Were Adam and Eve Real People?

The Bible and Science Both Say Yes

Why is it important for us to consider whether the biblical Adam and Eve were real historical people or not? Because either:

1. People, as in mankind, descended from groups of ancient apes by evolutionary mutations over long ages of time that made us distinctly unique and superior.

Or:

2. God created humankind completely separate from lower forms of life like apes, and started with just two individuals known biblically as Adam and Eve about 6,000 years ago.

We can see that option No. 1 completely ignores any concept of a creator God and the historical account given to us in the Bible.

If Adam and Eve were not real literal people then the Genesis account is not real literal history, but just symbolic or figurative. This is how some Christians have unfortunately decided to understand the creation account in general and in particular the creation of Adam and Eve. However, to do this is to find oneself in conflict with other portions of Scripture that cannot be taken allegorically or figuratively, but that speak very clearly to the literal reality of Adam and Eve. In the first five chapters of Genesis Adam is mentioned 18 times. Also, the mention of Adam in the genealogical lists plus the recording of his age when his son Seth was born (Genesis 5:3), and his age of 930 years at his death (Genesis 5:4), can only speak logically and meaningfully of literal history. The following scriptures speak of either Adam alone or Adam and Eve together as real historical figures:

Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah (1 Chronicles 1:1).

“If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom” (Job 31:33).

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female . . . For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’” (Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:7,8).

Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph . . . the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God (Luke 3:23,38).

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come (Romans 5:14).

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive . . . And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:22,45).

Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints” (Jude 14).

The last reference from the Book of Jude is especially interesting because it not only refers to Adam as a real person, but declares that he was the first of seven consecutive generations of real literal people. Therefore, this statement from Jude allows for no gaps of missing generations in the genealogy of the first seven generations from Adam to Enoch. Many have suggested that there are missing generations in the biblical genealogies in order to try and accommodate long ages of time. However, regardless of whether this has any validity in generations following Enoch or not, we certainly cannot insert millions of years into the genealogical record—it just doesn’t make sense, and is in conflict with the overall historical record and message of Scripture.

The Bible says, “And He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26). Human blood types are the same all over the world. In fact, there is scientific evidence related to the Y chromosome found in men that indicates it can be traced back to a single male ancestor—that would be the biblical Adam.

Unfortunately, some Christians obviously influenced and intimidated by the bold assumptive pronouncements of modern science, have suggested alternative interpretations for the understanding of creation and life which depart from a literal acceptance of Scripture. One such individual, Hugh Ross, a progressive creationist writes:

“Starting about 2 to 4 million years ago, God began creating man-like mammals or ‘hominids.’ These creatures stood on two feet, had large brains, and used tools. Some even buried their dead and painted on cave walls. However, they were different from us. They did not worship God or establish religious practices. In time, all these man-like creatures went extinct. Then, about 10 to 25 thousand years ago, God replaced them with Adam and Eve” (Hugh Ross, Reasons To Believe Web Site, updated July 8, 1997).

This bold presumptuous statement picturing a millions-of-years scenario is total conjecture, and an attempt to gain the respect, acceptance, and recognition of the evolutionary world by seeking to explain origins without God or the Bible. It suggests that God purposely and knowingly took millions of years of trial and error, suffering, disease and bloodshed, to work up to the time when He finally made Adam and Eve.

If humans from different geographical areas were unable to interbreed it might suggest that there were fundamental differences indicating independent evolving of their type. But this is not the case.

At Creation Experience Museum we believe in an uncompromising stand on the Bible, the supernatural inspired and true account of the history of this world. Proverbs 30:6 warns, “Do not add to His words.”

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26).

For the Christian the message should be clear. The Book of Genesis is the foundation of truth and tells us that we are specially created by God to have fellowship with Him, and our first two ancestors were two—Adam and Eve.