John H. Walton (born 1952) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He was a professor at Moody Bible Institute for 20 years. His primary focus is in areas of comparison between the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East, particularly Genesis. He espouses a view of creation that resonates with ancient Near Eastern mindsets, much like a temple dedication ceremony, and not a strictly material account of cosmological origins. He uses a restaurant as an analogy, arguing that a restaurant does not begin to exist when the material building is completed, but when the owner declares the restaurant open for business.
Walton, John H (1989). Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context, A Survey of Parallels Between Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Texts. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ———; Hill, Andrew H. (1991). A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ——— (1994). Covenant: God's Purpose, God's Plan. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-3105-7751-5. ——— (2001). Genesis. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ——— (2004). Old Testament Today. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ——— (2006). Essential Bible Companion. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ——— (2006). Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. ——— (2008). Jonah. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ——— (2009). The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. Downers Grove, IL: IVP. ——— (2011). Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology. Warsaw, IA: Eisenbrauns. ——— (2012). Job. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ———; Sandy, D. Brent (2013). The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority. Downers Grove, IL: IVP. ——— (2015). The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate. Downers Grove, IL: IVP. The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites Aug 2017Articles & chapters
——— (1995). "The Mesopotamian Background of the Tower of Babel Account and Its Implications". Bulletin for Biblical Research. 5: 155–175. ——— (2000). "The Anzu Myth as relevant Background for Daniel 7?". In Collins, John; Flint, Peter. The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. Vetus Testament Supplement, FIOTL. Brill. ——— (2001). "Recovering the Vitality of the Old Testament in Preaching". Preaching Today. 17. ——— (2001). "Equilibrium and the Sacred Compass: The Structure of Leviticus". Bulletin for Biblical Research. 11 (2): 1–12. ——— (2002). "Inspired Subjectivity and Hermeneutical Objectivity". The Master’s Seminary Journal. 13 (1): 65–77. ——— (2003). "The Imagery of the Substitute King Ritual in Isaiah’s Fourth Servant Song". Journal of Biblical Literature. 122: 734–43. ——— (2008). "Creation in Genesis 1:1–2:3 and the Ancient Near East: Order out of Disorder after Chaoskampf". Calvin Theological Journal. 43: 48–63. 
