Thank you.

A caveat: I would say the material world matters greatly to the AncientNear Eastern texts (it’s “very good”). There is the growing emphasis in 2nd Temple Judaism (and thus Christianity) on physical resurrection and renewal of the good creation.

However, I appreciate your point (I agree with your primary argument ): Genesis is not written as some scientific explanation of the physical universe (it’s actually written as “temple language”).

What often bothers me is that so many folks seem to think metaphor, poetic language, hyperbole, and other figures of speech were only invented somewhere between the 16th and 21st centuries!