Ancient Egyptian Creation-Flood Accounts and Biblical Similarities
by Owen Borville
March 2, 2021
Archaeology, History, Bible, Learning
The ancient Egyptians have creation accounts (or "myths") that have many similarities to the Biblical account, despite their perceived polytheistic nature. The Biblical account of Creation, the Flood, and chronology is listed in the Book of Genesis 1-10. An argument can be made that while ancient Egyptian is perceived to be polytheistic in nature, the religious beliefs and accounts were originally monotheistic, and derived from the Biblical patriarch Noah's teachings that were passed down to his sons and grandsons. According to Biblical chronology listed in the Book of Genesis chapter 10, the Egyptians descend from Noah's son Ham and grandson Mizraim (Genesis 10:6). The name Mizraim was used for Egypt in ancient texts, including the Hebrew Old Testament. The name Egypt derives from the Greek name Aegyptos.
Similarities included are recorded in various ancient Egyptian texts, including the Pyramid texts and others. The supreme god and creator was called Atum, similar in name to Adam, the first man of the Bible. There were eight other gods that could parallel with the passengers of Noah's Ark, where we see the creation account and flood account combined into one. Atum was described at the father of the eight other gods and was described as supreme, giving the account a monotheistic description. The first Egyptians would have been descendants of Noah's family that came off the Ark and would have known about the Flood just a few generations earlier. These patriarchs would have been worshiped like gods because they were the first humans or first humans to come off the ark and lived long ages up to a thousand years. The ancient Egyptians and other ancient cultures were obsessed with immortality and long lives. These first leaders or rulers were worshipped like gods and large pyramids were built for them as Egyptian religion and culture developed.
Atum is described as emerging from the primordial waters (Nun), a parallel to the floodwaters of the Genesis Flood. A hill emerged from the waters, just like Mount Ararat that the ark landed on after the Genesis Flood receded. While on the hill, Atum began to create the world and repopulate it by creating new people who become his family members. Along with the family members, the earth, ground, wind, and atmosphere are created. Therefore, the ancient Egyptians saw the flood emergence as the creation event. In other translations, Atum's name is replaced with Ptah, or other names, but the account is similar. Another account lists four gods with their wives, equaling eight beings found in the Biblical flood account that were seen as gods by the Egyptians. The primeval waters and the creation of the ground, atmosphere, darkness, and the sun were included in the account.
The ancient Egyptian creation myth common themes were: The world originated from a lifeless chaos of waters called Nu or Nun. The pyramid shaped mound or hill that emerged from the waters before anything else is a parallel to Mount Ararat. The sun creation and rising is also a common theme. A cosmic egg is sometimes substituted for the primeval waters or mound in some accounts.
Therefore, the Egyptian creation accounts and other ancient creation accounts are based on the real creation event that actually happened and its account was passed down over generations of descendants across the earth and was translated into many languages. However, many similarities exist with all of these ancient creation accounts. Other historians claim that the Egyptian creation and flood accounts are associated with the observation of the annual Nile River flooding, however, the similarities to the Biblical Book of Genesis creation and flood events are substantial.
It is obvious that the first Egyptians knew that the flooding associated with their creation account was not based simply on a river flooding, but that they knew that man and the world originated from a flooding event, as the Flood of Genesis and its memory was passed down through Noah's descendants to all the future nations as they spread out after the Global Flood of Noah of Genesis 6-8.
by Owen Borville
March 2, 2021
Archaeology, History, Bible, Learning
The ancient Egyptians have creation accounts (or "myths") that have many similarities to the Biblical account, despite their perceived polytheistic nature. The Biblical account of Creation, the Flood, and chronology is listed in the Book of Genesis 1-10. An argument can be made that while ancient Egyptian is perceived to be polytheistic in nature, the religious beliefs and accounts were originally monotheistic, and derived from the Biblical patriarch Noah's teachings that were passed down to his sons and grandsons. According to Biblical chronology listed in the Book of Genesis chapter 10, the Egyptians descend from Noah's son Ham and grandson Mizraim (Genesis 10:6). The name Mizraim was used for Egypt in ancient texts, including the Hebrew Old Testament. The name Egypt derives from the Greek name Aegyptos.
Similarities included are recorded in various ancient Egyptian texts, including the Pyramid texts and others. The supreme god and creator was called Atum, similar in name to Adam, the first man of the Bible. There were eight other gods that could parallel with the passengers of Noah's Ark, where we see the creation account and flood account combined into one. Atum was described at the father of the eight other gods and was described as supreme, giving the account a monotheistic description. The first Egyptians would have been descendants of Noah's family that came off the Ark and would have known about the Flood just a few generations earlier. These patriarchs would have been worshiped like gods because they were the first humans or first humans to come off the ark and lived long ages up to a thousand years. The ancient Egyptians and other ancient cultures were obsessed with immortality and long lives. These first leaders or rulers were worshipped like gods and large pyramids were built for them as Egyptian religion and culture developed.
Atum is described as emerging from the primordial waters (Nun), a parallel to the floodwaters of the Genesis Flood. A hill emerged from the waters, just like Mount Ararat that the ark landed on after the Genesis Flood receded. While on the hill, Atum began to create the world and repopulate it by creating new people who become his family members. Along with the family members, the earth, ground, wind, and atmosphere are created. Therefore, the ancient Egyptians saw the flood emergence as the creation event. In other translations, Atum's name is replaced with Ptah, or other names, but the account is similar. Another account lists four gods with their wives, equaling eight beings found in the Biblical flood account that were seen as gods by the Egyptians. The primeval waters and the creation of the ground, atmosphere, darkness, and the sun were included in the account.
The ancient Egyptian creation myth common themes were: The world originated from a lifeless chaos of waters called Nu or Nun. The pyramid shaped mound or hill that emerged from the waters before anything else is a parallel to Mount Ararat. The sun creation and rising is also a common theme. A cosmic egg is sometimes substituted for the primeval waters or mound in some accounts.
Therefore, the Egyptian creation accounts and other ancient creation accounts are based on the real creation event that actually happened and its account was passed down over generations of descendants across the earth and was translated into many languages. However, many similarities exist with all of these ancient creation accounts. Other historians claim that the Egyptian creation and flood accounts are associated with the observation of the annual Nile River flooding, however, the similarities to the Biblical Book of Genesis creation and flood events are substantial.
It is obvious that the first Egyptians knew that the flooding associated with their creation account was not based simply on a river flooding, but that they knew that man and the world originated from a flooding event, as the Flood of Genesis and its memory was passed down through Noah's descendants to all the future nations as they spread out after the Global Flood of Noah of Genesis 6-8.
