Why does the Old Testament look so much like Greek Mythology?

Question

Was it meant to be that way so people at the time would listen to it or did real magic happen?

Answer 1

The "Old Testament?" What about this story...

god comes down from heaven and knocks up a earthly woman and she gives birth to his son who has special powers and a mission on earth...

Jesus son of Mary?

Nope.. ..


Hercules son of Zeus.

Same story, different directors.

Like the remake of The Planet of the Apes.

Answer 2

The Old Testament is a section of the Holy Bible, which is the history of the nation of Israel - the Jewish people. It, more importantly, supplies the New Testament with background. Without the Old Testament, the New Testament would be utterly impossible to understand. The Jewish nation Israel, was in-trusted the job of insuring that the written record was forwarded to the generations following. In the times of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament writings (scrolls) were oftentimes, referred to by Christ and His disciples. Conversely to your question, Greek Mythology was the attempt of the Gentile Greeks and their philosophers to impute creation to supernatural "gods". They even, realized that creation was not by mere divergence starting with green slime but there were supernatural forces involved, apart from the physical. Unlike their Jewish counterparts at the time of Christ, who believed in one Creator - the Greeks followed the multi-god Mythology. Many historians, like those of the Babylonians list the event, for example, of the Great Flood (Noah's Ark) in their historical record but attribute their god (s) as its originator. As time passes, so does the memory pass and then, these events, which once played out, become as tales or myths to later generations.

Answer 3

I think you are incorrect in so many ways on this point. Compare and contrast Greek Mythology with the Old Testament and you will find no substantial similarities.

Number of Gods
Greek- pantheon of gods
OT- a single god

Nature of God
Greek- changable beings that make mistakes, have foibles, limited (they all have a "birth") etc
OT- a perfect being that is unchanged and unchanging and has always existed

How one relates to deity
Greek- pray and sacrifice and hope you do not offend
OT- trust in his mercy and act in righteousness

We could probably go on, but you get the idea.

Answer 4

The Jews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still an identifiable people group today. They have been restored to the Land of Israel in accordance with numerous Old Testament prophecies, one given through Moses over 3500 years ago (See Deuteronomy 30:1-5). They still celebrate the Feast of Passover, the celebration of their miraculous deliverance from Pharaoh and Egypt. They furthermore still celebrate other feasts instituted in the Law of Moses and also events in their history, like the Feast of Purim, when they were delivered from genocide during the reign of Xerxes @ 500 B.C. That very phrase "B.C." stands for "Before Christ", and A.D. stands for Anno Domini, Latin for "In the Year of the Lord", so that Western culture actually marks time by the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The history of the Jews and the Old Testament, which foretold in many prophecies the coming of Jesus the Messiah, is inseparably linked to current history, making the God of the Bible and its record of God's dealings with men unlike any other so-called god or mythology throughout the course of history.

Answer 5

Greek mythology?

Using the evidence of the Documentary Hypothesis, the Old Testament is the result of Egyptian and Babylonian myths attempting to become monotheistic.

The result of this attempt? Contradictions and inconsistencies.

Answer 6

It is so much like Greek Mythology because it is essentially the same-It's made up.

Answer 7

The Greeks borrowed the scripture and made there own ideas up to go along with it.

Yes, miracles really happened.

Answer 8

Strange, I don't think it resembles Greek mythology at all.

Answer 9

it's history, where the writer fills in the blanks of the unknown factors with mythology. they are quite similar, i agree.

that's how people wrote it back then.

Answer 10

Maybe, perhaps, he Greeks were jealous of the Jewish God, and copied thier stories??....dunno...just a guess...I stink at history