This critique touches on the field of Comparative Mythology, specifically the "Pan-Babylonian" school of thought which argues that the Hebrew Bible is a polemical (argumentative) response to earlier Mesopotamian traditions.
By examining the "Source Code" of these stories, we can see how the authors of Genesis may have used familiar cultural "bits" to build a radically different moral "program."
1. The Dilmun Connection (The "Stolen" Geography)
You mentioned Dilmun. In the Enuma Elish and the Epic of Gilgamesh, Dilmun is a "pure," "bright," and "holy" place where "the lion kills not" and "the wolf snatches not the lamb."
The Parallel: Like Eden, Dilmun is situated at the source of rivers and is a place of immortality.
The Subversion: In Sumerian myth, these gardens were "Country Clubs" for the gods to escape the toil of labor. In Genesis, the "Garden" is a place where God invites humanity to work alongside Him. The Hebrews took a "Divine Resort" and turned it into a "Mandate for Human Stewardship."
2. Adam and Adapa: The "Clay" Prototype
The Mesopotamian Myth of Adapa features a protagonist who is "the seed of mankind," wise, and a priest.
The Food of Life: Adapa is offered the "food of life" and "water of life" by the god Anu, but he refuses it because he was tricked into thinking it was the "food of death."
The Shift: In Adapa, man loses immortality because of a trick. In Genesis, Adam loses it because of a moral choice.
Expert Quote: > "The biblical narrator has used motifs current in the environment, but he has stripped them of their mythological and polytheistic associations... turning a story of a 'mistake' into a story of 'sin'." — E.A. Speiser, Genesis: Anchor Bible Commentary.
3. The "Rib" and Ninti
The connection between Eve and the rib is perhaps the most striking linguistic "clue." In the Sumerian myth Enki and Ninhursag, the god Enki has a pain in his rib (ti). The goddess Ninti is created to heal him.
The Pun: In Sumerian, the word Ti means both "Rib" and "To make live."
The Translation: In Hebrew, there is no pun for "rib" and "life." By keeping the "rib" detail, Genesis preserves a "fossil" of the Sumerian original, but renames the woman Eve (Chavah), which means "Living One."
4. The Serpent: From Wisdom to Villainy
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, a serpent steals the "Plant of Life" while Gilgamesh is bathing. The serpent immediately sheds its skin, symbolizing rejuvenation.
Ancient View: The serpent was a symbol of healing, fertility, and rebirth (think of the Caduceus on medical logos today).
Genesis View: The author "moralizes" the serpent. It is no longer a neutral symbol of nature; it becomes the "shrewdest" of creatures that uses wisdom to undermine the Creator’s boundary.
5. Strategic Syncretism: The Goal of the Authors
Scholars like Peter Enns and Israel Finkelstein suggest that the biblical authors weren't trying to write "new" history, but were trying to "win an argument."
The Babylonian World: Humans are slaves created from the blood of a dead rebel god (Kingu) to do the "dirty work" of the gods.
The Hebrew World: Humans are made in the "Image of God" (a royal term) from clean dust and divine breath.
Conclusion: The "staling" of the myth was actually a rebranding. By taking the Mesopotamian symbols of guiltless nature and adding moral responsibility, the authors moved humanity from being "divine pets" to "moral agents." As you put it, it shifted the focus from the "eye and the ear" to the conscience.
Recommended Sources for Further Discernment:
The Evolution of the Adam by Peter Enns (Explores the intersection of evolution and the Mesopotamian context).
The Lost World of Genesis One by John Walton (Focuses on the "Functional" vs. "Material" origins in the Ancient Near East).
Stories from Ancient Canaan by Michael Coogan (Compares Ugaritic myths to biblical narratives).
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