Genesis Chapter 1 (woman, Revelation, Deuteronomy, preacher)

[Terryj]

A very good book to read about this very subject is The Ain Soph, it was written by F.J. Mayers around the turn of the 20th century. It deals with the first three chapters of Genesis from a linguist perspective on the Hebrew language. You can find it at: Introduction to The Unknown God | Inner Life | dreamhawk.com

I think you will find it an interesting read.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by The Theist

Agreed. However, it is important to note that science has something in common with Bible interpretation and translation. They are all the imperfect observations of men. We learn.

Both are a search for Truth, but are addressing different questions. When science investigates the origin of the universe, it is trying to answer: How? When? Where?

When Genesis addresses the origin of the universe, its focus is: Why? Who?

Theology missteps when it tries to use Genesis to prove or disprove science. But science is missteps when it tries to use the scientific method to make spiritual and theological arguments.

[breadbasket]

before I ask too deep of a question, I'll ask a simple one (I think).
The word "God"... where did that word and it's meaning or definition come from and when was it (the word god) first used as an English word. What is it's etymology?

[granpa]

Online Etymology Dictionary

Old English god "supreme being, deity; the Christian God; image of a god; godlike person," from Proto-Germanic *guthan (cf. Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch god, Old High German got, German Gott, Old Norse guð, Gothic guþ), from PIE *ghut- "that which is invoked" (cf. Old Church Slavonic zovo "to call," Sanskrit huta- "invoked," an epithet of Indra), from root *gheu(e)- "to call, invoke."

But some trace it to PIE *ghu-to- "poured," from root *gheu- "to pour, pour a libation" (source of Greek khein "to pour," also in the phrase khute gaia "poured earth," referring to a burial mound; see found (v.2)). "Given the Greek facts, the Germanic form may have referred in the first instance to the spirit immanent in a burial mound" [Watkins]. Cf. also Zeus.

[breadbasket]

Well... based on this definition the word "God" seems to be more of a title than a name. Looks like it may have come about in the late 1st century A.D.? If that's the case, "God" is a word used to translate some other word. Anyone have any idea what that word was?

[granpa]

Blue Letter Bible - Language Tools

[breadbasket]

Thanks Granpa... A very good tool indeed... I saved it in my Bible folder. I don't think it answered my question fully. Maybe I didn't ask it correctly.
I guess i'll get a little more specific here since I appreciate the fact that someone is on line with me at the moment. My issue is with the translation of the first few chapters of Genesis. I really shouldn't call them issues, because all I have are a lot of questions as well as my own "alternative" translation of the beginning. That great reference tool you (granpa) provided me with, translates from Hebrew, Greek, etc... into English. But isn't Genesis older than even the Aramaic language? How was it translated into those languages and from what. I hope so far this isn't too difficult a question to ask.

[granpa]

the original language spoken by Adam has been lost.
According to the story of the tower of babel it was a language with "few words"
based on the structure of Genesis 1 it was probably a tonal language

Adamic language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

all we have is the Hebrew

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/1.htm

[breadbasket]

So... Adam wrote Genesis?

[breadbasket]

The Genesis account had to come from somewhere and someone had to record it