Marduk

I like this explanation the best:

The “Tree of Life” refers to our DNA molecule, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” is the same tree minus one branch.
In the old Mesopotamian myths the gods create homosapiens 1.0, they watch the humans having sex but notice the females aren’t getting pregnant. The god of wisdom, the snake god Enki, investigates. (the symbol of DNA, two snakes wrapped around a branch)
“I have looked into the essence of Man, his tree of life has 24 branches” They had 24 pair of chromosomes not 22 plus the odd 23rd sex chromosome, they could not breed. Homosapien 2.0 had the right mix and started breeding. This was the beginning of the formation of human consciousness, they began to associate sex with babies, the consequences of their actions, unlike the other animals. Hence the knowledge of ‘good’ and ‘evil’.
The gods in these stories created humans by taking the primitive animal like human and giving him some of their ‘essence’
The gods themselves were the products of evolution as well but over a longer period of time. “The gods, from creature to creature over eons and eons, were formed”
Unfortunately the Bible edits out too much of the whole story.

ansarthemystic

Where did you come with this idea?It sounds very similar to what a religious cult called the Nuwaubis believe. They have a book they they call the Holy Tablets.In their mythology,let's call it,the gods are our ancestors. After a bit of cloning on themselves they created the human-like beings that are found in Earth's fossil record. A bit of genetic engineering was necessary because these hman-like animals were not sentinent and were not very fertile. This genetic engineering caused an "explosion" in Mankind's consciousness that explains why they were able to out-compete the previous forms of Man that were evolving so slowly. When reading ancient Sumerian myths one gets the impression that the gods were regarded as our ancestors in the beginning, as they had decidely human traits, and that these gods were later regarded as divine, so they were worshipped.

The tree of life seems to be the the double-helix. Interesting correlation you bring up with the snake god Enki and the symbol for DNA being two snakes wrapped around a branch!!!The Bible story seems to leave out these important details,but the language of the bible seems to accidentally? mention plural gods in some verses. Whatever could that mean? Let US make Man in OUR image, after OUR likeness.....'

peace and blessings

[ August 01, 2002: Message edited by: ansarthemystic ]</p>

Eudaimonist

Do you know of any links to the Sumerian or Babylonian version of the story?

Dr Rick

This topic is so timely; I've got a beautiful 16 foot phycus that has been slowly withering away these past few months after years of flourishing growth, and the advice of two horiculturlists has not helped. I'm wondering if it's my fault because of something I ate, thought, or did?

Rick

Marduk

"When reading ancient Sumerian myths one gets the impression that the gods were
regarded as our ancestors in the beginning, as they had decidely human traits, and that these gods were
later regarded as divine, so they were worshipped."

Yes, the further back you go the less they are worshipped as gods, and thought more of as mentors, as well as masters.
The flood is like a dividing line between when the gods ruled and when they turned control over to the humans, when "the gift of kingship was lowered from the heavens"
Enki, (the god in the Gilgamesh story who warned the humans about the flood) had a dream where God tells him not to let the humans die, "you made them you must take care of them"

some Sumerian/Babylonian creation myths:
Atrahasis
Enuma Elish (aka the 7 tablets of creation or the Chaldean Genesis)
The Eridu Genesis
The creation of humanity by Enki and Ninmah

there are thousands of these stories written on cylinder seals, many still untranslated.

diana

"Religion has done sex a great favor by making it a sin." -Ambrose Bierce, Devil's Dictionary (I think)

d

ansarthemystic

I have the holy tablets....But I will look for links for you.

peace and blessings

excreationist

More stuff about the snake... I've stumbled across an interesting verse:
<a href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=2+Corinthians+11%3A3&section=0&vers ion=tev&new=1&showtools=1&oq=&NavBook=2co&NavGo=11 &NavCurrentChapter=11" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 11:3</a> - "I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and that you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ — in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake's clever lies."

The following translations use the word snake:
- The Bible in Basic English
- God's Word Translation
- New Century Version
- Today's English Version (Good News Bible)
(see the link above)

The other translations use the word "serpent" - which means a snake-like animal.

So Paul is saying that the snake told clever lies... rather than Satan... but a little later in the same chapter, in <a href="http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=2+Corinthians+11%3A14&section=0&ver sion=tev&new=1&showtools=1&oq=&NavBook=2co&NavGo=1 1&NavCurrentChapter=11" target="_blank">verse 14</a>, he does talk about Satan... he says "...Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light!"
Paul doesn't hint that Satan can disguise himself as an animal though...

Joel:
...There are a couple places in the Bible where it compares a thousand years to a single day. (At least in the view of god)
Yeah, there's Psalms 90:4 - "A thousand years to you are like one day; they are like yesterday, already gone, like a short hour in the night."

2 Peter 3:8 - "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day."

Then he says "...The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised [coming again] - the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives." [The early Christians were already getting impatient about the second coming!]

DMB

It's clear that the snake was formerly a lizard (with legs), and hence genesis is hinting that evolution is true.

ansarthemystic

Clearly, but the christians don't see it!