The Creation Story

"The creation drama is a standard feature of temple worship. Everywhere, as far as we can trace the records and the ruins, there have been great gatherings of the race—the panegyris, or "everybody in a circle," in every part of the world."
~~Hugh Nibley

I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. (Isaiah 45:12)

In the Book, 'The Gate of Heaven' by Matthew B. Brown, he relates how, "According to some scholars, the children of Israel experienced a repetition of the events of the creation of the world: during the New Year festival. They did this through "a 'ritual drama' with the re-creation of the world as its central theme." Through the religious act of "remembrance" would have occurred when the creation account was read as part of the temple liturgy during the New Year's festival, precisely the time when the king received his coronation rites."
In comparing the nature of the 'creation drama' to the Hebrew 'ritual Exodus drama' both were considered "sacred" in character. Brown explains how it is possible to understand the 'creation drama' by examining the 'Exodus drama.' He tells how, "the role of the Hebrews who were seeing the 'Exodus drama' was to function as an audience, as participating actors, and as "witnesses." This drama included "ritually determined actions" as well as "formularized conversations." The main focus of the drama was the "creation" of the Lord's people by means of entering into a covenant."


Adam had lost the memory of his former existence. "I have caused a sleep to come over Adam," says the Abbatôn (a significant early writing of the apostles), "and a forgetting." ("Discourse on Abbatôn," in Budge, Coptic Martyrdoms, 225—249,474—96.)

Adam's sleep was the putting of a veil between him and his former knowledge. It enveloped him like a garment, and, while his memory was shut off by it, his epinoia (intelligence) retained its force. He remained smart, but he forgot everything. In fact, during the episode of the creation, Eve was made (not from a literal rib, according to this source) while Adam was in sort of a drugged stupor, his mind separated by a veil from what was really going on. (Cf. Apocryphon of John 20:14—21:16; 22:20—21; 22:34—23:14, in NHLE, 110—11.)



Evidence also exists that during the time of Zerubbabel's Temple, the Creation account was read inside the temple courts during the performance of rituals. (Stephen D. Ricks, "Liturgy and Cosmogony: The Ritual Use of Creation Accounts in the Ancient Near East")

Also See:
Why is a creation account part of the Temple ordinances?
The Creation as a Pattern for the Temple
The Creation, God Introducing Adam and Eve – An Illustration by Jean Fouquet
16th Century Sculpture of the Marriage of Adam and Eve
Four Accounts of the Creation
Creation Theology by Margaret Barker