Rational people know that the Genesis creation story didn't happen. But it could be a complex metaphor for the Jewish involvement in the Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations. All of the symbols can be related to phases in civilization and to events depicted in the Bible. It pays to keep in mind that you are reading a Middle East ethnocentric religious fairy tale and that you need to think like a person from that time and area might have thought. It also pays to remember that fiction is more entertaining and easier to remember than actual events.
For instance, consider Genesis 1:11-12 which takes about plants on the third day. That could refer to the origin of agriculture, where man started to plant food crops and vineyards and fruit trees instead of foraging for them in the wild.
On the sixth day, Genesis 1:24-31, it talks about animals and how man is to have dominion over them. That could refer to the domestication of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and other livestock and the creation of fishing fleets.
Now I know some folks hate metaphors but the Bible is loaded with them so if you're going to discuss it then you need to get a grasp on them.
And please, stop talking about Adam & Eve being the only people on Earth. The Bible plainly states that the Cush and Assyrian civilizations were just down the road from the Garden of Eden, Genesis 2:13-14. And don't forget how Nimrod waltzed into Assyria right after the flood and built cities. Is there any historical record of Assyria ever being flooded to its highest mountain? Of course there isn't, so the Noah flood of actual wet water never happened. It was the Assyrian military that swept over the land like a flood of water killing, raping, pillaging, and generally being bad asses. Using water as a metaphor for that event is a lot nicer. Besides, the king of Tyre lived in the Garden of Eden. He may or may not have been Adam but they both got kicked out by the Assyrian Emperor, aka "God".
For instance, consider Genesis 1:11-12 which takes about plants on the third day. That could refer to the origin of agriculture, where man started to plant food crops and vineyards and fruit trees instead of foraging for them in the wild.
On the sixth day, Genesis 1:24-31, it talks about animals and how man is to have dominion over them. That could refer to the domestication of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and other livestock and the creation of fishing fleets.
Now I know some folks hate metaphors but the Bible is loaded with them so if you're going to discuss it then you need to get a grasp on them.
And please, stop talking about Adam & Eve being the only people on Earth. The Bible plainly states that the Cush and Assyrian civilizations were just down the road from the Garden of Eden, Genesis 2:13-14. And don't forget how Nimrod waltzed into Assyria right after the flood and built cities. Is there any historical record of Assyria ever being flooded to its highest mountain? Of course there isn't, so the Noah flood of actual wet water never happened. It was the Assyrian military that swept over the land like a flood of water killing, raping, pillaging, and generally being bad asses. Using water as a metaphor for that event is a lot nicer. Besides, the king of Tyre lived in the Garden of Eden. He may or may not have been Adam but they both got kicked out by the Assyrian Emperor, aka "God".
