© 2019 by Rabbi Dr Zvi Aviner
Genesis Vs Evolution
Class 3: The History Channel’s Report Vs Genesis
How did Moses know all that?
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Let’s compare now Moses’ Genesis with our Scientific knowledge of the History of Earth. Luckily, the History Channel (HC) has issued a series of videos named “How the Earth Was Made ” that we can use a platform for our comparison. This wonderful series presents everything we know about the history of Earth using Geology, Archeology, Biology, Astronomy, Genetics and many other branches of modern Science. It brags on being unbiased by the Bible.
But as I was watching it with awe, I could not but be amazed how well it does actually match Moses’ story of Genesis. Would you come to the same conclusion? So here are the two narratives placed side by side – Moses’ Genesis and the HC account. Do they concur? . .
The stakes are high. Mose’s Genesis does match our Scientific knowledge, who then told him the story, 3500 years ago, having grown in Pharaoh’s home? .
Here are the two accounts for your judgment. .
THE FIRST DAY of CREATION
The Scientific Account of the beginning of the world
Science of course does not recognize any Day of CREATION. Here I simply compare successive historical eras as described by the HC to Moses’ account of Genesis.
Science says that the world began about 13.7 Billion years ago by a Big Bang. The Universe expanded vastly forming Nebulae, galaxies, stars, and planets. Our Galaxy – the Milky Way, is about 13 Billion years old, one of the oldest. As the Universe expanded, the Entropy began to decline, Energy and Light were formed then converted to Matter according to Einstein’s formula. The Original Chaos gradually turned into an Order. Primitive molecules such as helium and water were formed, baked in the exploding Novas.
Around 4.5 Billion years ago, the Planet Earth was consolidated by gravity that kept meteors together. It first appeared in Space as a Red Planet comprising of melting, steaming hot lava. The 8000 F temperature was kept so high by radioactive decay of Earth’s radioactive elements. (The age 4.5 B years was calculated by measuring the rate of the radioactive decay.) Earth had neither atmosphere nor life. It is referred to as “The Molten Red Planet”
Then, 4.4 Billion years ago, our Red Molten Planet cooled off. The radioactivity subsided, allowing a solid rocky crust to form on Earth’s surface. This rocky crust would be crucial for the next step – the support of water on top of it. . .
Moses’ account of the First Day
The first verse- “In the Beginning GOD (ELKM) created the Heavens and the Earth” CAN be seen as related to the Beginning of the Universe, 13.7 B years ago, or to the Beginning of Earth, 4.5 B years ago, or to both.
Moses mentions that in the First Day, GOD (ELKM) created Light, Darkness, and the “Deep” that could be Space. He also mentions Chaos and Disorder, then Water . It can relate to the melting lava streaming on our Planet.
Then, Moses says, GOD (ELKM) – the BUILDER- judged the passing Day. We’ll see that whenever such a judgment took place, a drastic changed occured on Earth environment and a new environment and condition was introduced. Saying that it was good meant that the BUILDER deemed the new environment capable of the supporting the new Day. So when GOD (ELKM) said at the End of the First Day that it was good, the old conditions which were not good anymore were gone and a new good condition took place. This idea fits well the cooling of Earth and the formation of the rocky crust on its surface which would support the next phase- Water.
we’ve also noticed that when Moses says “it was evening and it was morning, One Day” – Instead of saying Day One – he actually defined for us the length of “One Day of CREATION.” How long it was? The time it took CREATION to advance from the Beginning to see in it Light, Matter, Water and Earth. or the time that took Earth to cool off. It could have been any number of years. It could have taken the time from the Beginning till 4.5 Billion years ago. (Each Day of CREATION may have taken different length in human years)
Thus at the End of the First Day, Earth was ready to enter the Second Day, or to see the 2nd Floor. . . .
THE SECOND DAY OF CREATION
The Scientific Account
According to the HC, the formation of rocky crust on the Earth’s surface, turned crucial for the next step. For the following 300 Million years – from 4.4 to 4.1 Billion years ago – Earth was “bombarded by endless rain like which it would never see again.” From where did the endless rain come? The Scientists say that the rain came from Space in a form of frozen comets. Our Planet must have entered a “domain in our Galaxy” that is full of watery comets. It took “millions and millions of years” for Earth to escape that domain so that the rain would stop. In addition to the rain from above, the scientists say, much water came out also from the Earth below – from the cooling rocks themselves. . In the process of cooling, the rocks spewed CO2 gas and water from below. After 300 million years of so much water coming from above and bellow, Earth became covered by an endless Ocean. Earth became a Water World. Still lacking atmosphere, the ocean assumed a grayish-green-red color; the red coming from iron in the water. (This explains why deposits of iron on Earth are now found along ancient shores). The Earth temperature was still too high for any life to exist on it.
Moses’s Account of the SECOND Day
Amazingly, Moses too says that as the 2nd Day dawned, GOD (ELKM) “separated the Water Above from the Water Bellow.” No Dry Land existed yet. No life is mentioned yet. Can you find a better match between Moses’s Genesis and Science? Who told Moses such a credible story, 3500 years ago? No other culture or record gives such a story!
Note that unlike the First Day, Moses does not say here that at the end of the 2nd Day GOD (ELKM) deemed the Day as “good.” In the BUILDER’S eyes, conditions on Earth were not yet ready for the next step- the seeding of life on ii. Another crucial step was needed – as we are about to read
.
THE THIRD DAY of CREATION
The Scientific narrative
The Water World came to an end – the HC says – 4,1 Billion years ago, by a series of volcanic eruptions at the Ocean’s bed. A new type of rock, the granite, was formed the first time ever. Unlike the older types of softer rocks, the granite could withstand the erasing insult of gushing water. The granite created the first dry islands over the water. Solid, Dry Land showed up on Earth the first time ever.
Over the next 600 million of years – from 4.1 to 3.5 years ago – the Granite Islands gradually consolidated to form the first Super Continent- Rodenia. Still lifeless, it stretched barren from pole to pole, under the Sun “like the Sahara desert. ” We can trace its borders by smooth, blackish rocks that are found nowadays along the ocean shores of South Africa, Australia and other sites on Earth. Unlike all other rocks on Earth, these ones carry no fossil of any life in them, not even bacteria or any other tiny plant. The scientists regard them as the remnants of the first granite Super Continent Rodenia. Earth became The GRANITE PLANET..
Moses’s account of the THIRD Day
Amazingly, Moses concurs with Science in full. He too says that as the THIRD Day dawned, GOD (ELKM) separated the Dry Land from the Ocean. Moses mentions no life yet, not even Vegetation. He says that GOD (ELKM) named the Dry Land “Continent” and “the Water He called Oceans” in plural. This makes sense, since the new granite continent and its islands divided the first Ocean into several Seas. Only then, Moses says, GOD (ELKM) judged everything He had created earlier on the THIRD Day and deemed it good. . Earth was ready to support the next phase.
So far we have a perfect match between Moses and science.
Moses’s First Day ………………………………The Melting Red Planet
Moses’s second Day…….………………………The Water world
Moses’s Third Day and Dry Land………….The granite First Continent .
According to Science, what came next (on the Third Day) ?
According to the HC, the Granite Super Continent Rodenia with its shallow shores turned crucial for the net step – seeding life on Earth. This happened 3.5 Billion years ago, when a coral-like algae called Stromolites showed up on the shallow shores of Rodenia. Those Stromolites are still found in remote beaches, especially in Australia. The scientists consider them the oldest living creatures on our Planet. “They are our fathers and mothers.” No one knows where they came from or how. Since they were already equipped with RNA and other cellular organelles, they are considered the first living creatures on Earth. They thrived on shallow shores under water, exposed to the abundant sunshine . This allowed then to perform their talent – photosynthesis, by which they split the CO2 in the air (released by cooling rocks) into Carbon and Oxygen. They used the carbon for their shells and released the Oxygen into the water and air, forming our Atmosphere. . .
For the next 2 Billion years, from 3.5 to 1.5 Billion years ago, the Stromolites produced “tons and tons of Oxygen” – he HC says. The sky turned blue, and so was the Ocean, reflecting the sky. Earth became The BLUE PLANET.
If you want to build a blue atmosphere on March, plant there Stromolits on shallow beaches, if you find water there. Then wait 2 Billion years.
Then, 1.5 Billion years ago, the “mother of all Continents,” Rodenia, stretched barren under Dry Blue Sky with no rain. Yet primordial life grew along its shallow shores as Stromolites. .
Then, 0.9 Billion years ago, a series of volcano eruptions at the Ocean’s bed split Rodenia into smaller subcontinents. The increasingly warm atmosphere and the humidity promoted the growth of the Stromolites into primordial grass , shrubs and trees. . The Kingdom of Vegetation came on Earth. The vegetation at that time spread by water and wind, since there was no mobile life yet in existence, no flies or bees . The Vegetation invaded the oceans, a crucial phase for the future, since mobile life would first appear there. . .
Some say that no vegetation grew on Rodenia besides the algae and bacteria along its shallow shores. But others argue. In fact, Vegetation invaded the shallow shores, a step that would turn crucial for the future. . .
That era of Vegetation ended, Science says, about 700 Million years ago (0.7 B) by a devastating, long Ice Age that that lasted 50 Million years (0.7- 0.2 B years ago). So harsh it was that it killed the entire Vegetation on the Dry Land of Rodenia and the Granite Islands. Yet it left enough Vegetation in the Oceans to allow life continue on Earth. Our Planet looked like a SNOW BALL traveling in Space.
Moses’s account of the second part of the THIRD Day
Amazingly, Moses concurs again with Science. After separating the Dry Land from the Sea, he says, GOD (ELKM) seeded Life on Earth. The word seeded is repeated four times in two verses. GOD (ELKM) planted Seeds, Grass, Shrubs and Trees – in that order. Moses too mentions no mobile life yet. Then, at the end of the THIRD Day, GOD (ELKM) passed a judgment on the Day and said that it was good, Such a judgment meant that those elements which GOD (ELKM) as a BUILDER deemed not good anymore were eliminated with no mercy, while those He deemed good were allowed to stay on. They were good since they would provide support fo the next Day. And it was evening, and it was morning, Day THREE was over .This judgment can corre3late well with the Ice Age that eliminated Vegetation on the Land while leaving it in the shallow waters.
Earth had so far three Floors. So far we have –
Moses’s Day One………..The Red, melting Planet
Moses’s Day Two………..The Water World– water from above and bellow
Moses’s Day Three ……The Granite Planet-dry land and sea
.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The Blue Planet– mono cellular life, production of Oxygen, Vegetation
THE FOURTH DAY of CREATION
Science: The Globe Stabilized
According to Science (this time the Discovery Chanel report) the Ice Age was probably caused by some wobbling of our Globe on its axis. It ended when the Earth’s axis and rotation stabilized. The length of days and nights were stabilized, as well as the annual seasons.
The long Ice Age came to an end 0.2 B years ago by a series of volcano eruptions a the Ocean bed. it melted the Ice above and allowed Sunshine to enter the Sea.
This volcanic activity was impressive, yet crucial for the farther development of Vegetation in the water. It had to adapt to regular days and nights and to annual seasons. The Vegetation learned to change their circadian cycle of photosynthesis – active at daylight and dormant at night.
This would turn crucial for the next step – appearance of mobile life in the water, which requires a nervous system. No nervous system can function without being able to switch from awakening to dormant.
What does Moses say about the Fourth Day?
Moses continue to concur in full with Science. After the judgment of the THIRD Day, the Earth entered the Fourth- in which the Luminaries were seen so regularly that “calendars and seasons would be established” as well as the length of “days and nights.” No mobile life is mentioned yet.
Then GOD (ELKM) said that it was good, that the conditions and raw material was ready for the next Step. And there was Evening and there was Morning, Day Four was over. .
Can you have a better match between Moses and Science?
So far we have –
Moses Day One………..The Red, melting Planet
Moses Day Two………..The Water World
Moses Day Three …...The Granite Planet, Seeding Life
……………………………….The Blue Planet, Atmosphere
Moses Day Four………The Snow Ball, Stabilization of Earth axis, Seasons, Days and Nights, Sleep and ………………………………..Awakens
THE FIFTH DAY OF CREATION
The Scientific Account
The volcanic activity which broke the Ice and the stabilization of the Earth Axis warmed the oceans and promoted the first MOBILE LIFE to appear in the water. First came primitive warms, then fish to its kinds, then bigger fish that fed on the smaller ones. “The Animals Kingdom arrived on Earth in the water” – says the HC.
From 0.65 to 0.4 Billion years ago (span of 250 Million years) mobile life “exploded in the oceans.” The fish developed the first eyes, ears and teeth. A fierce struggle for life waged in the water, compelling the creatures to develop decoy and deception. “Earth would never see again so many weird Fish to its kinds” – says the HC. Most of the fossils of that period were found in Alaska by the Smithsonian Institute and therefore are called The Cambrian Period, after the site in Alaska. In contrast to the water, life could not evolve yet on Dry Land due to intense Solar UV radiation.
About 0.4 Billion years ago, enough Ozone layer developed in the sky to shield life on the Dry Land. – First appeared Amphibians that moved from the water onto the Dry Land, then Birds appeared in the sky.
Then, from 0.4 to 0.3 B years ago, life developed in the swamps. First giant vegetation then giant insects. Those swamps resembled the ones we see today in the Gulf States (The so called Carboniferous and the Ordovician Periods) Earth became A Green Planet
The end of the era
That era ended 0.25 Billions years ago, by another catastrophes that hit our planet and decimated almost the entire life forms on it. It came as a series of enormous fiery explosions that erupted from the underground all over the Planet. Some blame a deadly gas mixture that accumulated in the underground and finnaly exploded. “Earth would never see again such a devastation” says the HC . As devastating as it was, yet it actually promoted the growth of new and more sophisticated creatures. .
In summary of the era- first came Fish in the water, then Crocodiles, then Birds. insects and giant swamps. Life was almost been terminated by fiery explosions.
What Does Moses say about the Fifth Day?
As the Fifth Day dawned, GOD (ELKM) said “Let there be Fish in the Water.” This was the first Mobile Life ever. Who told that to Moses, 3,500 years ago? No one in his lifetime said that Fish came before Birds. Moreover, Moses adds that “GOD (ELKM) blessed them to be fruitful and multiply“. indicating an “explosion of Fish to its kind in the waters, exactly as Science is saying. Then Moses says, GOD (ELKM) created BIRDS and Crocodiles.
Ooops! Does Moses err? According to the HC first came Crocodiles (Amphibians) and only then came Birds!
Then came the Discovery Chanel and saved my faith in Moses, New findings reveal hat when the Earth axis was fixed (on the Fourth Day) the regular tides left some Fish onto the shores. Several million years later and those “Fish on Shores” developed Wings – to fly back over the water and catch other Fish. Hence the order was Fish then Birds
Only then some of the “Fish On Shores” escaped inland to become Crocodiles (Amphibians) whose job in life it to fool the Birds and feed on them. Hence Moses is right- Fish, Birds and Crocodiles in that order. Who told hm the story?
Then, at the End of the Fifth Day, GOD (ELKM) passed a Judgment on the passing Day. As before, His Judgment was harsh and just yet without mercy. The creatures He deemed “not good anymore” He eliminated- an idea that fits well the Fiery Explosions that decimated almost all life on our Planet. Other creatures which He deemed good were allowed to enter the next, Sixth Day. And it was evening and it was morning, the Fifth Day was over,
Don’t ask why did the “Good God” decimate almost all life on Earth? Moses talks here about the Attribute of Judgment, GOD (ELKM) Who operates with Absolute Justice. He gives life, and He takes Life away – as He deems necessary. As a BUILDER , He has a goal, which is to Finish the Six Floors BUILDING before the Sabbath. ere was morning , Day Five” was over.
Moses uses the terms “morning and evening” to establish our weekdays. .he wants us to remember Genesis all our lives to understand how the world was created and the terms of our trial. .
So far we have the following stages or Days-
Moses’s Day One………..The Red, melting Planet
Moses’s Day Two………..The Water World- water from above and below
Moses’s Day Three …...The Granite Planet- continent
…………. ………. .The Blue Planet– cellular life, Oxygen, Vegetation
Moses’s Day Four .. The Ice Ball– stabilizing Earth’s axis, regular photosynthesis of days and nights
Moses’s Day Five.………The Green Planet– Fish, Birds, Crocodiles, swamps
The SIXTH Day of CREATION
Science report
As the fiery explosion subsided, about 0.2 B years ago, the Super Continent Pangaea became consolidated. Pangaea was the classical world of the giant pre – historic creatures that roamed the Earth (the Triassic and Jurassic periods). Their growth was promoted by constant volcanic activity that spewed ashes and nutrients into the air. The Earth’s temperature became tropical.
Life expanded in the swamps. First came large Cattle- Like creatures who fed on the abundant Vegetation. Being supported by the water, they had fat bodies yet short legs so they could not run fast. Then came large Beast-like predators – around 150 Milion years ago – who ran run fast and could prey on the Cattle; among them the Dinosaurs- some as tall as three stories house. .
The Dinosaurs and their kinds reigned from 200 M years ago till 75 Million years ago. Their era ended by a catastrophe that decimated all the huge beasts of Pangea. . This catastrophe was either another fiery gas explosion or a large meteor that plunged into the sea near Mexico. The toxic ashes and the radioactive fumes killed all the giant creatures on the Continent. Again, as devastating as it was, the event changed the environment and opened the door for smaller and more sophisticated creatures to flourish- among them Mammals and Man.
What does Moses say about the Sixth Day?
After the judgement of the Fifth Day was over, the Sixth Day dawned. GOD (ELKM) went on to create Cattle-like, then Creeping creatures and then Beast- like creatures to their kinds. Here again Moses concurs with Science.
Then, Moses says, while the Sixth Day was still in progress, GOD (ELKM) passed a judgment on everything He had created earlier on the Sixth Day. And as ever before, His Judgment was harsh and just yet merciless. The creatures He deemed ‘not good anymore’ He eliminated, and those He deemed ‘good’ He allowed to thrive and enter the rest of the Sixth Day. This Judgment can well fit the catastrophe that hit Earth and decimated the giant creatures of Pangea, allowing mammals and Man to develop. Who told Moses the story? .
What about the Crawling creatures?
For a while I thought that Moses wasn’t so accurate here. He says that along the Beasts came Creeping Creatures, like Snakes. But Science says that creeping creatures appeared well before!
The Time Magazine Report
This time the Time Magazine saved my trust in Moses. The magazine showed on its front Page a photo of a giant snake whose skeleton was so large that it could accommodate “two Grayhund buses side by side in its belly.”
Amazingly,radioactive measurement showed that this giant snake lived 75 Million years old – just by the Dinosaurs. The magazine says that after the Dinosaurs were gone, these giant snakes took over and roam the Earth freely, devouring everything on their way. For millions of years they ruled our planet, some living possibly close to primitive Man as ‘dragons’ in caves. Hence Moses is validated again. Crawling Creatures proliferated with the Beasts and even ruled our Planet till the appearance of Mankind. Do you have any idea who told Moses the story? .
So far we have-
Moses’ Day One………..The Red, melting Planet
Moses’ Day Two………..The Water World
Moses’ Day Three ……The Granite Planet
………………………………..The Blue Planet
Moses’ Day Four ………The Ice Ball
Moses’ Day Five……….The Green Planet
Moses’ Day Six…………Current Planet
The Torah is the only living miracle in our hands!
From the above we see that rather being embarrassed by Genesis, as if it is a Bronze-Age myth, we should raise it as a flag for the truthfulness the Torah (Bible)
Interestingly, Maimonides (the RaMBaM, 11th century) ) wrote that Israel has remained faithful to GOD not because of the miracles of the Exodus, or any other miracle. Every miracle, he writes, can be challenged by natural explanations. Only one miracle can’t be denied – the miracle of the Torah itself.
We see today that the more we learn about the world from Science, the more we recognize the miracle of Moses presentation. We now understand why he placed the story of Genesis at the very front of his five books. Assuming that a generation would rise and doubt his Revelation, he knew that by validating his words in Genesis they would accept the rest of his words- about Man.
So next we’ll focus on how Moses describes the birth of Man. Does he concur again with Science? Does he has something to add, that Science would not say? .
Some reflections
Moses divides the story of Earth into Days. Each Day is marked by a Judgment done by GOD at the End of the Day. Indeed, we CAN relate each Judgment to a major catastrophe that hits Earth and placed it at a crossroad. Moreover, each Judgment wiped out the old, giving room for the new. Thus,
At the End of the First Day GOD (ELKM) said that it was good. The earth’s surface cooled, and a new rock appeared – capable of supporting the Water of the Second DAY on it.
At the middle of the THIRD Day, GOD (ELKM) said that it was good, so granite Super Continent was formed, ready to support Life
At the End of the THIRD Day GOD (ELKM) said that it was good. A major change took place. The old Vegetation on Dry Land was wiped out by the new Ice Age, while the Vegetation in the Ocean adapted to the new Earth’s Axis.
At the End of the Fourth Day, when GOD (ELKM) said that it was good, a volcano eruption in the ocean’s bed melted the Ice and allowed the Vegetation to evolve into Mobile Life in the water,
At the End of the Fifth Day when GOD (ELKM) said that it was good, the old, giant life forms were wiped out by a fiery explosions while new life appeared in the swamps.
At the middle of the Sixth Day when GOD (ELKM) said that it was good, the old Pnagea’s giant creatures were wiped out yet the door became open for mammals and us to show up on board.
This narrative is possible only under the perception of the CREATOR as an Attribute of Judgment- GOD (ELKM) – who BUILDS with Justice but without MERCY.
Of course, Moses does not leave you hear under the reign of such a ruthless GOD. The story continues with the creation of Adam under the LORD GOD, in Hebrew: YHVH ELKM.
On the interplay between inanimate and life
The story of Genesis is built in such a way that shows the interchange between a new environment and new life forms. Thus the Earth had to crust and accumulate water, before Life took a hold on it. An Ice Age took place to confine the Vegetation into the water. The Earth Axis had to stabilize to compel the Vegetation to adapt to the new nights and days and seasons. The Ice had to melt in order to promote mobile life in the waters, Fiery explosions eliminated old Fish, Birds and Crocodiles, to allow Cattle and Beasts. This narrative sees life as taking advantages of new environment that developed on their own.
But there is another narrative here. One can see the changes of both the environment and life forms as phases of the same ladder. it could be that the changes in the environment actually were prompted by life itself that wished to evolve. In this new narrative there is basically no difference between the inanimate and the living organism.
In fact, Jewish kabala sees GOD (ELKM) everywhere, even in the inanimate. There is nothing but the existence of GOD. .
END OF CLASS 3
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