas). - **Enuma Elish:** Tiamat is a living goddess, mother of the gods, who becomes hostile and is killed by Marduk. Her body is split to form the sky and the earth. **Verdict:** Tehom is not Tiamat. They may share a linguistic root (“deep”), but tehom is only undefined water, under God’s control. In Genesis there is no conflict or personification. Tiamat is an active entity, violently defeated. Any parallel is purely superficial. **2. Rāqîaʿ Is a Spatial Expanse, Not a Solid Dome** Critics claim that the rāqîaʿ (the “expanse” in Gen 1:6–8) is a solid dome, like the Babylonian sky that holds back the waters. False. Let’s check: - **Gen 1:6–8:** “Let there be an expanse [rāqîaʿ] between the waters, and let it separate waters from waters.” Here, rāqîaʿ seems to separate the waters, suggesting a solid structure. But this is the only mention of this “separation”! - **Gen 1:20:** “Let the birds fly across the face of the expanse of the heavens [ʿal-pənê rəqîaʿ haššāmayim].” If the rāqîaʿ were a solid dome, how could birds fly “across its face”? The expression ʿal-pənê (“over/along the face of”) means “in the space of the sky,” like the visible blue vault. Birds are not bumping against a ceiling. - **Gen 1:14–17:** “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens [bəraqîaʿ haššāmayim].” The lights (sun, moon) are “in” the rāqîaʿ, not “under” it, which implies a space, not a solid roof. - **Ezek 1:22–26:** “An expanse [rāqîaʿ] was spread out above, looking like awe-inspiring crystal.” Here rāqîaʿ is “spread out above” (nāṭûy ʿal), not between waters. It supports God’s throne, not waters. - **Job 37:18:** “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies [šāmayim], hard as a cast metal mirror?” The sky is compared to a “mirror,” but the text does not mention separating waters. - **Isa 40:22:** “He stretches out the heavens like a canopy.” The sky is a stretched-out expanse, like a tent, not a rigid dome. **Verdict:** Rāqîaʿ (from rāqaʿ, “to beat out / to spread out”) is a spatial expanse, not a solid dome. Birds fly “across its face,” the lights are “in” it, and other OT texts (Job, Proverbs, Isaiah) describe it as “stretched out above” the waters or the earth, without any “waters above.” The only time rāqîaʿ looks like a dome is in Gen 1:6–8, which links it to “the waters above”—a foreign idea. **3. The “Waters Above” and the “Windows of the Heavens” Are Babylonian Mythology** - **Gen 1:7:** “The waters that are above the expanse” appear only in this verse, preparing the way for the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11. - **Gen 7:11:** “The windows of the heavens [ʾărubbōt haššāmayim] were opened, and the fountains of the great deep [tehom] burst forth.” The “windows of the heavens” imply waters above the sky that pour down in the flood. This is a clearly Babylonian image: in Enuma Elish (Tablet V), the sky has gates for the upper waters that allow the rain to fall. - **Psalm 148:4:** “You waters above the heavens” is the only other mention—but the Psalm is written after the modification of Genesis 1, because the LXX began by altering the writings of Moses and then, one by one, all Jewish writings were passed through the Alexandrian machinery and made to support a mythologized theology. **The problem:** Without the “waters above” in Gen 1:6–8, the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11 make no sense in the cosmology of Genesis 1. Why? Because nowhere else in Genesis 1 are waters “above” the sky mentioned. The “fountains of the deep” (tehom) would be sufficient to explain the flood, without implying a mythological structure of the sky. **Verdict:** The “waters above” in Gen 1:6–8 and the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11 are mythological elements inspired by Enuma Elish. Gen 1:6–8 was added to justify Gen 7:11, which introduces a Babylonian image of waters held back by the sky. **4. The Ordering of Chaos: Theology, Not Myth** - **Gen 1:3–10:** Chaos (tōhū wābōhū, tehom) is ordered by God’s word: “Let there be light!” (1:3), “Let there be an expanse!” (1:6), “Let the waters be gathered!” (1:9). There is no struggle, opposition, or violence. Tehom becomes seas (1:10), integrated into creation. - **Enuma Elish:** Chaos (Tiamat) is a hostile goddess, defeated by Marduk in a cosmic battle. Her body is split to form the cosmos. **Verdict:** The ordering of chaos in Genesis 1 is a rational, theological act by God’s word. In Enuma Elish, it is a mythological battle. There is no real parallel. **The Incoherence of the “Separation of the Waters”** The “separation of the waters” in Gen 1:6–8 creates logical problems: - **Gen 1:2:** The Spirit of God hovers “over the surface of the waters” (ʿal-pənê hammāyim), a single watery mass (tehom). If the rāqîaʿ separates the waters into “above” and “below” the sky, where does the Spirit remain? Above the upper waters (above the sky)? Below the lower waters (under the sky)? The text does not explain—this is illogical. Other OT texts: - **Job 26:10:** “He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters [ʿal-pənê māyim].” - **Prov 8:27:** “He drew a circle on the face of the deep [ʿal-pənê tehom].” - **Isa 40:22:** “He stretches out the heavens like a canopy.” These texts describe the sky as “drawn/stretched out above” the waters or the earth, without mentioning any separation of the waters or waters “above” the sky. **Rewriting Genesis 1: Clean, Logical, Theological** Let us remove the “separation of the waters” and rewrite Gen 1:1–10 based on what the text actually says and on other OT passages. The sky (rāqîaʿ) will be “stretched out above the existing waters” (where the Spirit was hovering in Gen 1:2): - **1:1:** “In the beginning God created the heavens [šāmayim] and the earth [ʾereṣ].” - **1:2:** “The earth was formless and empty [tōhū wābōhū]; darkness was over the surface of the deep [tehom], and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters [ʿal-pənê hammāyim].” - **1:3–5:** “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light […] God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.” - **1:6–8 (rewritten):** “God said, ‘Let there be an expanse [rāqîaʿ] above the waters [ʿal-pənê hammāyim], over which My Spirit is hovering.’ And God made the expanse and set it above the waters. And it was so. God called the expanse Heavens [šāmayim].” - **1:9–10:** “God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens [taḥat haššāmayim] be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear.’ […] God called the dry land Earth [ʾereṣ], and the gathered waters He called Seas.” **Why This Is Perfect** **Clear and coherent:** - **Gen 1:2:** The Spirit is “over the surface of the waters” (ʿal-pənê hammāyim), a single mass (tehom). - **Gen 1:6–8:** The sky (rāqîaʿ) is stretched “above the waters,” exactly where the Spirit was. There are no waters “above” the sky, therefore no “separation.” - **Gen 1:9:** The waters “under the heavens” are gathered, revealing the dry land. Everything flows naturally. - **Gen 1:20:** Birds fly “across the face of the expanse,” an open space, not under a dome. - **Gen 1:14–17:** The lights are “in the expanse of the heavens,” confirming that rāqîaʿ is a space, not a ceiling. **Aligned with the Old Testament:** - **Job 26:10:** “A circle on the face of the waters.” - **Prov 8:27:** “A circle on the face of the deep.” - **Isa 40:22:** “Heaven as a canopy.” - **Ezek 1:22–26:** The rāqîaʿ “stretched out above.” All these describe the sky as an expanse above the waters/the earth, without waters “above.” **Without mythology:** - **Tehom:** Passive matter, not a goddess like Tiamat. Ordered without battle. - **Rāqîaʿ:** Spatial expanse, not a dome. Birds and lights confirm this. - **Waters above:** Gone. Gen 7:11 (“windows of the heavens”) becomes an anomaly, unanchored in Genesis 1. - **Ordering of chaos:** By God’s word, not by combat. Pure theology, not myth. **Genesis 7:11 — The Source of the Problem** The text: “The windows of the heavens were opened, and the fountains of the great deep [tehom] burst forth.” The “windows of the heavens” imply waters above the sky, a direct image from Babylonian mythology, where the sky has gates for the waters above (Enuma Elish, Tablet V). **The problem:** Without the “waters above” in Gen 1:6–8, the “windows of the heavens” make no sense in Genesis 1’s cosmology. The flood could be explained entirely by “the fountains of the deep” (tehom), underground waters (see Ps 33:7, “the deeps in storehouses”). Why add waters “above” the sky? Because Gen 7:11 imported a mythological image, and Gen 1:6–8 was modified to support it. **The evidence:** No other text in Genesis 1 or in the OT (except Ps 148:4) mentions waters “above” the sky. All describe the sky as “above” the waters/the earth. Gen 1:6–8 is the anomaly, introduced to bring it into line with Gen 7:11. **Why Did This Happen? Rewriting in the Septuagint** The “separation of the waters” in Gen 1:6–8 and the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11 are mythological elements that do not belong to the original Hebrew text of Genesis 1. These additions were introduced in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation produced in Alexandria in the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE, under the influence of the Hellenistic context and Babylonian mythology. - **Alexandrian context:** In Alexandria, Jews lived in a Hellenistic environment where Mesopotamian mythologies, including Enuma Elish, were known through cultural contact with Babylon and Persia. The LXX translators, influenced by these ideas, rewrote parts of the OT to make the texts more “compatible” with the cosmologies of the time. In Enuma Elish, the sky is formed from Tiamat’s body, split to hold back the waters above, and the gates of heaven allow rain to fall. The “separation of the waters” in Gen 1:6–8 and the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11 reflect this cosmology. - **Septuagint details:** In LXX, rāqîaʿ is translated as *stereōma* (“solid structure”), suggesting a dome, unlike the Hebrew text, where rāqîaʿ is a spatial expanse (Gen 1:20; 1:14–17). Tehom is translated *abyssos* (“abyss”), but the context of Gen 1:6–8 adds the idea of separating waters, absent from other OT texts. These translations reflect a Hellenistic reinterpretation influenced by Enuma Elish. - **Flood narrative:** Gen 7:11 (“windows of the heavens”) resembles Mesopotamian flood myths (e.g., the Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet XI), where the sky has gates for the waters above. To make Genesis 1 compatible with this narrative, the LXX translators inserted the “separation of the waters” into Gen 1:6–8, introducing “waters above” the sky. The original Hebrew text of Genesis had no need of this separation; it described the sky as “stretched out above the waters” (Job 26:10; Prov 8:27; Isa 40:22). **The evidence:** Gen 1:6–8 is the only OT passage that mentions “waters above” the sky, and Gen 7:11 depends on it. Other OT texts describe the sky as “above” the waters/the earth, with no separation. The rewriting in LXX introduced this mythological idea to align creation with the flood. **Genesis 7:11 — The Source of the Problem (Again)** The text: “The windows of the heavens were opened, and the fountains of the great deep [tehom] burst forth.” The “windows of the heavens” are a clear import from Babylonian mythology (Enuma Elish, Tablet V). Without the “waters above” in Gen 1:6–8, this expression makes no sense in Genesis 1, because the sky (rāqîaʿ) is only “stretched out above the waters” (Gen 1:2, 1:6–8 rewritten). **The solution:** The flood could have been explained solely by “the fountains of the deep” (tehom), underground waters (Ps 33:7). The “windows of the heavens” are a mythological addition, introduced in the LXX to make the flood narrative similar to Mesopotamian myths. **Conclusion: Genesis 1 Is Revelation, Not Myth** Let this be clear: Genesis 1, in its original form, is not Babylonian mythology. The “separation of the waters” in Gen 1:6–8 is a late insertion, added in the Septuagint in Alexandria under the influence of Enuma Elish and the Hellenistic context, to align Genesis 1 with the “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11. The original Hebrew text was clean: - **Tehom** is passive matter, not Tiamat. - **Rāqîaʿ** is a spatial expanse, not a dome. - The sky is “stretched out above the waters” (Gen 1:2; Job 26:10; Prov 8:27), with no “waters above.” - Chaos is ordered by the word, not by combat. The rewriting of Gen 1:6–8 (the sky “stretched out above the existing waters”) makes the text logical, coherent, and theologically pure. The “windows of the heavens” in Gen 7:11 remain a mythological anomaly, but they are not supported by the original Genesis 1. Every parallel with Enuma Elish depends on this LXX insertion. Read the texts, compare them, and you will see: Genesis 1 is the revelation of a sovereign God, not a recycled Babylonian myth. Period. ## Attribution The interpretations and conclusions belong to Paul Csavdari. The AI-generated voice is the narrator, not the author. © Paul Csavdari. All rights reserved.