We are given a genealogy of Adam in this chapter and this can be taken at face value. The existence of such information ensures that the document remains valuable to the living and that they will struggle to preserve this document.
If we take the life spans as given, then the early generations retained their long lives during the era in which their populations expanded and occupied many valleys. It appears to be implicit to the space born and their earth modified offspring to have protracted life spans similar to what we presently envisage to be possible only through significant scientific intervention not yet understood.
I have suggested that high metabolism life forms have simply over grown their volumetric capacity to produce sufficient stem cells. Thus if a specific organ can be induced to produce a surplus of stem cells, it may be possible to develop effective biological immortality.
Quite possibly, this feature was turned off in order to accelerate the terraforming of the earth. In this way the dominant part of the population will be young and restless and at an age willing to step away from the clan and create a new village.
Thus we reflect on the meaning of these early long lived settlers, and then we visit the story of Noah. In one way we are dealing with a logical whole. The settlement group was cloned into existence and then harbored in a protected garden or prepared refugia, plausibly on a space habitat until sufficient numbers had been achieved and sufficient knowledge gained. A pretext is provided to explain their removal to their new home on earth and ensure that they know that there is no return. They are then transported to specifically chosen valleys on earth in the Ark and resettled. The long life feature is turned of for the new born and after a few centuries the original settlers die out and their guidance and organization is simply lost.
I have assumed that the resettlement of earth took place immediately after the Pleistocene nonconformity had happened. This is not necessary. It could well have been centuries later. There is no reason to think that damage and extinction was universal, because there were locals little affected. Thus the only good reason to establish settlements quickly would be to occupy damaged areas quickly while local resistance would be minor. I doubt that that would be necessary as agriculture provides the manpower weight to squeeze hunter gatherers out.
The conclusion we can draw from this interpretation of Genesis is that modern man was deliberately bred out and inserted into choice locales throughout the world with the necessary agricultural skills. It was a scientifically planned endeavor.
If this makes you feel like a lab rat, then smile!
Genesis 5
From Adam to Noah
1 This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man. [a] "
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father [b] of Enosh. 7 And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah [c] and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Footnotes:
- Genesis 5:2 Hebrew adam
- Genesis 5:6 Father may mean ancestor ; also in verses 7-26.
- Genesis 5:29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort .
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