I 88 HUXLEY 



The Creation-story, with which the book of Gene- 

 sis opens, can no longer be regarded " as possessing 

 any value as a scientific exposition of the past history 

 of the earth." There is now no question whatever 

 that it was derived from the Babylonian epic, the gro- 

 tesque polytheism of which is, in the Hebrew variant, 

 superseded by " a severe and dignified monotheism." 

 The Sabbath is, in all probability, an institution ulti- 

 mately of Babylonian origin, not then as a rest-day 

 for man, but " a day when the gods rested from their 

 anger." Among the Hebrews it was made subserv- 

 ient to human needs and religious purposes ; but " its 

 sanctity is explained unhistorically, and ante-dated." 



Instead of the Sabbath, closing the week, being 

 sacred, because God rested upon it after His six days' 

 work of Creation, the work of Creation was distrib- 

 uted among six days, followed by a day of rest ; 

 because the week, ended by the Sabbath, already ex- 

 isted as an institution, and the writer wished to adjust 

 artificially the work of Creation to it. In other 

 words, the week determined the " days " of Creation, 

 not the " days " of Creation the week. 1 



The story of Paradise and the Fall, on the validity 

 of which a fundamental part of Christian dogma rests, 

 " exhibits also points of contact with Babylonia, 

 though not so definite or complete as those presented 

 by the first Creation-story." " Eden itself," remarks 



1 Authority and Archeology, p. 1 8. 



