Chapter
1. THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD
The Bible
stands as a remarkable testament to religious and philosophical thought, passed
down through the ages with minimal alterations. At its core lies a collection
of texts rooted in the sacred writings of Jewish and Samaritan traditions,
known as the Torah, meaning "Law" or "Teaching." In its
narrowest sense, the Torah comprises the first five books of the Hebrew Bible,
collectively called the Tanakh—an acronym derived from the Hebrew terms for
"Law/Teaching" (Torah), "Prophets" (Nevi’im), and
"Writings" (Ketuvim). Beyond this Written Torah, there exists an Oral
Torah, which includes the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrash, offering
interpretations and expansions of the written texts. The Written Torah itself
is divided into five interconnected narratives: Genesis (Bereishit), Exodus
(Shemot), Leviticus (Vayikra), Numbers (Bamidbar), and Deuteronomy (Devarim).
Outside Jewish tradition, these books are often referred to as the Pentateuch,
forming part of the Christian Old Testament, which aligns closely with the
Tanakh. Scholars generally agree that this collection was compiled between the
10th and 2nd centuries BCE, though no part of the Pentateuch bears an explicit
author’s name, leaving its authorship a matter of ongoing debate.
The title
of the first book, Bereishit, translates from Hebrew as "In the
beginning," drawn from the opening phrase of its initial chapter.
Traditionally attributed to Moses, the legendary figure of the Old Testament,
it is sometimes called the First Book of Moses. It is believed to have been
originally composed in ancient Hebrew. In Greek, the text is known as Genesis
("Origin"), and in Latin, it carries the same name, signifying
"Beginning." Religious sources pinpoint the composition of Genesis, and
indeed the entire Torah, to around 1280 BCE. The eighth principle of faith,
articulated by the medieval theologian Maimonides (1135/38–1204), asserts that
Moses transcribed the Torah directly from divine dictation on Mount Sinai.
However, historical accounts vary. The Jewish Encyclopedia places Moses’
activity between 1450 and 1400 BCE, while the ancient historian Josephus
Flavius (1st century CE) suggested that Moses authored only the second book,
Exodus, around 1985 BCE, implying Genesis predated his time. In academic
circles, some propose that Hebrew writing could trace back to the 14th century
BCE, though the earliest surviving texts date to the late 11th or early 10th
century BCE. These discrepancies highlight a broad range of estimates—spanning
1,000 to 1,800 years—for the dating of this foundational work. Pinpointing the
timeline of the Torah’s creation could clarify the historical or mythical
nature of its figures and events.
The
biblical saga begins with a narrative of the universe’s earliest moments and
humanity’s origins. According to Genesis, just a century or two ago, many
people envisioned the world’s creation as described in its verses. Notably, the
text presents two distinct accounts of the world’s formation. The first, spanning
two chapters, bears resemblance to an evolutionary framework, detailing the
process with vivid imagery. Biblical scholar Richard Friedman (born 1946) has
argued persuasively that this section derives from a mysterious source labeled
"P" (for "Priest") by experts. This source is thought to
have been penned by an unknown priest in Judah, likely in Jerusalem, during the
reign of King Hezekiah (715–687 BCE).
In one
version of Genesis’ creation story, God fashions the heavens, earth, and waters
on the first day, separating light from darkness. A modern reader might
interpret this as an ancient attempt to describe Earth’s formation and the
cycle of day and night. The text explicitly notes, "The earth was formless
and void," underscoring its chaotic beginnings. The second day focuses on
organizing water in the natural world. On the third day, God creates land and
seas, planting seed-bearing grasses and fruit-bearing trees. The fourth day
sees the creation of the sun—"the greater light to rule the day"—the
moon—"the lesser light to rule the night"—and the stars. On the fifth
day, God brings forth great sea creatures, creeping things that teem in the
waters, and winged birds. The sixth day witnesses the creation of land
animals—wild beasts, cattle, and creeping things—followed by humanity, made as
male and female. The seventh day is reserved for rest, marking the completion
of this laborious act.
Yet,
contemporary evidence suggests a far lengthier process for the emergence of
physical, chemical, biological, and social matter. The observable universe,
measured through cosmic microwave background anisotropy, is approximately
13.787 billion years old (±20 million years). The earliest stages of cosmic
formation remain only partially understood by theoretical physicists. The Big
Bang theory and the concept of spatial expansion explain the progression from
subatomic particles to molecules and the onset of time. Before expanding from
an infinitesimally small point, the universe’s prior state eludes
comprehension, perhaps due to an inherent cosmic amnesia. Over eons, massive
clouds of plasma, molecules, and dust coalesced, giving rise to stars.
Generations of stars, igniting and collapsing, synthesized diverse chemical
elements through nuclear reactions.
The Sun
formed over at least 10 million years from the compression of molecular gas and
remnants of ancient stars. Around 4.5682–4.567 billion years ago, the Solar
System emerged, comprising a central star and a protoplanetary disk of gas and
dust. The oldest meteoritic inclusions solidified 4.568–4.565 billion years
ago, with chondritic accretion occurring within 3 million years later. The
Earth-Moon-meteorite system is dated to 4.55–4.51 billion years with 1%
precision, marking the onset of humanity’s cradle.
The origin
of Earth’s water remains debated, though water is abundant in space. Isotopic
analysis reveals that water on Earth, the Moon, and carbonaceous chondrite
meteorites is indistinguishable, suggesting either a shared origin or later
delivery via meteorite impacts. Experimental evidence supports the latter, with
water detected in 4.406-billion-year-old lithospheric particles, indicating
liquid water existed within 160 million years of Earth’s formation. This aligns
with the presence of water in the Sun’s accretion disk, potentially supplying
Earth with one to three oceans’ worth. Cosmic impacts, notably the "Late
Heavy Bombardment" 3.92–3.85 billion years ago, likely contributed
additional water, with comets possibly accounting for half of Earth’s reserves.
The
biblical account, while poetic, contrasts with this scientific timeline. Its
first creation narrative, likely authored in Judah between 715 and 687 BCE,
reflects a geocentric worldview and archaic notions of biodiversity. Unlike
modern taxonomy—pioneered by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century—it omits
viruses, microbes, sponges, jellyfish, algae, mosses, ferns, fungi, worms,
crustaceans, insects, and mollusks. This is unsurprising, given the era’s
limited understanding.
Still, the ancient text’s contribution to human thought endures. Its creation story, though differing in details, echoes early scientific curiosity. Egyptian myths, older still, offer parallel insights. The Memphis theology describes a lifeless ocean (Nun) and a god, Ptah, who wills his form into being. In Heliopolis, chaos (Nun) births Atum, the first god. These ideas, dating back 5,000 years, suggest an evolution of thought: from water alone to water and land. Genesis’ narratives—one akin to Heliopolis, the other to Memphis—read like a scholarly synthesis of Egyptian cosmology, adapted by Jewish sages. The Memphis view, positing an initial watery chaos, aligns more closely with modern science, adjusted for millennia of progress.
Retelling done by Grok, an artificial intelligence developed by xAI.
Author:
Arkhipov S.V. – candidate of medical sciences, surgeon, traumatologist-orthopedist.
Citation:
Архипов С.В. Дети человеческие: истоки библейских преданий в обозрении врача. Эссе, снабженное ссылками на интерактивный материал. 2-е изд. перераб. и доп. Йоэнсуу: Издание Автора, 2025.
Arkhipov S.V. Human Children: The Origins of Biblical Legends from a Physician's Perspective. An essay with references to interactive materials. 2nd revised and expanded edition. Joensuu: Author's Edition, 2025. [Rus]
Purchase:
PDF version is available on GooglePlay & Google Books
Keywords
ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, history, first patient, injury, damage, Bible, Genesis
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