Introduction

In my previous blog, I mentioned the controversy between Biblical creationism and the study of evolution that had raged for decades. The critical figure is Adam. In the Bible, the story of Adam is the central issue of creationism. The Bible claimed Adam was the first man, as he and all life on earth appeared simultaneously.

The earliest undisputed evidence of life on earth dates from at least 3.5 billion years ago to those who believe in evolution. Men’s common ancestor is a simple organism, followed by the process of transformation from ancient hominids to Homo erectus and finally Homo sapiens; that’s us humans today.     

 

Not the first human

“And when the Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy on the earth. They said; wilt Thou place one who will harm, and will shed blood, while we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said, surely I know which you know not!

And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful. They (the angels) said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower the Wise!” (Quran 2: 30-32)

From the Quran, Adam was not the first human, but the first viceroy. The angels had witnessed the destructions that early humans caused. So when God wanted to place Adam on earth, the angels became skeptical. However, God assured the angels, He knows what He is doing. 

But Adam differed from other hominids, as God had given knowledge to Adam. The angels marveled at the power delegated to Adam. Even they do not have such ability. The knowledge granted to Adam will ensure his species will survive. Adam will not only have control over the earth’s harsh environment but will also be able to subdue the other humans that had roamed the earth for millions of years.

Adam might appear on earth sent from heaven with the perfect human form, like what men looked like nowadays. But for me, I believe that one hominid 60,000 years ago suddenly became conscious and reflective, a sign God had favored Adam over other creatures.

 

The power of Adam

 Before 60,000 years ago, scientists believed human was on the brink of extinction. Our ancestors might have learned to tame fire and invent simple tools 500,000 years ago, but these skills were not enough to keep them safe from the unfolding crisis. However, from the moment of peril, humans began an astonishing rise.  

Humans and animals eat, sleep, think and communicate. That’s what hominids did for millions of years for them to survive. However, the new knowledge God gave to Adam enabled the viceroy to innovate and thus conquer the planet. Adam now could comprehend complex reasoning and solving difficult problems. He also invented art and language. 

But the most crucial knowledge that Adam gained from God that distinguished him from other animals, including hominids, is introspection. According to Wikipedia, introspection is the examination of one’s conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology, the process of introspection relies on the observation of one’s mental state, while in a spiritual context, it may refer to the examination of one’s soul. Introspection is closely related to human self-reflection and self-discovery.

 

Scientific Adam

Humans looked so different from each other. Sometimes when you think about it, it’s pretty impossible all humans on earth are related to each other. Yet six billion people all shared a common ancestor. Three of the great world religion, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, believed one man fathered all of us. 

DNA survived in all living things, including men. DNA makes us unique. There is a constant genetic code that stayed with us like a father’s surname. The Y chromosome enables scientists to trace our common ancestors. The key is to find a super ancestor, a man who left a genetic imprint in huge numbers.

Before the power of DNA, our pictures from the past came entirely from fossils. But using fossils, the concept is incomplete. The oldest human fossils came from Africa dating back millions of years ago. However, ancient remains had been found in other faraway sites in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

As mentioned before, by using DNA, scientists could trace our super ancestors. One of them is M-168. Three billion men all over the planet shared this mutation. But M-168 couldn’t be Adam because some men do not have the M-168 genetic code. Some of the few men who don’t have M-168 mostly lived in South Africa.

However, all men on earth have the genetic code of Scientific Adam. They calculated Scientific Adam was born somewhere around 60,000 years ago. That means our common ancestor doesn’t go back further. But from fossil evidence, humans existed millions of years ago.

 

Conclusion

Based on the scriptures of the world’s greatest religion, Adam existed, and he is our super ancestor. He not only produced descendent like M-168, but he had left a genetic imprint on all the men on earth. 

Adam is not the first human. He was the first viceroy, an emissary sent by God to save hominids from destruction. Sixty thousand years ago, through knowledge of God, Adam tamed nature and changed other hominids forever. Adam then taught art and language not only to his contemporaries but also to his descendants.

If Adam had not existed, men, if they survived, would continue to be like the primates and other animals we see today. There would be no arts and languages, no cultures and civilization, no written records, and no human migrations. 

If an alien arrived and explores our planet earth, there will be no evidence of intelligence being ever present in this blue world. Humans will not differ from gorillas and chimpanzees. But because of Adam, we know God, know our history, and we are concsious of our existence.

 

Jason browsed his papers and looked up again. “Have you all heard the theory of the missing link? Evolution did take place millions of years after the existence of earth, but suddenly there was modern man! Scientists have tried to figure out what happened. Why was there a perfect sequence that suddenly jumped to modern man?”

The Viceroys of God: Chapter 8, Page 74