The Israelites who composed the creation stories in Genesis were certainly aware of the creation myths found in the Near Eastern world of their time. They seem to have been especially influenced by the Babylonian creation story. They incorporated some elements of that story into their own, such as the idea of a firmament, a dome above the earth that protects us from the water that fills the universe. But the Israelites take specific issue with a number of elements of the Babylonian story: creation is done by one God, not by many gods; it results not from a battle but from the all-powerful word of God; the creation of humanity takes place not to provide slave labor for the gods but to manifest the self-giving love of God. The same kind of dialogue with other creation myths takes place in the biblical accounts of the tower of Babel and the flood.