Question

Which sentences in the story indicate that it is an ex nihilo type of creation story? Behold the first word and the first discourse. There was as yet no man, nor any animal, nor bird, nor fish, nor crawfish, nor any pit, nor ravine, nor green herb, nor any tree; nothing was but the firmament. The face of the earth had not yet appeared—only the peaceful sea and all the space of heaven. There was nothing yet joined together, nothing that clung to anything else; nothing that balanced itself, that made the least rustling, that made a sound in the heaven. There was nothing that stood up; nothing but the quiet water, but the sea, calm and alone in its boundaries: nothing existed; nothing but immobility and silence, in the darkness, in the night. Alone also the Creator, the Former, the Dominator, the Feathered Serpent—those that engender, those that give being, they are upon the water, like a growing light. They are enveloped in green and blue; and therefore their name is Gucumatz. Lo, now how the heavens exist, how exists also the Heart of Heaven; such is the name of God; it is thus that he is called. And they spake; they consulted together and meditated; they mingled their words and their opinion. And the creation was verily after this wise: Earth, they said, and on the instant it was formed; like a cloud or a fog was its beginning. Then the mountains rose over the water like great lobsters; in an instant the mountains and the plains were visible, and the cypress and the pine appeared. Then was the Gucumatz filled with joy, crying out: Blessed be thy coming, O Heart of Heaven, Hurakan, Thunderbolt. Our work and our labor has accomplished its end.

Answer 1

The options attached to the above question are listed below:

A. Behold the first word and the first discourse.

B. There was as yet no man, nor any animal, nor bird, nor fish, nor crawfish, nor any pit, nor ravine, nor green herb, nor any tree; nothing was but the firmament.

C. Lo, now how the heavens exist, how exists also the Heart of Heaven; such is the name of God; it is thus that he is called.

D. And the creation was verily after this wise: Earth, they said, and on the instant it was formed; like a cloud or a fog was its beginning.

E. Then the mountains rose over the water like great lobsters.

ANSWER

The correct option is B.

Ex Nihilo type of creation story refers to the the type of story that sustains the belief that the earth was created out of nothing. The belief holds that in the very beginning there was no creation, absolutely nothing, and then suddenly everything start to exist. Thus, the statement in option B support the ex nihilo story line.