In Genesis, the origins of the patriarchs are recited in lists, with the lists ending with the term "these are the origins of........ (the person's name, such as Noah)." The Hebrew word in Genesis for origins is toledot, translated into the Greek as generations, "these are the generations of ....... (the person's name, such Terah)," so these are recitations about people who the reciter knew or knew about, written about on cuneiform tablets, obviously, because the Hebrew word for "to write" is "to cut in," that is, cut into clay tablets. The phrase "these are the origins of ....... (the person's name, such as Esau)," is used eleven times in Genesis, from Adam to Ishmael and Jacob, those were family histories written into clay cuneiform ("cut in") tablets, what else could they have been? Additionally, Moses used updated names for places when he wrote Genesis, in Genesis 14: 2, 3, 7, 8, 15, and 17, so the original names of those places were old and forgotten by 1500 B.C., Moses having then updated the place names so the people would know where those places were.
They were likely sung. They definitely are sung in Jewish traditions even today, so the repetition and consistency gives a rhythm and harmony. If I'm understanding what your asking, that is.
Yeah. It's called an oral tradition. Meaning it was passed by word of mouth for generations before ever being written down. I've often believed that the oral tradition of the Hebrews originally began as a simple genealogy which was later incorporated into a creation myth. Then, of course, came politics. Both during the time of Kings and most especially after the return from Babylon.
No, that's called a written tradition, written evidence, not changed through millennia, as proven with the Dead Sea Scrolls.
the oral tradition is much more than just a creation story. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
