Adam was purported to be the first historical man to live on planet Earth. According to biblical sources, he was created by an omnipotent God from the dust of the ground nearly 6,000 years ago. This is his story ...
The Jewish View
Adam was the first human being and the progenitor of the human race. The first chapter of Bereishit (Genesis) states that God made man in the sixth day of the Creation, fashioning him in His own image and giving him dominion over the rest of creation. The etymology of the word Adam connects it with Adamah, “ground or soil,” and with Adom, “red.” This suggests that Adam was formed from red soil or clay. The second chapter of Bereishit tells the creation of man in more detail. God created man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. God told the man that he could eat from every tree in the garden, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, under penalty of death. God brought all the animals and birds to Adam, who gave them their respective names, but Adam could not find among the animals a suitable helpmate. God then put the man to sleep, extracted one of his ribs, and fashioned with it the first woman, whom Adam called Eve because she would be the mother of all the living.
The man and the woman were naked and felt no shame until the serpent convinced the woman to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. After Eve shared the fruit with Adam, the couple became aware of their nakedness. They covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from God in embarrassment. God asked Adam (Bereishit 3:11): “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?”
Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. As punishment for their transgression, God condemned the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat dust. He told the woman that she would suffer pain in childbirth, would crave for her husband, and be subject to him.
To the man, God said, “Because you did as your wife said and ate of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ Cursed be the ground because of you; by toil shall you eat of it. All the days of your life: Thorns and thistles shall it sprout for you. But your food shall be the grasses of the field; by the sweat of your brow shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground–for from it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return (Bereishit 3:17–19).”
God then made garments of skin and clothed Adam and Eve. To prevent them from eating the fruit of the tree of life, thus becoming immortal, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden. After being driven out of the Garden of Eden, Eve conceived and gave birth to Cain and, later, to Abel. After the death of Abel, who was murdered by his jealous brother, Eve gave birth to her third son, Seth when Adam was 130 years old.
There is no further mention of Eve in the Bible, and it is not known how old she was when she died. Though Adam lived on for many years, dying at the age of 930, the Bible gives no account of how he adapted himself to life outside the Garden of Eden, except to mention that he fathered sons and daughters.
Source: Reprinted from Who’s Who in the Jewish Bible (The Jewish Publication Society).
Two Natures in Adam
There are, however, two points of view regarding man's nature presented in the two Biblical stories of man's creation; and they are brought out more forcibly in the Haggadah. "Both worlds, heaven and earth, were to have a share in man's creation; hence the host of angels were consulted by the Lord when He said, 'Let us make man'" (Genesis i. 26, Genesis Rabba viii.). His body reached from earth to heaven [or from one end of the world to the other] before sin caused him to sink" (Ḥag. 12a, Talmud tractate Sanhedrin 38b).[2] "He was of extreme beauty and sunlike brightness" (B. B. 58a). "His skin was a bright garment, shining like his nails; when he sinned this brightness vanished, and he appeared naked" (Targum Yer. Gen. iii. 7; Genesis Rabba xi.). When God said: "Let us make man in our image," the angels in heaven, filled with jealousy, said: "What is man that Thou thinkest of him? A creature full of falsehood, hatred, and strife!" But Love pleaded in his favor; and the Lord spoke: "Let truth spring forth from the earth!" (Genesis Rabba viii.; Midrash Tehilim viii.).
A midrashic legend (Genesis Rabba viii.) relates that the angels were so filled with wonder and awe at the sight of Adam, the image of God, that they wanted to pay homage to him and cry "Holy!" But the Lord caused sleep to fall upon him so that he lay like a corpse, and the Lord said: "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" (Isaiah ii. 22).[2] Another version (Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer xi.; Tan., Peḳude, 3) is that all other creatures, marveling at Adam's greatness, prostrated themselves before him, taking him to be their creator; whereon he pointed upward to God, exclaiming: "The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty!" (Psalms xciii. 1).
The Christian View
Adam arguably plays the more important role in Christianity than he does in any of the other Abrahamic religions. Christians believe that because Adam disobeyed God, sin and death entered into the world resulting in the fall of man and passing original sin onto all of his descendants. Adam's sin separated man from God, but Christ, who is sometimes referred to as the "Second Adam", atoned for the sins of the world through his sacrifice and thus reconciled man to God. Debate continues within Christian circles as to what degree Adam's sin affected humanity. Some Protestants, such as Calvinist, believe in original guilt, teaching that man shares in the same guilt as Adam. But both Catholics and Orthodox reject this; though there is disagreement among Catholics and Orthodox over the nature of sin.
Irenaeus taught that Adam's sin had grave consequences for humanity, and that the fall of man was the source of human sinfulness, mortality and enslavement to sin, and that all human beings participate in his sin and share his guilt. Irenaeus promoted this concept in his struggle to counter the doctrines of Gnosticism. Subsequently, the doctrine of original sin was formalized by Irenaeus in the 2nd-century.
Augustine of Hippo (354–430) furthered the teaching of original sin by concluding that Adam's sin is transmitted by concupiscence. This is the concept that sin is inherited, so that original sin is passed from parent to child, resulting in humanity becoming a massa damnata (mass of perdition, condemned crowd). By Adam and Eve's sexual reproduction, all their descendants now live in sin. Augustine also promoted the view that all of humanity was really present in Adam's guilt when he sinned, and therefore all descendant humans inherit that guilt.
For many Christian denominations, the doctrine of the fall is closely related to that of original sin. They believe that the fall brought sin into the world, corrupting the entire natural world, including human nature, causing all humans to be born into original sin, a state from which they cannot attain eternal life without the grace of God. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the concept of the fall but rejects the idea that the guilt of original sin is passed down through generations, based in part on the passage Ezekiel 18:20 that says a son is not guilty of the sins of his father. Calvinist Protestants believe that Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for the elect, so they may be redeemed from their sin. Judaism does not have a concept of "the fall" or "original sin" and has varying other interpretations of the Eden narrative.
The story of the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man represents a tradition among the Abrahamic peoples, with a presentation more or less symbolical of certain moral and religious truths.
Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam and the Fall of Man)
The Islamic View
Âdam is believed to have been the first human being and Nabi (Arabic: Prophet) on Earth, in Islam. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence. Muslims also refer to his wife, Hawa (Arabic: Eve), as the "mother of mankind". Muslims see Adam as the first Muslim, as the Qur'an states that all the Prophets preached the same faith of Islam.
The Qur'an and Hadith give the same account of the creation of Adam and Eve. Synthesizing the Qur'an with Sunni hadith can produce the following account. According to the Qur'an, when God informed the angels that he was going to put a successor on Earth, they questioned whether the human would cause blood shed and damage, but he told them that he knew what they did not. He created Adam from clay and breathed life into him. Hadith adds that he was named Adam after the clay he was made out of, or the skin (adim) of the earth.
Returning to the Qur'an, when God asked all the angels to prostrate before Adam, they all obeyed, except Iblis. He said, "I am made from fire, when Adam is from clay. I am better than him. I am not going to prostrate before him."
Sunni hadith say that while Adam was sleeping, God took a rib from him and from it he created Eve; however, while the creation of Adam and Eve is referred to in the Qur'an, the exact method of creation is not specified. The Qur'an then says that God commanded that Adam and Eve not eat from one tree in the garden of Eden, but Iblis was able to convince them to taste it. They then began to cover themselves because they now knew that they were naked. For this, God banished Adam and Eve to earth; non-canonical Sunni hadith says that fruits were turned to thorns and pregnancy became dangerous. Non-canonical Sunni hadith also say that Adam and Eve were cast down far apart, so that they had to search for each other and eventually met each other at Mount Arafat.
In Islamic theology, it is not believed that Adam's sin is carried by all of his children. Hadith says that once Adam was on earth, God taught him how to plant seeds and bake bread. This was to become the way of all of Adam's children. Adam proceeded to live for about 1000 years, though this has been a topic of debate.
Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam in Islam)
Adam and Eve both ate of the Tree of Immortality, and both shared guilt equally, for Eve neither tempted Adam or ate before him; nor is Eve to blame for the pain of childbirth, for Allah never punishes one person for the sins of another. The Shiah school of Islam does not even consider that their action was a sin, for obedience and disobedience are possible only on Earth and not in heaven, which is the location of Paradise. Adam fell on a mountain in India, the tallest in the world and so the closest to Heaven, and from there God sent him to Mecca, where he repented and was forgiven. At Mecca he built the first Sanctuary (the Kaabah - it was later rebuilt by Ibrahim [Abraham]) and was taught the ritual of the Hajj, and wove the first cloak for himself and the first veil and shift for Eve, and after this returned to India where he died at the age of 930, having seen the sons of the sons of his children, 1400 in all.
According to the Ahmadiyya sect Adam was not the first human being on earth, but when the human race came into existence, and spread all over the world and developed the ability to receive revelation, God sent Adam to each and every branch and civilization. According to a revelation received by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the community, the Adam mentioned in the Qur'an was born 4,598 years before Muhammad.
Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam)
Overview
While a traditional view was that the Book of Genesis was authored by Moses and has been considered historical and metaphorical, many modern scholars consider the Genesis creation narrative as one of various ancient origin myths. The Abrahamic religions all agree that Adam was the first historical man and created by a Supreme Being, yet his purpose for being created and expulsion from the Garden of Eden somewhat differs.
For further reading, please visit the following websites:
Adam arguably plays the more important role in Christianity than he does in any of the other Abrahamic religions. Christians believe that because Adam disobeyed God, sin and death entered into the world resulting in the fall of man and passing original sin onto all of his descendants. Adam's sin separated man from God, but Christ, who is sometimes referred to as the "Second Adam", atoned for the sins of the world through his sacrifice and thus reconciled man to God. Debate continues within Christian circles as to what degree Adam's sin affected humanity. Some Protestants, such as Calvinist, believe in original guilt, teaching that man shares in the same guilt as Adam. But both Catholics and Orthodox reject this; though there is disagreement among Catholics and Orthodox over the nature of sin.
Irenaeus taught that Adam's sin had grave consequences for humanity, and that the fall of man was the source of human sinfulness, mortality and enslavement to sin, and that all human beings participate in his sin and share his guilt. Irenaeus promoted this concept in his struggle to counter the doctrines of Gnosticism. Subsequently, the doctrine of original sin was formalized by Irenaeus in the 2nd-century.
Augustine of Hippo (354–430) furthered the teaching of original sin by concluding that Adam's sin is transmitted by concupiscence. This is the concept that sin is inherited, so that original sin is passed from parent to child, resulting in humanity becoming a massa damnata (mass of perdition, condemned crowd). By Adam and Eve's sexual reproduction, all their descendants now live in sin. Augustine also promoted the view that all of humanity was really present in Adam's guilt when he sinned, and therefore all descendant humans inherit that guilt.
For many Christian denominations, the doctrine of the fall is closely related to that of original sin. They believe that the fall brought sin into the world, corrupting the entire natural world, including human nature, causing all humans to be born into original sin, a state from which they cannot attain eternal life without the grace of God. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the concept of the fall but rejects the idea that the guilt of original sin is passed down through generations, based in part on the passage Ezekiel 18:20 that says a son is not guilty of the sins of his father. Calvinist Protestants believe that Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for the elect, so they may be redeemed from their sin. Judaism does not have a concept of "the fall" or "original sin" and has varying other interpretations of the Eden narrative.
The story of the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man represents a tradition among the Abrahamic peoples, with a presentation more or less symbolical of certain moral and religious truths.
Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam and the Fall of Man)
The Islamic View
Âdam is believed to have been the first human being and Nabi (Arabic: Prophet) on Earth, in Islam. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence. Muslims also refer to his wife, Hawa (Arabic: Eve), as the "mother of mankind". Muslims see Adam as the first Muslim, as the Qur'an states that all the Prophets preached the same faith of Islam.
The Qur'an and Hadith give the same account of the creation of Adam and Eve. Synthesizing the Qur'an with Sunni hadith can produce the following account. According to the Qur'an, when God informed the angels that he was going to put a successor on Earth, they questioned whether the human would cause blood shed and damage, but he told them that he knew what they did not. He created Adam from clay and breathed life into him. Hadith adds that he was named Adam after the clay he was made out of, or the skin (adim) of the earth.
Returning to the Qur'an, when God asked all the angels to prostrate before Adam, they all obeyed, except Iblis. He said, "I am made from fire, when Adam is from clay. I am better than him. I am not going to prostrate before him."
Sunni hadith say that while Adam was sleeping, God took a rib from him and from it he created Eve; however, while the creation of Adam and Eve is referred to in the Qur'an, the exact method of creation is not specified. The Qur'an then says that God commanded that Adam and Eve not eat from one tree in the garden of Eden, but Iblis was able to convince them to taste it. They then began to cover themselves because they now knew that they were naked. For this, God banished Adam and Eve to earth; non-canonical Sunni hadith says that fruits were turned to thorns and pregnancy became dangerous. Non-canonical Sunni hadith also say that Adam and Eve were cast down far apart, so that they had to search for each other and eventually met each other at Mount Arafat.
In Islamic theology, it is not believed that Adam's sin is carried by all of his children. Hadith says that once Adam was on earth, God taught him how to plant seeds and bake bread. This was to become the way of all of Adam's children. Adam proceeded to live for about 1000 years, though this has been a topic of debate.
Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam in Islam)
Adam and Eve both ate of the Tree of Immortality, and both shared guilt equally, for Eve neither tempted Adam or ate before him; nor is Eve to blame for the pain of childbirth, for Allah never punishes one person for the sins of another. The Shiah school of Islam does not even consider that their action was a sin, for obedience and disobedience are possible only on Earth and not in heaven, which is the location of Paradise. Adam fell on a mountain in India, the tallest in the world and so the closest to Heaven, and from there God sent him to Mecca, where he repented and was forgiven. At Mecca he built the first Sanctuary (the Kaabah - it was later rebuilt by Ibrahim [Abraham]) and was taught the ritual of the Hajj, and wove the first cloak for himself and the first veil and shift for Eve, and after this returned to India where he died at the age of 930, having seen the sons of the sons of his children, 1400 in all.
According to the Ahmadiyya sect Adam was not the first human being on earth, but when the human race came into existence, and spread all over the world and developed the ability to receive revelation, God sent Adam to each and every branch and civilization. According to a revelation received by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the community, the Adam mentioned in the Qur'an was born 4,598 years before Muhammad.
Source: Reprinted from Wikipedia.com (Adam)
Overview
While a traditional view was that the Book of Genesis was authored by Moses and has been considered historical and metaphorical, many modern scholars consider the Genesis creation narrative as one of various ancient origin myths. The Abrahamic religions all agree that Adam was the first historical man and created by a Supreme Being, yet his purpose for being created and expulsion from the Garden of Eden somewhat differs.
For further reading, please visit the following websites: