Postby Jason Toddman » Thu Aug 26, 2010 10:36 pm
If you are asking me if I believe Adam and Noah ever existed, the answer is no.
With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the answer is... maybe, though doubtful. For one thing, there is one story about Abraham having his wife Sarai posing as his sister that is virtually identical with a later strory about Isaac and HIS wife... a coincidence that I think is extremely dubious. There could have been such people, but I think of such tales as little more than folklore like the takes of Anansi the spider from western Africa. In the case of the Flood of Noah and the Garden of Eden, no -I do not believe these ever existed at all. Granted, Flood legends are very common and in fact there is (disputed) evidence that a global disaster struck the earth many thousands of years ago (but involved somewhat less than TOTAL devastation of life on land) but I am very doubtful of taking anything literally that is described in the Book of Genesis, becauise there is no independent evidence outside the Bible that anything in it (like the plagues of Egypt) ever happened .
Sorry if that disappoints you, but I already warned you I do not take such things at face value. I believe that certain (non-miraculous) events described later in the Bible happened more or less as described (King Solomon almost certainly existed, for instance), because outside evidence exists to corroborate them. Earlier more miraculous tales however lack such evidence - or credibility.
Dare to be different... and make a difference.
To boldly go where no one in their right mind has gone before...