Apkallu As Patriarchs from Early Genesis? Thinking Out Loud

 The Christ-Centered model of early Genesis as Adam and Eve created after the bulk of humanity is created. Adam is a figure of Christ, not the father of the human race. It turns out, this line of thought produces intersting connections to ANE literature. I'm not one to think that early Genesis was "adopted from previous ANE myths", but rather the other way around. 

I am thinking out loud here and mean to come back and smooth this out later if the idea has merit. I'd love for some scholars to examine the hypothesis that the Apkallu were the patriarchs from early Genesis per the Christ-centered model. 

The Apkallu were said to be created by Ea (pronounced the same as the short version of the name of the Hebrew God in the Bible) to teach humanity how to be civilized. They were considered somewhere between gods and regular men. The were considered to be somewhere between heaven and earth (like originally from Eden?) and often shown with the heads of birds (which fly between heaven and earth) or with fish-like characteristics (armor?). This fits with what I wrote in my book about the descendents of Adam bringing true agriculture and pastoral farming to the world. 

According to Sumerian myth, the first seven sages were advisors to the pre-flood kings. I don't think that was true, but rather when the clans of Noah came out of the hills and made an impact on the regions they brought the account of their ancestors with them, perhaps vaguely known already by these people, and those were modified and blended into ANE myth. 


Uanna, "who finished the plans for heaven and earth",
Uannedugga, "who was endowed with comprehensive intelligence",
Enmedugga, "who was allotted a good fate",
Enmegalamma, "who was born in a house",
Enmebulugga, "who grew up on pasture land",
An-Enlilda, "the conjurer of the city of Eridu",
Utuabzu, "who ascended to heaven".


Uanna is also known as Adapa and some accounts of Adapa sound like another take on the garden of Eden and why man is mortal. The true name may have been Adapa Uanna or "wise craftsman". Adapa is said to have "ascended into heaven", and the Garden of Eden, at least a version in the mountains, could be seen as doing so. The seventh sage also ascended into heaven, and this corresponds to Enoch, seventh from Adam in Genesis, who "walked with God" and did not die because God took him. 

The second sage also has a name most like the first and could correspond to Seth, who was said to be "in the image and likeness" of Adam. Enosh was the son of Seth, his name means "mortal man" and he could be the third on the list. We don't know his fate but he lived 905 years and it was written that in his day they begain to call themselves by the name of the Lord (Gen 4:26). 

Just scribbling for now, but these are strange coincidences.