Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
William Lane Craig’s recent description of Genesis as “mytho-history” has reignited debate over how the opening chapters of Scripture should be read. In this video, Dr. Bill Barrick, a veteran Hebrew scholar, responds directly to modern and liberal approaches to Genesis—especially the claim that Genesis blends myth and history rather than presenting real events.
Craig argues that elements such as a talking serpent, extraordinary longevity, and parallels to Ancient Near Eastern literature suggest a symbolic or literary genre. In response, Dr. Barrick explains why these arguments fail when Genesis is examined on its own terms, in Hebrew.
Throughout the discussion, Dr. Barrick demonstrates that Genesis 1–11 is written as historical narrative, not poetry or myth, drawing attention to:
The Hebrew grammar and verb forms used in Genesis 1
Repetition and structure as features of ritual and genealogical texts—not poetry
Clear chronological markers such as “evening and morning” and numbered days
Genealogical parallels in Genesis 5, 10, and elsewhere
Why comparisons to Ancient Near Eastern myths like the Enuma Elish break down
Dr. Barrick also addresses the broader claim—often made in modern scholarship—that Israel borrowed pagan mythology and reworked it into Scripture. He explains why this misunderstands both biblical faith and Ancient Near Eastern literature, and why true faith does not arise from mixing pagan thought with divine revelation.
See Dr. Barrick's Defense of the historical Adam here: amzn.to/4jkra1M
(Affilate link)
The conversation draws on extensive grammatical and statistical research, including work by Steve Boyd, showing that Genesis 1 is more strongly historical in genre than many undisputed narrative texts elsewhere in the Old Testament. A comparison with Psalm 104 further highlights the clear distinction between poetry and historical prose.
00:00 Introduction and Importance of Genesis
01:08 Addressing Modern Theories on Genesis
02:42 Ancient Near Eastern Literature and Genesis
05:01 Analyzing the Literary Structure of Genesis
05:52 Poetry vs. Historical Narrative
08:00 Conclusion: Historical Narrative vs. Poetry
Some B-roll footage generated with Grok by xAI
William Lane Craig’s recent description of Genesis as “mytho-history” has reignited debate over how the opening chapters of Scripture should be read. In this video, Dr. Bill Barrick, a veteran Hebrew scholar, responds directly to modern and liberal approaches to Genesis—especially the claim that Genesis blends myth and history rather than presenting real events.
Craig argues that elements such as a talking serpent, extraordinary longevity, and parallels to Ancient Near Eastern literature suggest a symbolic or literary genre. In response, Dr. Barrick explains why these arguments fail when Genesis is examined on its own terms, in Hebrew.
Throughout the discussion, Dr. Barrick demonstrates that Genesis 1–11 is written as historical narrative, not poetry or myth, drawing attention to:
The Hebrew grammar and verb forms used in Genesis 1
Repetition and structure as features of ritual and genealogical texts—not poetry
Clear chronological markers such as “evening and morning” and numbered days
Genealogical parallels in Genesis 5, 10, and elsewhere
Why comparisons to Ancient Near Eastern myths like the Enuma Elish break down
Dr. Barrick also addresses the broader claim—often made in modern scholarship—that Israel borrowed pagan mythology and reworked it into Scripture. He explains why this misunderstands both biblical faith and Ancient Near Eastern literature, and why true faith does not arise from mixing pagan thought with divine revelation.
See Dr. Barrick's Defense of the historical Adam here: amzn.to/4jkra1M
(Affilate link)
The conversation draws on extensive grammatical and statistical research, including work by Steve Boyd, showing that Genesis 1 is more strongly historical in genre than many undisputed narrative texts elsewhere in the Old Testament. A comparison with Psalm 104 further highlights the clear distinction between poetry and historical prose.
00:00 Introduction and Importance of Genesis
01:08 Addressing Modern Theories on Genesis
02:42 Ancient Near Eastern Literature and Genesis
05:01 Analyzing the Literary Structure of Genesis
05:52 Poetry vs. Historical Narrative
08:00 Conclusion: Historical Narrative vs. Poetry
Some B-roll footage generated with Grok by xAI
