Creation of the universe from absolute and complete nothing marked the beginning of space, time, and matter. Theology has held that position for over three thousand years. Cosmology in the last decade or so has come to agree.
Genesis and science are both correct. When one asks if six days or fifteen billion years passed before the appearance of humankind, the correct answer is 'yes.'
Literalism is simply not an effective way to extract meaning from the Bible.
Most laypersons are unaware that according to the classical laws of relativity and cosmology, there should be no solid matter in the entire universe. We and the Earth on which we rest and every star and galaxy in the universe are the result of an unlikely quirk of nature.
