Crucial Questions of Interpretation in Genesis 1

The creation account in Genesis 1 raises issues of serious theological and scientific interest. Is the 'earth' in Gen 1:1 the same as the 'earth' in Gen 1:2? What is the deep that was covered with darkness, and how should we understand the relation between the light in Gen 1:3 and the subsequent creation of the heavenly bodies in Gen 1:14ff? Did the Bible writers really believe that the firmament was a solid vault? These issues are discussed in this article.