The narratives in the Old Testament belong partly to the ‘traditional’ category, and partly to genuine, fact-bound history. It is all ‘sacred’ history, in the sense of being ultimately concerned with the ways of God to man. Some of God’s deeds, however, are perceived as being realized through the ordinary working of human agents, such as kings and rebels. The result is genuine historiography. Other parts of this sacred history—the most ancient parts—are almost typical myths:7 the Creation, Paradise