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101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

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yth #11:<br />

God created man and woman in his own image.<br />

The Myth: So God created man in his own image, in <strong>the</strong> image <strong>of</strong> God created<br />

he him; male and female created he <strong>the</strong>m. (Gen. 1:27)<br />

The Reality: The idea that God created humanity in his own image comes from<br />

Egyptian beliefs about <strong>the</strong> relationship between humanity and <strong>the</strong> Creator.<br />

The <strong>Bible</strong> says that God created man and woman in his own image but it doesn’t<br />

explain what it means to be created in God’s image. Do <strong>the</strong>y share <strong>the</strong> same physical<br />

form, or physical characteristics such as immortality or just some <strong>of</strong> sort <strong>of</strong> spiritual<br />

similarity? None <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se options seem to be <strong>the</strong> case.<br />

We know from <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> Adam and Eve that knowledge <strong>of</strong> good and evil (<strong>the</strong><br />

fundamental basis for spiritual similarity) and immortality (a physical characteristic)<br />

were attributes <strong>of</strong> God and his angels but <strong>the</strong>y were not attributes given to humanity<br />

when it was first created. Also, God assumed many shapes in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bible</strong>, including that<br />

<strong>of</strong> a burning bush and a cloud <strong>of</strong> smoke, to describe just two. So, God and humans did<br />

not share a similar physical form.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r question raised by <strong>the</strong> biblical passage concerns <strong>the</strong> sex <strong>of</strong> this image.<br />

Was <strong>the</strong> image <strong>of</strong> God male or female or both? Although <strong>the</strong> English translation initially<br />

says God created“man” in his own image, it <strong>the</strong>n goes on to say,“male and female<br />

created he <strong>the</strong>m.” The problem is that <strong>the</strong> English translation does not accurately<br />

reflect <strong>the</strong> underlying Hebrew text. The Hebrew does not say God created “man”; it<br />

says he created ha-adam, which means“<strong>the</strong> adam,” and he created“<strong>the</strong> adam” male and<br />

female. Since <strong>the</strong> Hebrew word for“man” is“ish”, what we may ask is an adam?<br />

Underlying <strong>the</strong> English translation is <strong>the</strong> idea that adam means “man,” but this is<br />

actually a speculation by biblical scholars who have assumed this meaning. It derives<br />

primarily from a pun based on <strong>the</strong> belief that Adam was made from clay.<br />

In Hebrew and o<strong>the</strong>r Semitic languages, <strong>the</strong> word for clay is adamah, and, since<br />

Genesis says that God made <strong>the</strong> being later named Adam out <strong>of</strong> clay, <strong>the</strong> biblical<br />

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