Was there literally an Adam & Eve?

Question

Were there really 2 people created by Yahweh "in the beginning", and were those people Adam & Eve?

Or is it just an allegory?

Answer 1

Origins of the Fall of Adam and Eve.

The Old Testament is basically a compilation of selected oral traditions passed on from one culture and a few of the surrounding tribes. Basically these oral traditions were the stories told around the campfire to give the early hebrews a cultural identity. Pretty much all tribes had their own oral traditions, but what is written in the Old Testament survived because the tribe eventually wrote them down.

There are a few things to consider about this... the first is that all these stories have some truth to them in that they were important enough stories for the tribe to pass them down throughout the generations until eventually they were important enough to write down. The second thing to consider is that these stories were passed on for thousands of years before being written down. Surely the significance of the stories would have changed their context over this vast period of time. The third thing is that these stories were never meant to describe the entire world, only that particular culture. In other words, the stories were based on all that they knew, not all that was.

So what could the story of Adam and Eve have represented for the early Hebrews? The creation of the world? We know this is not the case, but what could have happened that these Hebrews would have found so significant that they would hold it in so high a regard as to call it creation? Can history give us any clues as to what could have been so significant to these people 8000-10,000 years ago?

The fact is, history can tell us about a very significant event that happened at around the same time and in about the same area. This event was the Agricultural Revolution.

Now, it should be said that humans had been around for hundreds of thousands of years prior to the Agricultural Revolution. During this period, human population growth was rather slight. These early tribes were mostly hunter-gatherers with some low-level farming. A comparative look at some of the isolated tribes of today shows that they have a high respect for nature, and concepts like ownership of land and ownership of food are pretty much non-existant. They lived as animals, and by that I mean that they killed and ate what they needed, and for protection, but very rarely more than that. This was pretty much a law of limited competition as we see amung other animals in the wild today. Humans did not claim dominion over the planet or its food. One day the human hunters caught the deer, another day the deer got away, and yet another day a tiger caught the deer. The humans did not resent the tiger for this because they were living as the tiger did.. in a way, whether the deer lived or who caught it, was up to the gods. By "the gods" I of course mean the Animist "gods" found in the majority of tribal cultures.

Fast forward to the Agricultural Revolution when humans began to think differently about their food. Rather than rely on "the gods" for their food, humans began a concentrated wholesale campaign to grow and have complete control over their own food. Animals were domesticated and raised on farms for the purpose of eventually eating them. This time the deer or other livestock belonged to the humans first and foremost. The deer's fate was sealed from birth, it belonged to the humans. The livestock were also protected from other prey, and when necessary, the humans went to war with other would-be competitors for the livestock. To put it another way, humans suddenly took control and decided who lived and who died. Until the Agricultural Revolution, this was the "Knowledge of the Gods."

Do you see where this is going?

The story of the fall of Adam and Eve is the story of the Agricultural Revolution. The story was probably originally told from the point of view of a neighbouring tribe who watched the revolution begin. They believed it was an abomination what these early Hebrews (possibly) were doing. The gods had provided for all up to then and by claiming the knowledge of the gods (eating the apple) they had begun living outside of the laws of nature which had worked so well from the beginning of time. These observers assumed chaos would ensue and "the gods" would no longer provide for them or protect them, thus they were "cast out of the garden." Fortunately for the early Hebrews, this new form of making a living seemed to work quite well. It is likely that the observing tribe was assimilated or at least took up this new way of making a living as it very quickly spread all over the world.

So the story of Adam and Eve wasn't about the creation of humans, but the creation of civilization as we know it! Surely an event worthy of being passed down in a story for generations.

Another thing that is interesting about this, is the spiritual basis of these people was taken away from them. What right did they have to claim dominion over the world and all the animals and plants in it? Who could possibly have given humans the authority to have the knowledge of the gods, of good and evil? Well, who else could give that kind of authority, but the gods themselves.

So this wasn't just the birth of civilization as we know it, but it was also the birth of religion (or perhaps I should say God) as we know it as well. What better coronation story for us, than to be created by god in his own image to rule over the earth.

Answer 2

in the beginning god created heaven and earth. period. That statement didn't say when. It was just stating who created everything. then it says " now the earth was void. Meaning after it was created. Then after that god rebuilt the earth and created the races on the 6th day and on the 8th day created Adam and eve. so the people created on the 6th day had 2 days to be fruitful and multiply well....actually 2000 yrs. But that is a discussion for another time.

Answer 3

I believe the bible is 100% correct...thus the Adam and Eve are literal...

I feel if you go and make an allegory of something you can end up twisting it anyway you want to fit what you believe.

Answer 4

Dear Zero,

God created Adam out of the dust of the earth. Then the Lord put Adam to sleep and took a rib from Adam's side to make Eve. These were the first man and woman and from them came every other person.

Yes, the Bible is true.

Answer 5

God (YHWH) had to start somewhere. And even without God in the equation (and I believe God created us), the human race had to start somewhere. So yes, there had to be a first two. Adam and Eve actually mean "man" and "woman".
It has been proven that we go back genetically to one couple. Although the couple was probably Mr and Mrs Noah, post-flood.

Answer 6

You tell me if I believe there were literally an Adam and Eve.

I believe that the Bible is God's infallible living Word written down by Righteous men as the Holy Spirit came upon them and inspired them to write. I believe that all scripture is God breathed for the instruction and encouragement of his people.
God said it and I believe it. End of discussion.

Answer 7

Yes there were two people Adam & Eve and I believe it because the Holy Bible says so.

Answer 8

definitely was an adam and eve.
what point would adam and eve be making as an allegory?
it was meant to be taken literally.

Answer 9

Yes. However, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. He didn't get around to Adam and Eve until day six.

Answer 10

I doubt there were really 2 people created by God in the beginning of time, barely a thousands of years ago. Yup, I would consider it an allegory.

Answer 11

No, it was two literal people. And we wouldn't have deformities, because our genes have been showing a decrease in their strength, we are -now- more prone to disease and sickness, etc. Back then Adam and Eve would've had perfect genes, so no deformities as a result of the incest (which wasn't a sin until Moses and the Law) would have happened. Now though, with so many genetic flaws, mutations and deformities are more common, especially for incest victims.