historical narrative. C. John Collins perhaps has the best designation of the genre of Genesis 1–2 when he calls it “exalted prose narrative.”31 This description properly reflects the sequence, chronology, and historicity of the account, while at the same time underscoring its exceptional quality. There are, of course, many more distinctions that could be cited between Genesis 1–2 and the other ancient Near Eastern creation accounts, but the key point is this: the differences are monumental and are