Deucalion and the Great Deluge

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be.

Matthew 24:38-39.

The historian Moses tells us in the sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters of Genesis about a flood that covered the whole earth. Around 2341 B.C. there was a worldwide deluge that destroyed every living thing except for one man, his family and the animals that he took on the boat with him. This story is widely circulated and has been told to young children all over the world. It is one of humanities favorite childhood “myths.” When adulthood is reached the story of Noah is often relegated to ancient fable and cast aside in favor of evolutionary history. The fact that this is one of the most well known stories of all times does not really mean anything. But it is curious to note that there are hundreds of stories that come from the ancient world which tell a tale about a man who builds a boat and saves humanity. The estimate of flood stories it said to run near 250. Each tale varies from the other but the story is deeply lodged in humanity’s collective memory. Of course when we look for proof in science there is abundant evidence in the geological column. We hope to return to that at a later date. For this discussion it is important to discuss the history of the flood and see exactly what ancient society tells us about the flood of Noah.

The flood changed everything about the way life is lived on this planet, in fact, the pre-flood world is truly the “World that perished.” It changed climate, terrain, continental connectivity, chemical levels, animal life, etc. There has never been an event in the history of humankind that was more traumatic than the flood. It is something many people groups retained a knowledge of long after it had transpired. As people moved away from the flood the stories began to vary and took on an even greater mythological likeness. The point is that people did not forget it. Although, the name of Noah is very different in each story, what happened is virtually all the same. For this article I want to discuss a few of the legends of the flood and I want to talk about life after the flood.

I. Legends of Yore.
II. The Ark and the Bible.
III. Life after the flood.

I. Legends of Yore.
One of the oldest flood legends came from the cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia. There are 2 stories coming from this region. In the Sumerian story there is a man named Ziusudra (he saw life.) Ziusudra is warned by the god Enki that the gods have decided to destroy the planet and wipe out all living things. Enki gives him instructions to build a large boat in order to save himself and his family. After the flood he is told to repopulate the planet. When the event has come to an end Ziusudra is told to come off of the boat and make sacrifices to the sky god “An.” The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is very similar but it is more detailed. In his story Gilgamesh is told by the god “Utnapishtimin” that a great flood is going to destroy mankind. He is told to build a boat and even given dimensions. He is also told to gather every living thing possible into the boat. In the eleventh tablet of this epic he describes the flood like this;

The... land shattered like a... pot.
All day long the South Wind blew ...,
blowing fast, submerging the mountain in water,
overwhelming the people like an attack.
No one could see his fellow,
they could not recognize each other in the torrent.
The gods were frightened by the Flood,
and retreated, ascending to the heaven of Anu.
The gods were cowering like dogs, crouching by the outer wall.
Ishtar shrieked like a woman in childbirth,
the sweet-voiced Mistress of the Gods wailed:
'The olden days have alas turned to clay,
because I said evil things in the Assembly of the Gods!
How could I say evil things in the Assembly of the Gods,
ordering a catastrophe to destroy my people!!
No sooner have I given birth to my dear people
than they fill the sea like so many fish!'

He describes another similar event to the book of Genesis when says this;
When a seventh day arrivedI sent forth a dove and released it.The dove went off, but came back to me;no perch was visible so it circled back to me.I sent forth a swallow and released it.The swallow went off, but came back to me;no perch was visible so it circled back to me. This part of the epic of course ends with Gilgamesh making a blood sacrifice.

The Middle East is not the only one that contains a story about a worldwide flood. The Chinese have a flood story about a human named Nuwa who spends a great of deal of time trying to repair and repopulate the earth after it has been covered with a flood. In India there was a legend about a man named “Manu” who is warned by a fish that a great flood is coming to earth. The fish is of course believed to be the first avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Manu builds a boat and the fish take it to the top of the highest mountain to keep him safe from the flood. He takes with him the “seeds of life” so he can repopulate the earth after the devastation. Even ancient aborigines have a flood story. They are visited by a creator-god who they call “Puluga.” One day Puluga stops visiting them and sent a flood to the earth. In their story only four people survive and were left to repopulate the earth.

There are several stories coming from the west as well as the east. In ancient Greek legend Prometheus tells his son Deucalion to build a giant chest to sail in. After he and his wife survive the flood he plops down on a mountain and deboards to make sacrifices to his god. In Germanic tribes Noah was known as Bergelmir. Bergelmir and his wife are saved from a flood by a boat. Bergelmir is the frost giant as he is known in Norse legend. The Aztecs have a similar story about a man called Nota and his wife Nena. Listen to what they have to say;

When the Sun Age came, there had passed 400 years. Then came 200 years, then 76. Then all mankind was lost and drowned and turned to fishes. The water and the sky drew near each other. In a single day all was lost, and Four Flower consumed all that there was of our flesh. The very mountains were swallowed up in the flood, and the waters remained, lying tranquil during fifty and two springs. But before the flood began, Titlachahuan had warned the man Nota and his wife Nena, saying, 'Make no more pulque, but hollow a great cypress, into which you shall enter the month Tozoztli. The waters shall near the sky.' They entered, and when Titlacahuan had shut them in he said to the man, 'Thou shalt eat but a single ear of maize, and thy wife but one also'. And when they had each eaten one ear of maize, they prepared to go forth, for the water was tranquil.

The Mayans have a story that is quite similar but it is even more detailed then the others. According to Mayan legend the storm god Hurracan destroyed the earth with a flood. There are four men and four women who repopulate the earth after the catastrophe. It goes on to tell us that after the people repopulated the earth they all spoke the same language and gathered in the same location. It was here the legend tells that the speech of these people changed and this led to dispersion around the world.

These are just a few of the stories are preserved by civilizations all over the globe. While there are distinct features to them all, it is important to note the following things before moving on to the next section.

1. All attribute the flood to the anger or distress of a deity.
2. All talk about one man surviving the event.
3. Most describe some kind of boat used by that man.
4. All tell how there were only a few to repopulate the earth.

Perhaps all of these stories are mere coincidence. Yet there are numerous groups represented here that have no real contact with each other, yet they are telling stories that are distinctly similar. So if the flood really happened then why should we believe the Hebrew account of the flood?

II. The Ark and the Bible.
The Biblical account of this Genesis story is very detailed and well-formulated. Moses had a scientific mind and his descriptions are very well ordered. There are a few reasons why the Genesis account stands out among all the other accounts given in legend. The attention to detail makes it the most tenable of all the stories that are known. Here are a just a few of the reasons that separate it from the rest.

1. The building of the ark is very detailed and methodical. The actors in the story are given sufficient time to make a boat and gather the things that were needed for the voyage. The boat itself is spoken of in detail. It is 300 x 50 x 30 cubits. We know that a cubit is generally believed to be the span of a man’s forearm. Of course, there is always variance depended on the size of a man but generally that span is about 18 inches. The Bible refers to a great cubit which is a cubit with a handbreadth, or 21 inches but the ark is only to be figured in regular cubits. The ark was about 450 feet long, about 75 feet in width, and about 45 feet high. This is not exact because the span of a forearm can change depending on a man’s height. The point is that it is fairly exact in its specifications. Recently, a Dutch contractor built a life size model of the ark that almost as high and as wide, but only a fraction in length. His name is Johann Huibers and he is a creationist that spent 1.2 million dollars on this project. Taking a look at his ark will show you how large it was. Remember, Noah’s ark was 5 times as long as Huibers model. Another important thing to note is that we are told exactly the kind of wood that was used to make this boat, and we are told how the boat was sealed in order to make it water tight.
2. The Genesis flood also gives details in regards to the collection of food, the gathering of the animals, and how these are to be organized. The other flood stories seem to lack any detail as to how animal life would have stayed around if there was a flood.
3. The Genesis account also gives detail about the length of the flood, the duration of waiting and the release of the creatures aboard the ark. We know that the rain started sometime around October 17th by our standards. It tells that most of the water came from the heavens and from the ground where water is stored. It rained solid for 40 days and nights. They waited 150 days before the waters receded enough to land on the mountain of Ararat. Around July 1st the tops of the mountain could be seen and Noah waited another 40 days before he sent out the birds to look for land. In 7 days Noah again sent out the bird which came back with a branch. He waited seven more days and opened the door of the ark. It took about 11 months for this entire episode to have occurred.
4. The Bible gives the location where the ark landed. Mt Ararat has produced a stream of controversy over the years, and has been scoured for signs of the ark. Ironically, many documents from history tell us that there was large boat on the mountain even as late Marco Polo’s adventures. Apparently, it could be seen in his day. Excavations have been conducted and there are numerous reports from history that tell us the ark is somewhere on that mountain. Aerial shots from space reveal a large impression that could very well be the ark that we are looking for. Unfortunately, a number of years ago the Turkish government shut down all research on Ararat so now it is difficult to discover the truth that may lie hidden under the frozen tundra on top of the mountain.

III. Life after the flood.
When Noah and his family came off the ark there was a lot of difference that had taken place in the world. The climate was harsh and these changes likely caused an ice age of sorts. Creationists believe that this was some sort of transition climate due to the extreme changes that took place in the global flood. The water came from the deep of the earth and most likely caused the oceans to rise till it covered land. There were probably big earthquakes in the flood that cracked the earth’s crust and triggered volcanic activity. Michael Oard in his article “The Genesis Flood caused the Ice Age” explains it this way;

Interbedded within the sedimentary rocks is evidence of incredible volcanic activity that has no parallel today. Vast, unusually thick layers of volcanic flows and ash interlayer sedimentary rocks and fit the worldwide Flood paradigm very well. It appears that at the end of the Flood the world was covered by huge volumes of volcanic ash and gas that had spewed into the atmosphere.7 The abundant ash and gas trapped in the stratosphere would act as an “anti-greenhouse.” Instead of warming the earth, it would reflect sunlight back into space and cool it. At the same time, infrared radiation would continue to escape the earth.

Not only did these earthquakes cause a cooler climate but no doubt played a large role in the separation of the continents which had occurred before the people came off the ark. Higher levels of radiation may serve to explain the decrease in human life on this planet. Heavier snow, cooler temperatures, and smaller crops may have followed man shortly after the flood. Life was hard for post-flood humanity.

However, one thing stayed as a part of the human story, and that is the presence of sin. The ninth chapter of Genesis shows us that sin was very much at work in the heart of man. The righteous Noah got himself as drunk as the proverbial “skunk.” His youngest son Ham uncovered his Father’s nakedness. Many Bible scholars including myself believe that this was more than gazing at his naked father. There was no doubt something perverse and sexual. I believe he may have sodomized his father and when he came conscious he knew what had happened to him. After such vice had been punished by God in the antediluvian world it is amazing that Ham brought this world with him on the other side of the flood. Noah cursed Canaan the son of Ham and this curse was evident in the Bible. Ham was not cursed, his descendants were not cursed. Black people were not cursed. The only curse came upon Canaan. The Middle Eastern Canaanites were vile and filthy people that stayed as a constant source of agitation for the people of God. It is amazing how tightly sin and filth can be wrapped in the heart of men. Even after the most intense display of God’s wrath men will still run to do evil. There is only one thing that can take away the desires of human sin. That my friends, is nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Written by Joshua B. Hughes A.A.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deluge_(mythology) Retrieved on November 13, 2008 http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/tab11.htm Retrieved on November 13 2008

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/fit/chapter7.asp Retrieved on November 14, 2008.

www.ricksspace.net/jbhughes/

Angels, Men and the Predynastic Era

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man in the likeness of God made he him. Male and Female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Genesis 5:1-2

The first 8 chapters of Genesis are some of the most controversial and fantastic aspects of the entire book. A rough glance at the stories contained in this portion of the sacred writ would cause them to appear as though they are nothing more than Hebrew fable. However, when we compare notes there are similar stories told throughout many ancient legends. The idea of ancient men walking the earth, giants with strength beyond a normal man, and a flood which takes out the entire population of this planet are not the stories that are distinct to the Hebrew people. There are over 250 flood stories throughout the ancient world, there are stories of men living to fantastic lengths of time, and there are even stories of re known men who grew to colossal status. Maybe these are not all legends but rather pieces of a global historical consciousness. The stories change through time and culture but they retain a similarity which cannot be ignored.

The questions that we find ourselves asking are difficult to find answers for. How is possible that a man could live ten times his normal age range? Was there a supernatural phenomenon allowing angelic beings to interbreed with natural women who gave birth to supernatural giants? All of this seems quite abnormal to the scientific mind. However, I believe that an adequate assessment of the Genesis story provides some very logical and possible solutions to these problems. The reader must wade through the fictional products of theologians and look for real solutions to these age old questions. For this article we hope to discuss the following ideals to make better sense out of these parts in Genesis.

I. The age of ancient men.
II. The sons of God.

I. The ages of ancient men.
The ages of “pre-historic” men seem to be part of Genesis that causes trouble to the modern mind. The fact is that we know the common man would be fortunate enough to see his eightieth birthday, and if he breaks one hundred years he should consider himself very fortunate. How could humans live to be so old in the ancient world? How would one’s teeth stay in tact with over 900 years of usage? How would bones stay strong and people be able to have children long after their hundredth birthday had occurred? What about heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, sexual diseases, etc? All of these seem to be questions that cause one to doubt the validity of the Bible. The fact is that we are not sure why or how all of this was possible. There is no living doctor who was there to be able to tell us how this phenomenon actually happened. There are however, several things to consider when looking at a reconstruction of this portion of history. Let us consider the following as possible reasons why men lived to be so old and why they remained healthy throughout the duration of their lives.
The first thing to consider is that the human body was never made to die, age, grow sick, or breakdown. From the theological prospective we can allocate these developments to the fall of man. When man fell into sin he brought forth death upon the entire race. In Romans 5:12 the Apostle Paul tells us; “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Sin brought about death into the human family. That death working in man has produced sin in every generation to follow. That was covered in more detail in the last article. The point is that it would take a while for sin to accelerate and bring about death more rapidly. As men continue to move further away from Adam the life span begins to decline. After the flood things begin to decline in an accelerated manner.

The second factor has to with lifestyles. It is very likely that before the flood men ate less meat if any. Diseases that are present in meat consumption would be reduced or non-existent. Eating closer to the ground can help man to reach old age in our present time, so it is likely that fruits and vegetables were a big part of the pre-flood diet. It is also possible that the lack of stress would cause life spans to increase. Stress is a number one killer in America claiming more lives than any other factor. It is no doubt that pre-flood men were fit, but it is very likely that while they worked hard, their lives were slow paced. In our country we continue to see heart disease and other stress related illnesses show us how powerful stress is on the human body. Ancient man no doubt had his worries, but it was still a simpler life than the one we have made for ourselves today. Perhaps, Kendall Down has summed it up right when he says,

The first is the belief that the world before the Flood was a near perfect environment. There was plenty of good quality food, so no problems with malnutrition of either the deficiency or the over-eating variety. Society was, on the whole, rural, so there were no problems with stress. The climate was equable, there was no pollution and disease organisms had not yet developed to present levels. All these factors combined to produce exceptional longevity.

The third reason has to do with the maturation process. Once again we will turn to Dr. Jack Cuozzo for the answers to these questions. Dr. Cuozzo in his book entitled, “Buried Alive” discusses research that he has conducted on different Neanderthal fossils he has had the privilege of looking at. He has come to believe that the maturity process of man is speeding up over time. His research shows that even as few as 300 years ago this phenomenon could be observed. During the time of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach it is well known that many of the boys singing in his choir did not reach puberty till almost the age of 17. He noted that this was not only found to be true of young boys but girls did not often reach puberty till the age of 17 as well. That seems a little late and may have something to do with levels of nutrition. Especially in young girls as we know that building fat cells early on can throw them into puberty earlier. However ancient writing show that boys and girls matured slower. This of course varies through time but there is evidence from ancient writings among the Greeks and Romans that puberty did not begin in a female till at least the 14th year. Another example of this slow maturity can be seen in studying the history of tooth eruption. Dr. Cuozzo noted that the British Museum conducted a study of tooth development a few years back. They examined the remains of 63 children ranging from infant to five years of age that had been buried over 200 years ago. They noted that often no teeth had erupted in children that were 11-12 months of age when they died. The average age of tooth eruption today is 6-8 months. If all of Dr. Cuozzo’s research is correct then it is feasible to believe that ancient man was developing slowly. He was reaching sexual maturity very slowly, he was gaining each set of teeth very slowly, and he was generally aging very slowly. It seems that a forty year old man in the ancient world was likely to have reached the place that an eighteen year old boy reaches today.
Dr. Cuozzo not only proposes that humans matured very slowly in the ancient world, but their teeth had a self healing mechanism that was more advanced than our own. Today scratches can be made on the surface of the teeth and in about six weeks it will start to fill in with pellicle which is more or less the “skin” of the teeth. In modern man this system is broken down where it is less potent and has no significant impact on tooth healing. However, in ancient man it was no doubt very powerful healing quality. The pellicle is fortified by proteins, calcium and minerals that come from saliva. Human saliva has a healing quality to repair teeth and there are some suggestions that it repaired enamel as well. Job even refers to his teeth having skin on it in Job 19:20. Job also knew that saliva contained healing in it and he used it to spit on his own wounds.

“How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?” Job 7:19. (In other words Job was saying that when this is over I will be able swallow my spit instead of using it on my wounds.)

Dr. Cuozo has written an eloquent work and I have to highly recommend the reader to pick up a copy of his book, “Buried Alive.” The point of all of this is to let you know that is highly possible that humans could have lived to be very old. There is strong evidence that opens up the level of probability in regards to human age. We can be sure of this man did live long expanses of time before and shortly after the flood. Neanderthals represent the post-flood population, yet they give us clues to understand the pre-flood population.

II. The Sons of God.
When we arrive in the sixth chapter of Genesis we encounter another problem that causes this book to take on a “mythical” nature. The Bible records that the “Sons of God” had sexual relationships with the “Daughters of men.” The product of these unions resulted in men who grew to enormous statures and possessed great strength. There are three different ideals that I want to submit to the reader. The third idea is something that I have created and so it is to be taken as mere opinion. However, I think the reader will find it interesting and useful in this passage.

1. The Adamic Theory. Generally speaking the term “Son of God” can be applied in a variety of ways. Angels are referred to as “Sons of God” and man is called by the same name. This first school of thought warns us that there is nothing supernatural occurring here. It is accepted in many circles that the Sons of God were natural men who were born from the lineage of Seth. The daughters of men were believed to be idol worshippers born to the lineage of Cain. As we know from the beginning satan wanted to infiltrate the messianic line and keep it from coming to pass. This is a very feasible theory. However, there is an objection that needs to be answered. The Bible records that Giants were born in the land. It takes special note that these men were powerful and gives off a feeling that what happened here had some spiritual nature to it.
2. The Angelic Theory. The second school of thought is that the “Sons of God” were actually fallen angels who had fallen in love with earth women. It explains the supernatural nature of this situation, but is it cohesive with scripture? Can Angels reproduce at all? There is nothing in the Bible which would prevent us from believing this was possible. Angels are always referred to in a masculine sense so it is a possible. However, I believe there is a passage in Hebrews which gives us a clue into understanding what happened here.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Hebrews 2:16.

The italicized words were added by the translators so it is hard to know what is meant. However, I believe that it is intended to convey that there is a difference between men and angels. Angels do not marry, they do have children, and do not issue offspring. Abraham and his descendants are a race. Jesus could easily come into the human race and become a part of it in order that he might redeem it. He cannot redeem angels because they are not a race, they are a group. A race is a thing which can be propagated. A group probably cannot be propagated. I find no reason to think that angels have compatible physiology with humans. Therefore, I do believe that this theory is too fantastic for my tastes.

3. The Hughes hypothesis. Perhaps there is a bridge that can be made between these two theories. Allow me for a moment to share something that could be food for thought. I believe that the Sons of God were indeed the men who were born of Seth. The daughters of men here may very well be descendants from Cain. I believe that there was no doubt idol worship and contact between the natural and spiritual world. It is possible that through idolatry demons were able affect a child even from the womb. In the 1930’s Himmler the S.S. officer under Hitler deeply involved himself in the ideas of occultism and Aryanism. He believed centuries before modern man there was a race of pure men who grew to great size and possessed great strength. These men become Norse gods and ruled the world with power and purity. Himmler hoped to recreate this with the German nation in the 1930’s. He had compiled a list of graveyards that he suggested Aryan couples to conceive in. The idea was that the spirits of the norse gods would enter the child and in time the “uber mensch” (supermen) were born. Himmler was insane and there is no question about. However, I believe that spirits can enter children from early ages. Is it possible that there was such a level of demonic activity and spirit worship in the antediluvian world that demons were allowed to alter the genetic structures in some way? Does this sound bizarre? Maybe but consider that there is such a thing as Genetic Engineering. Genes can be manipulated and alter appearance, intelligence, character, behavior and etc. Some scientists have suggested that homosexuals have a genetic manipulation which brings their sexual orientation the wrong way. I do not believe that homosexuals are “born that way.” I am simply illustrating that there is a great possibility that spirits who gained power over men through worship were able to affect men’s physiologically in the ancient world.

It impossible to know what happened here at this particular time in human history. However, I don’t believe it is mythological in nature. I think that what happened here was very spiritual as well as very natural. Whatever took place here made God angry enough to wipe out every living thing except what was boarded onto the ark. This leads me to think that humans were doing things that we have not yet began to explore. I believe the mythologies of the Greeks concerning large men, and the mythologies of the Norsemen are based in part on this particular time in history. Theses stories are distorted but still testify that such men did exist.

In closing, I hope that some of this has provided you with a framework to understand the difficult question in Genesis. Man lived to great lengths of time and advanced considerably. The Bible tells that before the flood man had learned how to work with iron and brass. The Bible tells us that he learned how to make instruments that gave musical sounds. It is no doubt that governments existed which gave rise the pre-dynastic era. Increased spiritual activity resulted in unhealthy results. As the first two thousand years moved forward the eating, drinking, promiscuity and demon worship finally caused God to say “Enough is enough.” Jesus says that at the close of the age men would increase in those same activities. He said that they would be unaware until disaster falls on them like a hard rain. Those days are here again and the close of the age is at hand. Lift up your head because the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is coming back to rule this earth with a rod of iron. Rule it he will!!!



Written by Joshua B. Hughes A.A.

1. Down Kendall. “The Dates of Creation.” http://www.diggingsonline.com/homestudy/les02.htm l/ retrieved on November 11, 2008.
2. Cuozzo, Jack. Buried Alive. 1998. Master Books, Inc.
www.ricksspace.net/jbhughes/

Let there be a New Model

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.
Psalms 119:160.

Every thing in the universe works by some kind of system. Our ability to know things and to ascertain truth is based on a model of inquiry. Every philosophy, religion or human perspective starts by breaking it apart and putting it together piece by piece. Every field of higher learning requires a model to be used so that we have a base to build onto. History is no exception to this rule. The pattern that history is built upon is based on our construction of Ancient Egypt. If Egyptian history is shown to be flawed than the entire model has to be altered. Over the next several articles we are going to work on reconstructing history from the start. A close examination of the Sothic Cycle leads us to believe that the current model we are using to explain this phenomenon is completely flawed. Instead of starting our model in 3100 B.C. we are going to start our model in 4000 B.C. Based on the data that we have given in scripture this is a safe round number to give for the creation of the world. Everything we will be doing from this point will be entirely lenient on this number.

There are a few things that you have to understand about a model. A model is open to error. The fact is that even the best historians make mistakes in their constructions. The entire model can be very sound but there is room for mistakes within the model itself. The second thing is that a model needs to be inclusive. We don’t have to invent data to make our model work. I have no intention of manufacturing data to make this model survive. On the contrary, if the data does not work then the model will be investigated for the flaw. If the flaw is deep and illogical then the model has to be dismantled and discarded. A model without fixed dates should serve as a multi-regional connector. People groups in the Ancient world had contact each with other and there is evidence of it everywhere. We need to take a holistic look at all of these groups and match events like a puzzle. The Bible, Egyptian records, Hittite Annals, Greek Writings, Sumerian tablets should all give us only one story. These stories are interconnected and it is up to us to know how.

For our model we will begin with story of Adam and his creation. This model will include some theology in order to explain certain phenomenon that occurs in the book of Genesis. I encourage one to take a close look at the world as it existed before the fall of man. After the fall and the flood the world changed drastically and become the world that we have come to know.

We are going to look at the following;

I. A perfect world.
II. Creation of humans.
III. The fall of man.

I. A perfect world.
The world that God made was absolutely and unequivocally perfect in every respect. It is hard to give a complete and thorough picture of the pre-flood world because there is so much that we do not know yet. Because the bulk of the research that has been conducted has been skewed to beef up evolution there has been little work cataloging ideas about the world that perished. Let me give you some key ideas set forth by creation scientists that may very well give us an idea of the conditions that Adam and Eve were subjected to.

The antediluvian world was one that was perfect in every way imaginable. There are a numbers of theories that have been proposed to explain the atmosphere of the planet before the flood. Henry Morris and John Whitcomb who are champions of creationism proposed the idea that there was a kind of water canopy that sat over the earth and protected humans from the harmful effects of UV rays. The key passage that is used to bolster this model is II Peter 3:5. While I deeply respect Morris and Whitcomb I have to admit that such a model cannot be proven, tested, unproven or retested. The biblical text seems to be very sparse in dealing with the atmospheric conditions of the pre-flood world. However, it is very likely that the atmosphere of Eden was far more friendly and hospitable to ancient man. A few hundred years ago there seemed to be less reports of skin cancer than we find today. A few thousand years ago the Ozone layer would have been sufficient to protect ancient man from the harmful effects of the sun. In fact, a water canopy is not necessary to even explain the warmer conditions of a pre-flood world. According to John Woodmorappe in his article; Hypercanes; rainfall generators during the flood he says the following about pre-flood weather;

A global canopy is not necessary to explain the existence of a much-warmer, pre-Flood world than the world we know today. My research has highlighted alternative conditions that would have sustained a frost free planet. These include the absence of ice caps at the poles, the absence of tall mountain ranges (whose presence tends to deflect global wind circulation from a more polar direction. according to some models), larger atmospheric carbon dioxide (for a greenhouse effect), and the existence of shallow seas over much of the continental-interior areas.

There is some question as to whether there was any rainfall in the antediluvian world. Some have suggested that is was minimal or non-existent. The Bible does not make this very clear. However, it is my opinion that there was little to no serious rainfall in the ancient world. The core of the earth is like a nuclear reactor. It is possible that as it warmed up it caused water to come out of the ground and water the earth’s surface. In other words the earth had its own sort of built in sprinkler system. Consider the following scripture as the basis for this idea.

And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
Genesis 2:5-6.

In addition to the water that rose from the ground, it appeared that Eden itself was compassed about with at least four rivers. The Bible indicates that there was one river that ran through Eden and brought water to the garden area. We know that in Ancient Egypt the Nile was a source of water that caused the vegetation to flourish. It was important that the Nile had a good inundation for the crops to grow sufficiently. Perhaps the river that ran through Eden also inundated on a regular basis. The earth was not separated by oceans and all the landmass was unified. Secular scientists agree that all the landmass sat together at some point in time. This landmass is commonly referred to as Laurasia. In the midst of this landmass sat the Garden of Eden. I am not sure how large Eden was and based on the evidence I would be unable to make an accurate guess. However, based on the two rivers that we can identify it would appear that it was large and the modern day Jerusalem may have sat in the center of the Garden. This was a perfect place for God to place the man.

II. The Creation of humanity.
The Bible records that in Genesis one that God made man and the animals on the same day. Adam and Eve were not made on separate days but on the same exact day. There tends to be some misunderstanding in regards to the creation account of Genesis one and the creation account of Genesis two. The fact is that if you understand that they are two accounts of the same event it clears up the mess that humans have made out of it. The first is vague and is intended to reveal the chronology of events. The second is specific and tells us how they were made and what events led to the completion of the man and woman.

After God created the male animals then he commenced to create Adam. The word Adam means “red.” Adam was taken from the red clay which tends to suggest that he was neither white nor black but Middle Eastern in complexion. The Bible tells us that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils and made him a living spirit. The Hebrew has an interesting twist on this idea. The Hebrew says that God breathed into Adam the “Breath of lives.” The breath, of course, invariably refers to the spirit of man. The idea here is very important and need not to be forgotten. There has been a teaching floating around the body of Christ that the soul of man exists in heaven and is sent to earth by God at the time of conception. However, I believe this text indicates otherwise. I do not believe that the spirit of man pre-exists before conception. The fact is that in some terrific and beautiful way the spirit of man is created at conception as the possibility to create life was placed inside of that first man and woman. All of us are a product of the breath that was breathed into them. God created two spirits and gave them the ability to produce more lives biologically, spiritually, and in the realm of the human soul.

This man was a fully developed hominid with a likeness that bore the image of God. He was very intelligent, physically perfect and spiritually pure. In fact I think that Adam was probably far more intelligent than any human that currently exist. After he came alive, God told Adam that he needed help to take care of the Garden that was placed under his charge. God then commenced to create the female species of animals. They were brought to Adam for him to name and for him to judge whether they could help him tend the garden. Of course, God knew that only Eve could do that, but I believe he wanted Adam to be able to recognize that the helpmeet he was to give him was far more superior and in every way his equal. When God put Adam to sleep and brought Eve forth Adam was able to see a display of the wisdom of God.

Before I discuss the fall there are a couple of features about Adam and Eve I want to mention;

1. Adam and Eve were not created to die. Death is not a part of the process of God in his dealings with man. Could death happen? Obviously, there was potential for something living to become non-living. I am sure that Adam stepped on an ant once or twice. The point is that death was not a part of the natural biological process for animals and humans. The word for animals and humans is a Hebrew word meaning “Living soul.” This word is never used in context with plant life. It is possible that death was possible by accident not possible through the biological process of depravity.
2. Adam and Eve were clothed in the glory of God. C.H. Kang in his book “The Discovery of Genesis in the Chinese language” tells us that ancient Chinese is pictographic and has the Genesis story hidden in its symbols. He claims that researching the etymology of words will show pictures of the stories found in Genesis. His work is very thorough, and I encourage the reader to pick up a copy. There is an interesting idea referring to Adam that Kang sets forth in work. The word for fire and light in Chinese both show a man with rays deflecting from him. Kang believes that this represents the condition of Adam before the fall. The Bible says that he was made in image of God and so no doubt he was clothed with light. The glory of God shown about Adam and Eve and it was not until the fall that they became conscious of their own nakedness.

III. The Fall of Man.
A great deal could be said about the fall of man. The question is what happened to man at the fall? Theologians, Bible Historians and scientists alike have tried to grab this bull by the horns. However, I believe that what happened here is something that will take many fields to explain. Let us take a look at a couple of different perspectives in order to understand what is going on when we look at Genesis three.

1. From a spiritual standpoint it is clear that there was a breach placed between God and man. This breach changes the dynamics of communication between a holy God and an imperfect creation. Without the light of God in the human soul it will naturally become darker and man will lose the intimate fellowship with God that will not return till the time that Jesus pays the price for sin. The knowledge of good and evil will open up a world of selfishness and human lawlessness.
2. From the standpoint of the physical man it is apparent that disease and death become a part of man’s physical makeup. Whatever they reversed at the fall caused the processes of life to reverse. Theologians have suggested that somehow sin starting running through the blood and took on a physical characteristic known as the sin nature. I disagree with this and find it to be somewhat ludicrous. Sin is not a substance of any kind but it is a disobedience to the law of God. Sin cannot be passed on in the blood of man. However, death can be passed on in a spiritual and natural sense. I believe that this is what the Apostle Paul was trying to tell us in Romans 5:12. (KJV) Sin brought death into the world and death passed onto men and brought about sin as a circular pattern. Moral depravity is not transferable but physical depravity is. However, physical depravity will bring about moral depravity.
3. If man is physically depraved, that is death and disease are a part of his makeup this naturally will darken his appetites, propensities, desires, intellect, emotions and all other factors of the soul/mental realm. This means when a child is born its appetites, desires, propensities accelerate at a rapid rate. From the moment a child enters the world it is helpless and so it is necessary that the totality of its existence is self-oriented. This is not wrong. In a world without sin the child’s intellect, reasoning and conscience would most likely develop quickly. The effects of death on humans have caused these areas to develop slower. By the time that a child reaches the age to know right and wrong the appetites, propensities, and desires of the child will be stronger and more developed than the small conscience, intellect or reasoning.

The Bible tells us there are a number of curses which came upon the human race when our federal head and his wife fell into rebellion against the creator of the Universe. These curses include the following;

1. Sin.
2. Disease.
3. The ground would be hard. (frustration.)
4. Death.
5. Pain in childbearing.
6. The woman being subjected to male domination. (vs.16)
7. A curse that affected all creation.

We are the products of these people and even now we are able to see the fruit of actions that were committed at the beginning of the world. It took a while for conditions to be as they are now, but we know that through Jesus Christ we have the victory over everything that was brought upon us through the fall of Adam. Adam brought sin, sickness, frustration, death, and pain on the world. Jesus Christ brought righteousness, health, peace, life, and joy upon the race. In the beginning when they were driven from the Garden of God the blood of an animal was shed and his skin covered their nakedness. The shedding of Christ’s blood was shed for the same reason; to cover the sin of man.


Woodmorappe, John. Hypercanes; Rain fall generators during the flood? www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v14/i2/hypercanes.asp

C.H. Kang and Ethel R. Nelson, The Discovery of Genesis (Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, U.S.A., 1979).



This article is written by Joshua B. Hughes A.A. October, 2008


www.ricksspace.net/jbhughes/