Adam, dust of the Earth: A Paradise received and incomplete in the Biblical accounts of creation. Some philological observations on the creation accounts

In Christian thinking about climate and environment issues, Dogmatic theology has often seemed to precede the exegesis of biblical texts. And when it is suggested, this exegesis is usually based on previously formulated theological conclusions. In other words, exegesis is there to support ethical stands that are no doubt laudable, but have been already established. Under these conditions, it becomes difficult to analyze those texts as they are and to understand them within the historical and anthropological contexts in which they were produced. This article attempts to break this trend by suggesting philological observations concerning the creation accounts in Genesis. Without yielding to the temptation of fundamentalism, the aim is to invite the reader to understand these stories in their respective contexts, namely the beginnings of the Royal Era and of the Persian period. This will lead us to raise questions that might shake up conventional thinking, but will allow us to adopt moderate ethical positions exempt from prefabricated theological conclusions