IDOLATRY- 9/ELoKiM/Genesis Vs Science
How did Moses know all that?
© 2017 by Rabbi Dr. Zvi Aviner
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We have already seen that Moses’ account of Creation differs dramatically from all the ancient myths of his time. Unlike their stories, Mose’s one lacks any sexual perversion between gods, any rivalry or jealousy or a struggle for power. Moreover, unlike the ancient myths of his time, Moses recognizes an order among the creatures of the world: some created first and others followed. And most importantly: Moses account is factual, dry; like a real report, .
Is Moses’ account compatible with our Scientific knowledge of the history of our Planet?
Luckily for us, the History Channel (HC) has recently issued a series of videos called “How the Earth Was Made.” It presents all we know about Earth based on Archeology, Biology, Astronomy, Geology, Anthropology and other branches of modern Science. The series covers Earth’s history from its birth till our days, including the entire Evolution. We’ll use this presentation as a platform for the comparison of the Scientific narrative with Moses’ Genesis.
In fact, the HC narrator begins his presentation by saying that “for thousands of years Man believed in the story told in the Bible, Now let us see what Science says…” In other worlds the posture that the HC takes is AGAINST he Bible. And yet, as we’ll see, the Biblical story and the Scientific one do match! Something you can’t say about any ancient myths of Moses time. Momnet
THE FIRST DAY of CREATION
The Begining
The Scientific Account
science says that the Universe began 13.7 Billion years ago with a Big Bang. Our entire Universe was compacted into one point, then expanded. Everything in this Universe has come from this primordial point.
Moses’ account
Last class we saw that Kabala has calculated the age of the World, based on Pslam, as about 13 Billlion years, quite close to what scheicne says.
Morever, Moses too is saying that the World sarted at a “Begining,” wihich may fit the concept of the Big Bang. Remeber, all we need to show that Moses stroy CAN be matched with the scientific one. Moroeve, when Moses says that “At the Beginign ELKM created the Heavens and the Earth” the rabbis have seen this it as a HEADLINE to what comes next. Everything that was created later came out from the First Moment or the Beginning. .
Moroever, Kabalah distingushes between the firsr moment of CREATION and the rest of the Six Days. At the Begining, ELKM created “something from nothing,” “Yesh from AaYin.” Later, during the Six Days, He created “Yesh from Yesh”, “something from somthing.” So on the Fifht Day, for instance, He created new creatrures (Fish) from things created earlier on the Third and Fourht Day. nd so on.
ELKM the BUILDER AND JUDGE
Before we proceed with our comparizon between Scince and Mose’s words, let’s repeat what we know about the CREATOR, ELKM The All Mightyh JUDGE. ELKM, we have said, is a Builder who follows the Absolute Justice Without Mercy. He builds and He can destoys. He gives life and He can take life away. He has built the Six Floor Building, Our Universe, according to a Plane. At the end of each Day He checked to see whether or not the Day was good. Here “Good” means that the Floor has met the Plan, that He was pleased. “Good” also means “viable.” A ‘good’ verdict alloweod the creaturues living in the lasr Floor to enter the next Floor. Those who are doomed “not good” anymore were eliminated to nothingness. A good verdict for a Floor also meant that it was solid, strong enough to support a new Floor on top. A creatue on one Floor was demed good if it could support the life of the new creaures introduced in the next Floor.
Equipped with that knowledge we can procede now with our comparizon between Science and Moses.
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The Rest of the First Day
The scientific stroy
Science says that after the Big Bang Entropy began to decline; Energy and Light were formed and converted to Matter according to Einstein’s formula. The Universe expended first in Chaos, then in more orderly fashion. Primitive inorganic molecules like helium and water were formed, followed by larger ones baked in burning suns and exploding Novas. .
By about 4.5 Billion years ago, Planet Earth was consolidated by the forces of gravity forces holding together meteors. It was first seen as a red Planet comprised of melting lava that streamed on its surface. The temperature of 8000F was kept high by radioactive decay of the Earth’s elements. The Planet had no atmosphere and no life. It is named the Molten Rock Planet
Mose’s account
At the Beginning of Earth life, it was chaotic, “tohu and bohu.”. “Darkness” prevailed over the “theom,” Deep, which CAN allude tothe Deep Space, since there was no atmosphere. Then ELKM sais “Let there be Light” and light apeared, then came Order, Matter and Water.
The verse then summs up by saying “iand t was evening, and it was morning, One Day.” It does not day “Day One” but rather “One Day,” defining for us the length of One Day of CREATION. How long was it? The time it took for CREATION to advance from its Beginning to the time it saw in it Water and Matter. A Day of CREATION is an era, a stage in the World’s history. A Day could last Billions of human years.
So far Moses’ account CAN be seen as concuring with Science. Let’s see now the Second phase: . .
THE SECOND DAY OF CREATION
The Scientific Account
Next, says the HC, about 4.4 Billion years ago, the Earth cooled off. The radioactivity that had caused the rocks to melt down subsided. The Planet became covered by a solid rocky crust . This was crucial for the next step since the rock could support Water on it.
For the next 300 Million years, till 4.1 Billion years ago, water came from Space and accumulated on the rocky crust. . Scientists say that our Planet passes through a “segment of Space full of watery comets”. These comets “bombarded Earth” endlessly, like a perpetual heavy rain. The Earth would never see so much rain on it. Other water also came out of the cooling rocks (also releasing CO2 and other gases) . Planet Earth became a Water World, covered by green-red gushing waters (red because of iron). Earth did notyet have an atmosphere. The temperature was high. No life existed on Earth/ .
Moses Account on the SECOND Day
When nELKM said at the end of the First Day that it was good, He laid down a foundation for the next Day, something that was born on the First Day but would serve and support the next, Second Day. Indeed, the rokcy ground formerd at the end of the First Day could supporoot the water of the next Day.
And as the Second Day of CREATION dawned, Moses says, ELKM “separated the Water Above from the Water Bellow.” No life is mentioned yet. ELKM called the waters above Sham-mayim, “there is water.” Day Two. No Dry Land existed yet .
Can you find a better match between Moses and Science? Who told him the story, 3500 hundreds years ago, growning in Phraoh’s home?
THE THIRD DAY of CREATION
The Scientific Account
This Water world, the HC says, ended 4,1 Billion years ago by a volcanic eruption at the ocean’s bed. A new type of rock, the Granite, appeared. Unlike the previous rocks, the Granite resisted the endless onsult of water erosion and the fierce wind The Granit survived. They formed the first dry islands.
Gradually, over millions of years, the granite islands consolidated to form the first Super Continent 3.5 Billion years ago. The rocks dated to that period carry no fossil of any life forms, not even bacteria. The Earth became a lifeless GRANITE PLANET.
Moses Account of the first part of the THIRD Day
As the THIRD Day of CREATION dawned, Moses says, ELKM separated the first Dry Land from the Ocean. No life existed yet. Then ELKM passed a Midday Judgment and said that it was good. Again, we see here a perfect match between Science and Moses. Who then told him the story?
The Scientific account of the rest of the period
Next, HC says, about 3.5 billion years ago, the first life-form appeared on Earth. It showed up along the shallow beaches of the Super Continent. It did not appear deep in the water or on the dry land but rather at the shallow beaches where it could catch enough sun light. (No one knows where they came form and how). This primordial life came as a mono-cellular algae called Stromatolites, still found in remote beaches. These mono cellular creatures had one important talent: they perform photosynthesis and release Oxygen ( they split CO2 to Carbon and O2, using the Carbon for their coral-like colony and releasing the oxygen .) For the next 2 Billion years, from 3.5 to 1.5 Billion years ago, these mono cellulars produced “tones and tones of Oxygen,” as the HC moderator says, changing the Atmosphere to its current blue color. Earth became a BLUE PLANET.
About 1.5 Billion years ago, the Mother of all Continents, Rodenia waasa consolidated. It was a vast, barren Dry Land under a Blue sky, bereaved of any life besides the mono-cellular Stromatolites alonng its shallow shores.
Then, about 0.9 Billion years ago, Rodenia began to split by volcanic activity. The warmth and ashes promoted the Algae to develop into Vegetation that spread on the Continent: first as grass than as shrubs then as trees. No mobile life existed yet on the Planet. The Vegetation spread by the wind. .
Moses’ account of the rest of the THIRD Day
After the apearence of Dry Land, Moses says, ELKM passed a middday Judgment. it was an imporant Judgment, on which the Torah would tell later in Chapters 2-3. The result of the Judgment was that ELKM seeded Life on the Dry Land.
In fact, when ELKM said on the seperation of Dry Land from the water that it was good, He made this speparation a platfom for the next step: seeding Life onthe junction beteen Water and Dry Lland. The next verses mention “SEED” four times in just two verses. Then, Mioses says, ELKM created Grass, then Shrubs and then Trees in that order. No mobile life is mentioned yet. Again, a perfect match between Science and Moses, How can that be? Who told Moses the story, having been raised in Pharaoh’s home?
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THE FOURTH DAY of CREATION
Science: The Ice Age
According to the HC, the primitive growth of Vegetation on Rodenia was decimated by an Ice Age that hit our Planet 0.7 Billion years ago and lasted 50 Million years. It wiped out all the Vegetation on Rodenia but it kept the Vegetation under the Ice at the oceans. Earth looked like a SNOW BALL in Space. . .
Moses: The End of the THIRD Day’s Judgment
Moses concurs. At the end of the THIRD Day, he says, ELKM passed a judgment on everything He had created earlier on that Day, maning on the Vegetation. ELKM’s Judgment is harsh and merciless, and He eliminated those whom He deemed ‘not good’ anyore. Those whom He deemed good He allowed to survive and enter the next Day. The Vegetaion in the Waters survived because it would support th enew life in the water, Fish.
The Scientific Account of the next stage
Moblie Life would not develop on Earth before some changes have taken place. According to the HC, the Ice Age ended 0.6 Billion years ago by a volcanic activity at the bottom of the Ocean. It melted the ice , split Rodenia to subcontinents that began to move away from each other (this pattern would repeat itself few times in Earth’s history.) The Oceans became wider, exposing more shallow shores to the sun, allowing vegetation to grow IN THE WATERS. . .
At the samke time, the HC says, the Earth’s Axis stabilized so that seasons appeared regularly, and the length of days and nights became stable. This promoted the growth of Vegetation in the waters (it could not grow on the dry land because of intense UV bombardment). The Moon’s regular rotation and movementsd also caused tides that would serve the next step. . .
Moses’ Account
When the FOURTH Day dawned, ELKM ordered the Luminaries to be SEEN on earth in a regular fashion, so that calendars could be established. The length of days and nights was stabilized.
Again, can you find a better match between Science and Moses? The fact that Science concurs with Moses is even more striking when we realize that the HC repeort was done with an open declaration to say the opposite of what the Bible is saying! While in fact they match perfectly!
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THE FIFTH DAY of CREATION
The Scientific Account
As Rodenia split by Plate Tectonics, mobile life appeared first in the Oceans (Cambrian Period.) The volcanic eruption spewed nutrients that prompted small warms which evolved into the first Fish to its kind.
By 0.5 Billion years ago, the ocean exploded with mobile life. Earth would never see so many species of small and large Fish. A life struggle in the water prompted the evolution of creatures with weird shapes and strange talents to fool their predators. Fish developed shells, skeletons, eyes, teeth and ears. The Kingdom of animals came first to Earth in the sea, min big time.
Life on Dry Land was still held back by lethal UV sun’s radiation. But 0.4 Billion years ago, the sky developed enough Ozone that shielded creatures on Dry Land and allowed them to move from the Ocean to the Continents. .
But this happened gradually. First to moved from the waters onto the dry land was Vegetation to its kind that formed swamps (Carboniferous Period.) Next appeared insects that helped the spread of Vegetation. The insects grew huge, never to be seen on Earth agsain. The tides (established on the Fourth Day) brought fish on the shores. These fish, over millions of years, developed wings that helped them to fly back over the ocean to catch other fish. Earth was ruled by giant Birds that caught giant Fish.
Some fish on the shores invaded inland to become amphibians. The swamps filled by giant alligators whose sole talent is to catch Birds (Ordovician Period, 0.3 Billion years ago). .
Moses’ Account of the FIFTH DAY
Moses concurs. As the Fifth Day dawned, ELKM created Fish, Bird and Crocodiles in that order. Can you find a better, precise match between Science and Moses? Who told Moses the story?
A note: the HC account actually suggests that the order of creatures was Fish, Amphibians (Crocodiles) and Birds, yet Moses says Fish, Birds and Crocodiles. And for sometimes I thought that Moses erred. Well, I thought, Mooses missed here the point. But then a scientific report by the Discovery Channel said that the findings show the following order: Fish, Birds and Crocodiles. The Fish which were thrown on shores had no interest to invade the inland but rather wished to go back to the sea equipped by wings. Only later some fish invaded the inland and became crocoldiles whose whole existance is to fool and catch the birds. Hence Moses was right!
The trial at the end of the Fifth Day
According to the HC, the huge proliferation of Life almost ended about 0.25 Billion years ago by a catastrophe that hit Earth again. Fiery explosions erupted all over Earth and killed 90% of its inhabitants. Most of the weird fish in the waters and the huge insects and crocodiles on dry land disappeared. “Earth would never see such devastation again”. But those who remained were crucial for the next step.
Moses concurs. At the end of the Fifth Day, ELKM passed another judgment. And as before, His Judgment was harsh yet just. The creatures He deemed unfit for the next Day He eliminated, and those who could adapt and support the next Day He kept alive. “And it was evening, and it was morning, Day Five” was over. .
Again, Moses’ story CAN perfectly match Science, something you can’t say about any myth of his time.. Who then told him the story?
THE SIXTH Day of CREATION
The Scientific Narrative
As the fiery explosions ended, about 250 Millions years ago, Earth entered a new phase. The surviving creatures blossomed. The remnants of Rodeniah consolidated again and formed the last Super Continent, Pangaea.
Pangaea is the classical world of the huge pr-historic creatures that roamed the Earth (Triassic and Jurassic Periods). Life was promoted by constant volcanic activity that spewed ashes and nutrients into the air and kept its temperature warm on tropical level. The Vegetation in the swamps grew taller and thicker, The Ozone layer became thicker.
That development promoted Mobile life on Dry Land. Large leaf-eating Cattle- Like creatures appeared in the swamps They had fat belly and short legs, and were supported by the waters in the swamps. Soon appeared large beasts predators that could run fast and prey on the Cattle-like. Among them the Dinosaurs, big as “seven stories building..”
Moses’ Account of the first part of the SIXTH Day
Moses concurs. As the Sixth Day dawned, ELKM created Cattle Like creatures, followed by Beast Like ones. Then, Moses says, ELKM promoted Creeping things.
The Midday Trial of the SIXTH Day
According to the HC, the era of the Dinosaurs ended 0.75 Billion years ago by a major catastrophe that wiped out all the pr-historic creatures of Pangea. It was either a series of volcanic eruptions or a large meteor that hit Earth near Mexico, or both. A thick cloud of ashes and radioactive radiation arose and killed all the giant creatures on the surface. It was a catastrophe, yet it opened the door for the next phase.
A note: Moses says that after the Beasts came the Snakes (Crawling creatures). And for a while I thought that here Moses erred. After all, Snakes came on Earth much earlier! But then came the Time Magazine and saved my faith in Moses. The magazine showed on its front page a skeleton of a giant snake that had been recently discovered. It was so large that it could accommodate “two Gray-hand buses” in its belly.. And that was, the magazine said, a junior snake! As it turns out., the Catastrophe which decimated the Dinosaurs promoted the growth of giant snakes that consumed everything on their way. These giant snakes ruled Earth for millions years. Some survived in caves to live side by side with early Man (dragons). Hence Moses was right!
That devastation also promoted the growth of mammals and Apes. Around.01 Billion years ago, Pangeae split into the current five continents and Earth assumed today’s look. About 0.4 Billion years ago Earth saw Homo Sapience, us.
Moses concurs. In the Sixth Day, before making Adam, ELKM passed a midday judgment on everything He had created earlier on that Day. It was an unusual, premature Judgment since in all previous Days ELKM passed a Judgment only at the Day’s end (apart from the THIRD Day where |He judged it twice.) And as we’ve said, ELKM’s Judgment is harsh, just and merciless. .The creatures He deemed unfit to live in the rest of the Day He eliminated, while those He deemed good had to adapt to the new environment. This way He opened the door for Adam.
As you see, Moses’ account actually places the same prehistorical events in a perfect order, better than the scientific narrative.
The Torah is a living miracle in our hands
Rather than be embarrassed by the story of Genesis, we should raise it as a flag to the Torah’s truthfulness.
The RaMBaM said that we, Israel, do not believe in G-d because of the miracles He performed in the Exodus. We were not there! But Israel believes in G-d because we have a living miracle in our hands, which is the Torah itself. Indeed, Chapter One is the only living miracle in our hands!
Why did Moses write it? \we may say that Moses foresaw that a generation would come and doubt his revelation, He therefore started his Books with a story that we can verify by our science. We would then say that since the beginning of his Books is credible, so are the rest of his words.
But Moses did not come to tell us about CREATION. His goal wass to tell us a credible story about the creation of Adam! What then does he say about Adam? W|ho created Adam and for what purpose? On that we\ll dwell next class. .
END OF IDOLATRY CLASS 7