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The Bible: Is it a True and Accurate Account of Creation? (Part 2)

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Creation Stories

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Two distinct stories of the creation of humanity are given in Genesis. Genesis 1 is believed to have been written by the "Priestly" author and Genesis 2 by the "Yahwist" author. (Both may well have been groups of authors). The Priestly author is believed to be the more recent, about the 7th to 5th centuries BCE, and the Yahwist story is more primitive, possibly dating from about the 10th century BCE. Scholars still debate these dates, but the majority accept these, or something similar.

Genesis 1:27-30: "So God created man in his own image; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish in the sea, the birds of heaven, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.' God also said, 'I give you all plants that bear seed everywhere on earth, and every tree bearing fruit which yields seed: they shall be yours for food.'" Note that no exception is made for the fruit of any tree in this account.

Genesis 2: 7-8: "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Thus the man became a living creature." Gen. 2: 15-18: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and take care of it. He told the man 'You may eat from every tree in the garden, but not from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.'" Gen. 2: 21-22: "And so the Lord God put the man into a trance, and while he slept, he took one of his ribs and closed the flesh over the place. The Lord God then built up the rib, which he had taken out of the man, into a woman,"

The order of creation in Genesis 1 is: heaven and earth, light, vault of heaven (i.e., separation of earthly and heavenly waters), seas and dry land, plants, sun and stars, fish and birds, land animals, and last humans. This order is the same as that of the Persian Zend-Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians. Zoroastrianism was a powerful religion at about the time of the priestly writer of Genesis. However, Zoroaster probably lived about 1000 BCE, and the Yahwist writer would be unlikely to have had any contact with the Avesta. The original Avesta has not survived; modern adherents of Zoroastrianism use a version that has been recreated from fragments, commentaries, and hymns. The order of creation in Egyptian mythology, which would surely have been familiar to the priestly author, is ocean, sun, atmosphere, earth, and sky.

The order of creation in Genesis 2 is: heaven and earth, man, trees and the Garden of Eden, animals and birds, woman. In Genesis 1 the earth is first covered by water. In Genesis 2 the earth is first dry and barren. In Genesis 1 God creates by simple command: "And God said, let there be light, and there was light." In Genesis 2 God manufactures his creations from dirt or earth, walks in the garden in the cool of the evening, and cannot find the humans when they are hiding. Not only are the creation stories inconsistent, but the conceptions of the power of the deity are utterly different.

There are hints of a third creation story in other parts of the Bible, for example Ps 74: 13-17, Ps 89:10, Is 51: 9-10; the struggle between God and Leviathan or Rahab in early creation is similar to the struggle between good and evil in Zoroastrianism. There are parallels in Mithraism, Gnosticism, and Manichaeism. It is also possible that some of the struggles described do not refer to creation, but to the "Last Days", that is, to a future apocalypse.

There are some relics of polytheism in Genesis: the use of the plural form "Elohim" (literally gods) for God, and Gen. 3:22 -- "the man has become like one of us, knowing good from evil", implying that there were other gods. There are references to other gods throughout the Old Testament, for example, Psalm 95:3, "For the Lord is a great God, a great king over all gods". A religion that has one God for the nation, but acknowledges the existence of other gods, is called henotheistic rather than monotheistic.

The Koran refers to the biblical creation story. Sura 11 verse 6: "Throned above the waters, he made the heavens and earth in six days." There are several references in the Koran to "God, who made heaven and earth, and separated light from darkness." There is also an admonition to "Israelites" to follow their holy book. Devout Moslems believe every word of the Koran to have come directly from the hand of God. The first words, after the introduction, are "This is the book of which there is no doubt."

Abraham, by biblical account, came from Ur, which was invaded and settled by the Sumerians about the fourth millennium BCE. The Sumerians were the dominant ethnic group of Ur until the conquest of the city by Semitic nomads about 2000 BCE. The Sumerian religion was polytheistic. There are similarities between the creation story of Genesis 2 and the Sumerian creation myth.

In the Sumerian story, Enki, the water god, and Ninhursag, the mother goddess, are supposed to have created the first man from clay, which they mixed with the blood of a rebellious god. Being angry with humans, they withheld all hope of immortality from them. The gods determined to destroy mankind with a flood, but saved a few so that they and their descendants could serve the immortals.

In the Babylonian creation myth the primordial world had only the "two waters" (fresh and salt) until the birth of the gods. Marduk, king of the gods, defeated Tiamat, the goddess of chaos, split her in two, and then created heaven and earth from the two halves, and created humans from the blood of Tiamat's monster. "Chaos" could be read as similar to the biblical "without form and void". Chaos also figures in Greek mythology as the material from which the earth was made, even before the creation of the gods.

The fall of Adam is paralleled by a Persian myth in which Ahriman, or Angra Mainyu (the spirit of darkness and evil), acting through a serpent, causes the first man to fall into knowledge of good and evil. This story is also represented, with variations, in many myths of the Middle East. Babylonian carvings show a man, a woman, a serpent, and a tree. The "Tree of Knowledge" or "Tree of Life" is an almost universal element of Middle Eastern and North African mythology.

The creation stories of Genesis might well be a synthesis from polytheistic myths, which the Israelites rejected in general, even though some particulars were kept. Until quite recently most peoples almost universally believed the heavens to be a solid dome to which the stars were fastened, and across which the sun and the moon traveled. It would not be unusual for "darkness" to be accepted not as the simple absence of light, but as a real quantity. The belief that naming a thing gives it a unique quality is common to many primitive peoples ("and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name"). "Breath" is synonymous with life or spirit to most primitive people.

Whatever the origin of the creation stories in Genesis, they are certainly in almost complete disagreement with well-established scientific and historical facts:

  1. The earth has been in existence for four to five billion years. The Genesis accounts would only allow an age of the earth of a few thousand years.
  2. Life first appeared approximately 3.5 billion years ago, a billion years after formation of the earth. In the Genesis 1 account, plants appear on the third day, sea life and birds on the fifth day, and animals and humans on the sixth day.
  3. Primates with some human characteristics first appeared in East Africa a few million years ago, and genus Homo developed, likewise in Africa, about 1.7 million years ago. True modern humans appeared about 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The Genesis accounts have humans appearing in Mesopotamia only 6,000 years ago.
  4. The actual order of appearance of life forms -- sea-dwelling life, land plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals -- is different from the order in either Genesis account. Seed-bearing plants were not the first plants on land, but both Genesis accounts refer to trees and fruits in the initial creation of plants.

Comments

Display Order
We are created by an Intelligent Designer
by Elizabeth Christine
on 10.10.07, 05:06

The Earth is created by an Intelligent Designer: But, how this can be proven is as vague as both the Creation and the Evolution Theories, because none of those writers were present when it was created. One thing is for sure, species do not evolve to another species. It only is capable of adapting to its changing habitat or environment. Therefore, when we were created as primitive man, through the years as our habitat and environment changed because of our intellect, our offsprings became more intelligent.

I am a believer that we human beings have souls which is the continuation of our life here on earth. Our souls will not have the feelings like that of what we have during our lifr on earth. For our souls, if good will live forever with God - it's duty then will be to serve God for infinity.

[ Answer ]

We are created by an Intelligent Designer?
by Alex Val
on 09.03.08, 21:36

Hi,

just wondering what you all make of the fact the chimp genome is approximately 97-99% identical (depending if coding or non-coding DNA is compared) to human? If the bible claims that we are made in God's image and we are almost identical to chimps, then what does this say about God?

thanks,

[ Answer ]

We are created by an Intelligent Designer?
by Dave Thomas
on 11.03.08, 00:47
What does the similarity between human and chimp genomes say about God? If God is as powerful as is often claimed, who's to say he couldn't use evolution as the method of bringing forth new species? Perhaps the similarity is simply because God is very patient. I've an essay about evolution and DNA/protein comparisons, here: http://www.nmsr.org/round1a.htm Cheers, Dave
[ Answer ]

We are created by an Intelligent Designer?
by BrYan
on 09.04.08, 23:06

It means we have similar physical charactaristics. Our DNA is what causes us to grow five fingers and five toes and two eyes and a lot of other things, right? Most of these physical charactaristics are similar to apes, they always have been, this isn't new information, we've known this since God created humans and apes :)

[ Answer ]

answer
by deee
on 18.09.08, 01:33

a lot of people are posting things asking how they can prove the Bible is the truth and the whole ape thing, and what God would be like if we are made in the image of him..... etc.

well there is geographical evidence that the Bible is true and it had been proven.

we are very ALIKE apes, but we obviously are NOT apes. if you kept an ape in a cage for its whole life, it will not turn into a human. they look a lot like us in many ways because they are mammles just like we are. God says we are made in the IMAGE of him. when he made adam and eve, the Bible says he BREATHED them into life. he made them just like he is. he wants us to be like Christ and follow his example and follow him as a leader and become one ourselves, NOWHERE does it say that God was an ape, or ever was.

apes are not very intelligent animals. Eistein wasnt a genius from an APE.

thanks.

[ Answer ]

answer
by jesse
on 18.09.08, 01:50

Well Deee, there is nothing in the scientific theory of evolution that says that an ape would turn into a human if it were left in a cage for it's whole life, so I'm not really sure where you were going with that.

I would also really like to see what "geographical" (though I suspect you mean 'scientific' here) evidence for the Bible, considering that there are some outright contradictions and falsehoods when the Bible is taken 100% literally.

[ Answer ]

Answer to this...
by PRINCE Yahchanan
on 18.12.08, 07:15

When HE created man, HE did so from the dust of the earth. Does this mean Elohim (God) is dust. NO.

But He created man in the image of His Spirit, God is Spirit not physical. God breathed His Breath in man thus untered into our vessels, the attributes of His Spirit...

That is what it means be we were created in His image and likeness...

[ Answer ]

intelligent designer
by ohiodude2530
on 20.03.09, 09:53

with all the evidence we have today about our creation ,it should come as no surprise that we have been mislead about alot of things ,creation is a big one...investigate our genome u will find we started approx.200,000 yrs ago...and wouldn't u know that the ancient people of sumer told us that 6000 yrs ago...the ancient text are well worth reading ...if u want to know the truth....none however can identify or even know the creator...we are only concerned about our little rock

[ Answer ]

The Bible: Is it a True and Accurate Account of Creation?
by Jaki
on 23.10.07, 08:16

"Species do not evolve to another species?" This raises some questions?

1. So were humans around at the time of dinosaurs or trilobites?

2. If a species is so immutable, why is it so difficult for scientists to define, but relatively easy to create hybrids between?

3. Specifically - as people were around to witness making pretty significant changes to all manner of life as they continue to do (from dogs and cats, cows and horses, to tulips and rice) many of which to the point that their closest wild relative is a now separate species, why is there no original wild 'version', or have humans been able to achieve something that the 'intelligent designer' could not?

4. Moreover, if you also happen to believe in a global flood after which only the survivors were the inhabitants of a single boat (or ark), how could 2 examples of every single species existing today have fitted on it, or then travelled entirely separately to different parts of our planet?

[ Answer ]

The Bible: Is it a True and Accurate Account of Creation?
by RAMUEL
on 24.11.07, 15:10

When Yahweh our Eloahi(almighty one) and his personal malak (angel)- THE WORD (Michael later called YAHshua which means YAHWEH is my salvation) created man on the 6th day, they created male and female around the world in their own image but with flesh and not only with spirit. The time table of Yahweh is different from mankind. Thus, during the initial years of it mankind Lucifer because of envy and jealousy destroyed the masterpiece of Yahweh (mankind)through mutation of DNA likewise other living things. It is proven that cavemen and dinosaurs were not worldwide.

The original and only worldwide flood is on at the first verses of Genesis, which describes the earth after the destruction of 1st civilization of Light beings, originally led by Lucifer when he was still good. Noah's flood (2nd flood) was not worldwide only to some areas where giants (Gen.6) and other corrupted species lived.

On the other hand, the creation of Adam and Eve were the creation of the chosen people of Yahweh (Hebrews). They were created separately to be the descendants in flesh of the WORD - Yahushua (name in flesh). That is why Yahweh always made another covenant after Adam the 1st prophet failed to follow the verbal Torah. (sources: Watchmen Bible Study Group..others Sherry Shriner)

[ Answer ]

The Bible: Is it a True and Accurate Account of Creation?
by Stephen Tristan
on 08.04.08, 13:30

So now we have a seperate time table and lucifer-led evolution; im sorry, "mutating of DNA???

How can you people defend something that has no scientific justification? I understand that justification is not the idea underlying the biblical teaching. What I don't understand is why Christians feel the need to justify their beliefs by any necessary means such as producing a new time table.

[ Answer ]

hi ...new here !
by marcmarc
on 06.02.08, 13:58

hi all !

im new on this site ,and wanted to say im really happy to find this website

the category this is certainly the best first one to start for presenting myself ! lol !

my name is marc and im from italia ,i am 24 year old ..

sorry for my "strange english"...

________________________________________________

space chair

[ Answer ]

by bryan
on 25.08.08, 09:36

new evidence shows that humans and dinosaurs may have lived at the same time, since there have been a few cases where human bones were found in the same layer as those of dinosaur bones. take note also of Job 41. Behemoth and leviathan. Description of behemoth- "..tail like a cedar tree.." what animal has a tail like a cedar tree? brachiosaurus? leviathan- "..its sneezings bring forth flashes of light, and fire pours out of its nostrils.." hmm.. dragon?

Answer to question number 4. The ark was incredibly huge. to be precise, it contained a pair of every unclean animal, and 7 pairs of clean animals (clean being the ones God allowed you to eat). how did they spread all over the world? simple. all floods subside. when the flood subsided, the animals wandered off again. there's nothing phenomenal about it.

[ Answer ]

by jesse
on 25.08.08, 18:21

"new evidence shows that humans and dinosaurs may have lived at the same time, since there have been a few cases where human bones were found in the same layer as those of dinosaur bones."

Said evidence has been debunked. Then it gets brought up again, and gets debunked again. This just goes on and on.

"take note also of Job 41. Behemoth and leviathan. Description of behemoth- "..tail like a cedar tree.." what animal has a tail like a cedar tree? brachiosaurus? leviathan- "..its sneezings bring forth flashes of light, and fire pours out of its nostrils.." hmm.. dragon?"

Yes, lets take a very vague and generalized description in the bible and say that it is dragons and dinosaurs! While we're at it, we can also assume that an Unidentified Flying Object is an alien spacecraft!

"Answer to question number 4. The ark was incredibly huge. to be precise, it contained a pair of every unclean animal, and 7 pairs of clean animals (clean being the ones God allowed you to eat)."

Yes, it would have had to have been the size of the state of Delaware, to be precise. That's a pretty big boat. Unbelievably big, to be even more precise.

"how did they spread all over the world? simple. all floods subside. when the flood subsided, the animals wandered off again. there's nothing phenomenal about it."

Yes, well that doesn't account for land animals being separated by continents and oceans. Jaguars sure didn't swim the Atlantic.

[ Answer ]

This may hold the answer
by Something to Consider
on 30.06.08, 03:06

Theories of Intelligent Design, Nor Evolution do NOT matter. Whats missing is lost very very ancient knowledge. The Truth shall set us free. True indeed; the Earth is truly 6Billion Years Old; and the moon is confirmed to be even older about 8 billion years old. Now consider the astroid belt which occupies a perfect planetary orbit. Now also consider that science has NO answer to why the planets wobble slightly as if some great solar cataclysm happend in the distant past. Now consider the commons very very ancient stories handed down by ancient cultures of a war in "Heavenlies" or SPACE. Thats right, as wierd as it may sound, maybe a billion years ago or even earlier, some high tech extra terrestrial race of beings had a war in our solar system, one planet was completely destroyed (giving us the astroid belt.) Debree from the exploded planet rained down on earth and mars killing most of the in habitents billions of years ago. This truth is forgotton by all humanity. It should be noted that in order to correct the planet earth and other planets, moons had to be "FLOWN" in and "PLACED" in orbit to fix the wabbling of the earth. It is documented by nasa the moon is actually a large manufactured metal shpere with very very ancient technical interior. Our moon is actually a satalite placed by superior intelligence and superior power. Nasa has the same conclusion, its artificial. So are ALL the other moons in our solar system. They are placed there after the great interplanetary war to help keep planets on orbit and help maganatize the waves and other things. Now I want to say that just as our universe is complexed and ancient knowledge is far weirder than expected, so is earths history. Ancient history of earth contains many many many cataclisms and great wars... even ancient nuclear wars...have taken place on earth....scientist can confirm an ancient nuclear blast in india and there is an even earlier nuclear blast site in dessert of north africa... additionally a 2 billion year old nuclear reactor has been found in africa... so many many wars and uprisings....and falling down again and again...is the history of man...up and down...civiliation rises and then disapears as the sun rises and sets...so does complete civilizations in a few thousand years... now i want to comment on the other reality...the spiritual reality...

mankind is SPIRIT...infact alll mater is made up of atoms and all atoms are made up of protons and newtrons and everhting else... when matter is looked at closely it is actually a wave of pure energy...wich explains why when Nasa observed Extra terrestrial ships hovering over a storm in texas...the ships were able to "Dematerialize"... all mater can dematerialize into other realms of space time because all mater is pure energy held in place by the power of GOD the creator.... as the bible says "All things are made by him and all things are HELD in place by his POWER".... new beause we are pure spirit matter we have come from pure spirit billions of years ago

we the pure spirit children of GOD came and rested on earth in the distant past and as an act of our will we the spirit beings became matter with Gods permission to dwell and learn lessons of the soul on earth. This is the spiritual explanations of what is going on....when a person dies they go back to spirit and a place without time......thus we conclude that the mysteries of creation...and spirit are this: All mater and all life exist in several reamls at once...the pure spirit real...and in space time in a demension for the sake of learning...

we are souls that are born again and again many many times in the low demensions of earth to learn...many of us maybe lived billions of years ago in other bodies and maybe other forms on this earth when the great wars took place... but remember as we grow and learn in the lower realm of earth...so...do other cilizations throughout the universe.... so what actually happend in our past is just like when we went to war in ww2 and jungle people thought we were Gods because we flew planes....so it waas millions of years ago and billions of years ago...people from earth simply witnessed first-hand a real war in space... anyway God bless.... please research ANY thing stated here and you will find that it is all true. ALL TRUE...ALL TRUE....AMEN....

[ Answer ]

dinosaurs were not worldwide?
by axobeauvi
on 23.09.08, 19:25

"It is proven that cavemen and dinosaurs were not worldwide"

please show your sources ,I've never heard that dinos weren't worldwide.

cavemen ,yes they were only in Africa.

[ Answer ]

holy moly
by gadflea
on 23.02.09, 05:24

There sure are a lot of nut bags on here.

The paper is great. I expected the comments

to be equally intelligent. I assumed incorrectly.

Dragons? Intergalactic wars? NASA conspiracy?

Battle on earth with Lucifer? WTF!

Some of you defy all reason and ruin my

hope for society.

[ Answer ]

holy moly
by mike3
on 20.06.09, 13:41

Not everyone believes that type of extremely kooky stuff. So there's still hope.

[ Answer ]

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