Chapter 1 -

 The early history of the nations

 

 

 

 

THE SEVEN-DAY WEEK

 

- (Gen 2:2) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

 

In the beginning of Genesis, we learn about God’s creation of the world, and learn that He did His work in six days, then rested on the seventh day.  

    It is interesting to note that this system of a seven-day week is familiar to all nations from very ancient times. It has been known globally for thousands of years and so it is difficult to explain its origin in any other way than that we inherited it from common ancestors:

 

We can find information about the seven-day week from very ancient times to be in the knowledge of all nations – including Ethiopians, Arabs, Native Americans – all nations in the East have at all times used this seven-day week which is difficult to explain without admitting that this information has been received from the common ancestors of mankind. (4)

 

THE CREATION OF MAN

 

- (Gen 2:20-23) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her to the man.

23  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

 

We also find in Genesis a description of the creation of man. It is mentioned there that when God created man, He first made a man and after that a woman. He made the woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, so that the woman was "taken out of the man".

   The MIAO tribe in China has a similar order concerning the creation of man. They also believe that man was created first, and woman was then made from man. This order does not differ from the story of Creation in the Bible. 

   Another similarity between the two versions is found in the names used for characters in the stories. The MIAO story includes character names that resemble those in the Bible: Seth, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Overall, the story told by the MIAO nation appears to be very similar to the Creation story in the Bible:

 

On the earth he made a man from mud,

From this he created a woman.

Then patriarch Loka made a scale from stones

estimating the weight of the earth down to the bottom,

counting the mass of the orbits,

contemplated roads of the divinity, roads of God.

To patriarch Loka was born patriarch Se-teh.

To patriarch Se-teh was born son Lusu,

and Lusu had Kehlo and to him was born Lama.

To patriarch Lama was born the man Nuah.

His wife's name was ancestress Kau Po-lu-en.

Their sons were: Lo-Han, Lo-Shen and Jah-hu.

Like this the earth started to fill with tribes and families.

In creation the families and nations were formed. (5)

 

THE FALL 

 

- (Gen 3:6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat.

 

- (2 Cor 11:3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

 

- (1 Tim 2:13-14) For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

 

We can also find evidence that the story of the Fall has been known and passed down by other cultures for thousands of years.

 

Near Nineveh in Tepe Gawra was found the imprint of a seal in which there is an image of a man and a woman with bowed heads as a result of an accident, and a snake is following them. It has been thought that the picture may represent being banished from Paradise. This seal is preserved in a museum in Philadelphia, U.S.A.

 

In Mesopotamia another imprint of a seal was found. It features a man and a woman seated on either side of a tree. A snake stands in an upright position just behind the woman. This seems to be an accurate picture of the story of the Fall of man told in Genesis. It shows us that people across Mesopotamia knew the story and understood its message.

 

One Sumerian poem, a part of which has been translated, also seems to refer to the Fall. It tells about a woman who ate that which was forbidden and thereby became the mother of sin. This seems to be a description of Eve, the spouse of Adam, who first fell into sin and then lured her husband to sin. (Alfred Jeremias, Das Alte Testament im lichtes des alten orients, Leipzig 1930, 4. part, p. 99):

 

"The woman ate it which was forbidden and the woman, the mother of sin, did wrong. The mother of sin had a painful experience.”

 

Accounts of the Fall that have spread as different versions among the nations are one possible reference to the historicity of this event. One of these accounts has been preserved by the Santaals, a tribe found in India. What is interesting in the story is that in addition to the Fall, the Flood, and the confusion of languages are mentioned.

 

According to Kolean a long, a long time ago Thakur Jiu, genuine God, created the first man, Haram, and the first woman, Ayo, and put them to live far away from India towards the west, to the region named Hihiri Pipiri. There a creature called Lita tempted people to make rice beer. After that, she provoked them to pour a part of the beer on the ground as an offering to Satan. Haram and Ayo got drunk from the rest of the beer and slept. When they woke up they saw that they were undressed and were ashamed of it.

 

The similarities between the story of Kolean and the Bible story made a deep impression on Skrefsrud. But the story still continued...

 

Ayo later bore Haram seven sons and seven daughters, who married and established seven tribes. Those tribes wandered to the country, which was called Kroj Kaman, and there were met with destruction. Thakur Jiu called people "to return to him". When they refused, Thakur Jiu took "the devout married couple" for protection into some cave of mountain Harata (note the similarity with the Bible’s name of Ararat). Then Thakur Jiu allowed the rest of the mankind to drown in the flood. Later the descendants of "the devout married couple" multiplied many times and wandered to a plain, which was called Sasan Beda ("mustard field"). There Thakur Jiu separated them into many different nations (the confusing of languages in Babel?). (6)

 

- The Karens who live In Burma also tell a story about the Fall. The lyrics of one of their songs tell how Y'wa, the true God, in the beginning created the world, and indicated also "the test fruit" but Mu-kaw-lee betrayed two persons. This is how people started to become ill and to age, and how death came into the world:

 

In the beginning Y'wa gave form to the world.

He indicated food and drink.

He indicated "the test fruit".

He gave accurate commands.

Mu-kaw-lee betrayed two persons.

He got them to eat the test fruit.

They disobeyed; did not believe Y'wa...

When they ate the test fruit,

they faced illnesses, ageing, and death. (7)

 

THE FLOOD

 

- (Gen 7:6) And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was on the earth.

 

- (Isa 54:9) For this is as the waters of Noah to me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with you, nor rebuke you.

 

- (Matt 24:37-39) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

The Flood is referred to in about 140- to 150 stories told by many different tribes found around the world. Many of these stories have, of course, been changed over the centuries but all of those accounts mention floodwaters causing devastation. In some stories, told in Babylonian and Chinese languages, stories included the names of rulers and dynasties that existed before the Flood. One of these stories, that of Gilgames, describes how “generations of people turned into clay.”

 

After having hit firmly like an army.

The sea calmed down, lulled

the whirling storm, ended

the expansion of waters. (…)

All generations of people had

turned into clay.

Like a wet open space above. (…)

On a mountain the ship of Nisiri drifted.

The mountain of Nisiri restrained the ship,

It did not allow it to sway.

 

Belief in the Flood appears in other places, as well. The next story describes how a Native American tribe regarded the dove as a holy bird because this bird brought a leaf of a willow tree during the large flood! This is just one of several stories.

 

Almost all nations have a consistent story about the Flood. In this respect it is very miraculous how nations in opposite parts of the world are able to tell so precisely of a large flood that covered all mountains, a large ship that saved eight or four persons, and even be consistent in many details. The Europeans in North America found a Native American tribe that regards the wild dove as a holy bird and do not kill it. When they were asked the reason for this, they explained that this bird brought to their forefathers in a large ship a leaf of a willow tree. The leaf of a willow tree is similar to the leaf of an olive tree as comes to the shape, size, and color. Does this not clearly prove the ancient story of Noah and his sons? (8)

 

NOAH’S ARK

 

- (Hebr 11:7) By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

 

- (1 Peter 3:20) Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

 

Noah’s ark and its sighting on Mount Ararat have been preserved in books of history. In the following quote (Tauno Linkoranta, Kun maailma hukkui, magazine Yliopisto 17 / 1999) there is a reference to how people went to the site of this ark and carried off relics long before the earthly life of Jesus. In those times, the ark was obviously still widely known by men:

 

…According to the Bible, the ark landed on Mount Ararat, and the people of antiquity or the middle Ages did not have any reason to doubt the authenticity of this. The Hebrew, Armenian, Syrian, and Mesopotamian cultures recognized the existence of the ark much earlier than the Christians, and the younger Islamic world adopted this legend without difficulties.

   It is not surprising because according to the contemporaries, anyone who climbed up the slope of Ararat high enough could see the ark with his own eyes. Sometimes it could be seen even from the plains below as a black figure against the glacier and the snow. The records preserved earlier also state the same.

   Babylonian priest Berossus wrote in 275 B.C about how people who had climbed to the ark had scraped pitch from its side to make amulets for themselves. According to other sources, pieces of the wood from the Ark were taken away for the same purpose. However, the journey to the ark was so difficult that even a few centuries later the relic hunters did not have time to do very much damage.

   Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who lived in the first century, has recorded how "the Armenians present the remains of the ark still today". He also remarked how near the mountain was the town of Nahitseva which meant in the language of the Armenia "landing place". In the 3^rd century, Salami Epiphanius gave his support to this statement when he used the visible existence of the ark as a proof of the reliability of Christianity, "Do you assume really seriously that we cannot prove our point of view when still this day the relics of Noah’s ark are shown in the country of Kurds?” Also the well-known traveler of the 13^th century, Marco Polo, confirmed the existence of the ark.

 

THE TOWER OF BABEL

 

- (Gen 11:1-9) And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

2  And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelled there.

3  And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

4  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the face of the whole earth.

5  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

6  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

7  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

8  So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

9  Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from there did the LORD scatter them abroad on the face of all the earth.

 

Different cultures have preserved stories about the tower of Babel. That story has been found recorded on ancient stone slabs, and it is related in stories told people of many different nations:

 

- In the history of Mexico (Mexican antiquity, 9. Part, p. 321), we find a story preserved that tells of destruction that is in many ways similar to the texts in the Bible. It describes the Flood, the increase of the people after it, the building of a tower, and the confusion of languages. One significant similarity is that the mountains were under water to the depth of 15 cubits, as is mentioned in Genesis (Gen 7:20):

 

Frightening rains and lightning from the sky destroyed the people and also the whole country without exception, and also the highest mountains were covered by water, to the depth of fifteen cubits. After the Flood, the people multiplied on earth and built a very high zacual (tower) for protection, in case the other world would be destroyed. Shortly after this, their language was confused, and when they could not understand each other, they scattered around the earth. (9)

 

- One more reference to the confusion of languages is found in the traditions of Babylonia. It tells about the destruction of a tower and confusion of languages in much the same way as the Bible does. The only major difference is that the story is told from a polytheistic point of view:

 

Building this temple insulted the Gods. One night they threw to the ground what had been built. They scattered people to different countries and made their speech strange. They prevented any advances in work. (10)

 

- The Sumerians are regarded to be the earliest civilization in the Middle East. We also find Sumerian stories about the early development of mankind. One example was provided earlier – in the “Fall” passage. The Sumerian poem below about the origins of mankind describes a time before the confusion of languages, when all people praised one supreme god, Enlil, in one language:

 

Once upon a time there were no snakes,

no scorpions,

no hyenas, no lions,

no fear, no fright,

the man did not have any competition.

Once upon a time there was a time when the countries of Subur and Hamaz

(later) multilingual Sumer, the great land of princely divine laws,

Uri that had everything that is imaginable,

The land of Martu, which rested in security,

The whole world, all people together

praised supreme Enlil in one language. (11)

 

- One special reference to the ancient tower of Babel can be found in the writings of Nabopolassar, who was the founder of the New-Babylonian kingdom (626–605 B.C.) and the father of Nebuchadnezzar of Biblical fame. About the tower of Babel and its construction, he wrote:

 

At that time Marduk commanded me to build the tower of Babel, which had been destroyed in the old days, to lay down a firm foundation when the top of the tower reached heaven.

 

His son Nebuchadnezzar wrote about his effort to build a tower that competed with heaven:

 

I still built the tower for Etemenank so that it competed with heaven.