Studies in GENESIS 1-5

The Jewish and Christian Old Testament book of GENESIS is often referred to as the “beginning,” but it can also refer to origin, descent, or generations. Upon examining selected passages in this study, the internal evidence suggests that embedded within certain sections is another interwoven narrative that runs parallel to the main story. It seems as though there are at least two versions of the same or similar ancient historical account of the creation of the universe, the earth, and the human race; better known as “Cosmology.”

PART I
1.1
In the beginning, God (Elohim??) created the heavens and the earth.
1.2
The earth was formless and void, darkness was over the face of the deep. The Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
1.26
Then God said, Let Us (??) make man in Our image, according Our likeness; and let them rule over..."
1.27
And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.
1.29
Then God said, "I have given you every plant-yielding seed that is on the surface of the earth and every tree which has fruit-yielding seed; it shall be food for you".
1.30And to every beast of the field, every bird of the sky and everything that moves on the earth that has life. I have given every green plant for food.
2.01 THUS THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WERE COMPLETED AND ALL THEIR HOSTS.
2.02 The seventh day God completed His work and rested on the seventh day.
2.03 God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it....
NOTE: There is no mention of God planting a garden or anything about a talking serpent (“shining one”), tree of life or tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve were only told to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, and subdue it. Also, there was no mention of Eve taken from Adam’s rib (tsala).

PART II (NOTE: In this following section, the Divine name is the Lord God.)
2.04
THIS IS THE ACCOUNT OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED, IN THE DAY THAT THE LORD GOD MADE THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS.
2.05
Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, no plant had sprouted, for the Lord God (YHWH??) had not sent rain upon the earth; and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
2.07
The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (“neshamah”), and man became a living being (“nephesh”).
2.08
The Lord God planted a garden toward the east in Eden; there He placed the man whom He had formed.
2.09
Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
2.10
Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. . .
2.17
The Lord God commanded the man saying...."from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat (Cp. 1: 29), for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die".
2.18
The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him".
2.20
But for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
2.21
The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept. Then He took one of his ribs (tsala), and closed up the flesh at the place.
2.22
And the Lord God fashioned (built) into a woman the rib which He took from the man, and brought her to the man.
2.23
The man said, "This is now flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone; She shall be called Woman (Ishah) because she was taken out of Man (Ish)".
3.01
Now the serpent was more subtle (subtil?) than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said to the woman, "Indeed has God not said you shall eat from any tree of the garden"? (Cp. 2: 17)
3.03
The woman said, "But from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die".
NOTE: Mother Eve had it totally twisted (Cp. 2: 09, 17), and besides all that, God commanded Adam about the tree (Cp. 2: 16- 17)
3.04
The serpent said to the woman, “you shall not surely die".
3.05
"For God knows that in the day that you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil". NOTE: the serpent didn’t say the Lord God
3.06 The woman saw that the tree was good for food, it was a delight to the eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise (1John2:16), she took from its fruit and ate; She also gave to her husband with her, and he did eat.
3.07
Then the eyes of them were both opened, and they knew they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
NOTE: Adam and Eve most likely ate some figs and not the proverbial apple as tradition says.
3.09
Then the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you"?
3.10
And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself... NOTE: In a sense, both the Lord God and the serpent were right because in that day Adam and Eve sinned, they died to spiritual innocence (??); though they did not die physically on that very day.
3.21
And the Lord God made garments of skin (not fur or wool ??) for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
3.23
And the Lord God said, "Behold the man has become like one of Us (??), knowing good and evil, now lest he stretch forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.
4.17-23, 25-26
And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city and named it after his son. Now to Enoch was born Irad; and Irad became the father of Mehujael; and Mehujael became the father of Methushael; and Methushael became the father of Lamech. And Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of those who play the lyre and pipe [flute??]. As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech . . .
And Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel; for Cain killed him.” And to Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.

PART III
5.01
THIS IS THE BOOK OF THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM IN THE DAY WHEN GOD CREATED MAN. HE MADE HIM IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD.
5.02
He created them male and female and named them “Adam” in the day they were created.
5: 3
When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth (5: 3b).
5: 6
And Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh.
5: 12
And Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel (Cp. 4: 18a).
5: 15, 18
And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared (Cp. 4: 18a). And Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years and became the father of Enoch (4: 17)
5. 21-22
And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah (Cp. 4: 18b). Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.
5.24, 25
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Heb. 11:5). And Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech (4: 18b??)
5: 28-29
And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son (Cp. 4: 19-22??). Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one shall give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord had cursed.

In Part III, the sons of Cain are reworked into the descendants of Seth, the substitute son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed (Cp. 4: 8, 10). The names of Seth’s descendants, Mahalalel, Jared, Methuselah, are linguistically, phonetically, and philologically the same as the descendants of Cain; namely, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael. Of course, both descendants of Adam’s sons Cain and Seth use the names Enoch and Lamech. From this point onward the storyline continues through Seth, whom, according to the sacred text was in Adam’s own image and likeness (Cp. 5: 3b).


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 18, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com