Were there other people beside Adam?

[gnostic]

In the Genesis, we have indication that Adam and Eve were the first human beings (Genesis 2). Genesis 1 said that God created man and woman in his image (or their images, since it used plural as in "we" and "our").

In Genesis 4, we have the story of Cain and Abel. Cain was punished with a curse, for murdering his brother.

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

The "every one" implied that there were other people other than Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, who could possibly exact revenge upon Cain.

Adam and Eve did have other children, other than Cain and Abel:

And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

However, back in Genesis 4, which speak of the birth of Seth:

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

However, Seth wasn't born until he was 130 years old (Genesis 5:3) and if Seth was born to replace Abel, then there were no other children until after Seth's birth...or at least "no other son", until after Seth's birth.

And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Cain was left to wander, where place he is unable to grow food. He headed to the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Could Nod be Central Asia?

In many places in Central Asia, like Afghanistan, the lands are quite inhospitable. Soil are thin, and agriculture is not easy.

Who did he marry? Sister? Or some woman who don't belong to Adam's line?

And he was said to have build a city called Enoch, named after his son. Perhaps the first city ever built. If he was only one in the Land of Nod, with only just wife and son, how could he possibly build a city without more people?

Do you think there were already people other than Adam and his descendants (from Cain and Seth)?

 

[ChristineES]

I was under the impression that Adam and Eve had other children that had spread out.
Cain would have had to marry his sister. Well, as long as you take the story literally instead of symbolically, that is.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I was under the impression that Adam and Eve had other children that had spread out.
Cain would have had to marry his sister. Well, as long as you take the story literally instead of symbolically, that is.

Wrong.

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so ; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.



Adam and Eve had not had any other children at this point, therefore, God create other humans as well as Adam and Eve. This is my one reasoning's for evolution according to the Bible.

 

[ChristineES]

I wouldn't say I am wrong, I would say I have a different opinion than yours. No one can be proved wrong unless we can go back in time and find out for sure.

 

[gnostic]

I was under the impression that Adam and Eve had other children that had spread out.
Cain would have had to marry his sister.

If I was to take the text literally, where Adam and Eve were the first humans, then sibling incest is the most likely scenario.

But what about the other people - "every one" - which Cain feared?

Here is the JPS translation of verse I am referring to (all the others were from KJV).

Cain said: "Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth - anyone who meets me may kill me!

Who did Cain fear?

---------------------------

ps Just a side note.

I think it is contradiction that God had branded Cain as a wanderer, and yet at the same time Cain founded a city.

Wandering is like a nomad, who may move in a new season in the following year. Finding and building a city would suggest "settlement", not "wandering".

 

[gnostic]

Adam and Eve had not had any other children at this point, therefore, God create other humans as well as Adam and Eve.

That's a scenario, I have not come across before. It's possible.

The only problem is that it make no mention of creating other people.

If God did, then he seemed to have made more numerous people than that of Adam's descendants.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

The only problem is that it make no mention of creating other people.

True, but this is a story about a couple chosen by God and how they chose to disobey him.

 

[gnostic]

True, but this is a story about a couple chosen by God and how they chose to disobey him.

You would have to wonder if these other people were created sinless, like Adam in the beginning.

 

[blackout]

perhaps Adam simply stands for man, and eve woman?

It's such an obvious allegory.

 

[gnostic]

perhaps Adam simply stands for man, and eve woman?

It's such an obvious allegory.

Oh, but it so much more fun to dissect an allegory and see what inside the beast's belly, don't you think?

*hiss* *hiss*

[The sounds of Gnostic sharpening his scalpel]

 

[ChristineES]

I'm pretty certain that the story is not literal but symbolic. Symbolic of what is what I don't know (and never will).

 

[gnostic]

I'm pretty certain that the story is not literal but symbolic. Symbolic of what is what I don't know (and never will).

I'd personally prefer to deal with most writings literally, unless I am very sure they are meant to be symbolic, like the Revelation, prophecies and visions of various prophets.

Hey! I've earn my first frubal *star* metal.

I must have taken a bullet in my bu... :foot:

 

[Jeremy Mason]

You would have to wonder if these other people were created sinless, like Adam in the beginning.

All people were created sinless, they just chose to sin after they were created.

 

[Arlanbb]

JEREMY ~ You say "ALL people were created sinless" Dose that mean the Neanderthals were created sinless?? They lived from 120,000 to 35,000 years ago then all died out. arlan b.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

JEREMY ~ You say "ALL people were created sinless" Dose that mean the Neanderthals were created sinless?? They lived from 120,000 to 35,000 years ago then all died out. arlan b.

Yes, why would God create sin in anything?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

However, Seth wasn't born until he was 130 years old (Genesis 5:3) and if Seth was born to replace Abel, then there were no other children until after Seth's birth...or at least "no other son", until after Seth's birth.

I think your confusion might be here. That no other children were not listed as being born does not imply that there were not, either male or female. Assuming that other males were born in the space then none of them were appointed as the replacement of Abel.

I believe that one of the reasons for the replacement of Abel was that it relates to the lineage to Christ. Abel was to be that link. Seth replaced him in the lineage. That there were so many years in between could explain part of the curse on Eve of suffering sorrow in childbirth. It grieved her that she had given birth but had no son that would lead to the Messiah.

 

[gnostic]

I think your confusion might be here. That no other children were not listed as being born does not imply that there were not, either male or female. Assuming that other males were born in the space then none of them were appointed as the replacement of Abel.

Possible.

Genesis 4:25 seemed to indicate that they didn't have another son until Seth was born. For Eve said "hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew". And Adam (and Eve) was 130 at that time.

Genesis 5:3 indicated that there were other children, both sons and daughters.

The way it has been worded, I have interpreted that that there were no sons between Abel and Seth, until after Seth's birth. There might be daughters between Cain and Seth, and afterward.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Not

Were there other people beside Adam?​

But

Was there Adam beside other people?​

 

[gnostic]

Not

Were there other people beside Adam?​

But

Was there Adam beside other people?​

Of course. It is a matter of perspective, whether you are creationist or evolutionist.

I'm actually the later, but I am trying to keep this in context within the bible.

I am merely dealing with bible's issues not with the bible-evolution issues, when I have quoted passages for the OP. Otherwise, I would have posted this topic in the Creationism/Evolution Debates.

 

[Arlanbb]

JEREMY ~ According to the biblical story Adam and Eve were the first people to sin and therefore they died because of that sin. But you say the Neanderthals sinned over 100,000 years before Adan/Eve sinned and the Neanderthals all died off. How could Adan/Eve be the first sinners if the Neanderthals sined so many years before them? Arlan