23. Adam’s Diary – Conclusion

Adam hieroglyphing and pictographing his diary
before the Fall

Continuing with Adam’s Diary (translated from Adam’s original hieroglyphics by Mark Twain) …

TEN YEARS LATER — They are BOYS; we found it out long ago. It was their coming in that small immature shape that puzzled us; we were not used to it. There are some girls now. Abel is a good boy, but if Cain had stayed a bear it would have improved him.

After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her. At first I thought she talked too much; but now I should be sorry to have that voice fall silent and pass out of my life. Blessed be the chestnut that brought us near together and taught me to know the goodness of her heart and the sweetness of her spirit!

AT EVE’S GRAVE — Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden.

Commentary:
The Bible only gives the names of 3 of Adam’s and Eve’s children. Cain and Abel were probably the first two. Seth was born when Adam was 130 (Genesis 5:3), so it is likely there were a number of sons and daughters born before Seth. Genesis 5:4 explicitly says that Adam had other sons and daughters. The number is not mentioned, but the Jewish historian Josephus of the first century A.D. reports that Adam and Eve had 33 sons and 23 daughters.

Many of the sons (probably including Cain) married sisters. Others (possibly Seth) may have married nieces. In the early days of the human race before significant genetic deterioration had accumulated, it was perfectly legitimate to marry close relatives. In fact, there was no one else to marry.

Twain’s comment on Cain reflects the Biblical report of his anger toward and subsequent murder of his brother Abel.

Adam’s Diary ends with Adam’s touching tribute to Eve. He had learned the blessing of her companionship and love. A good wife is God’s greatest earthly gift to a man, and many men, myself included, have been blessed as Adam was.

This concludes the series of 23 posts on Adam’s Diary. Read the prequels:
1. Adam’s Diary – A New Creature
2. Adam’s Diary – Naming the Animals
3. Adam’s Diary – Garden of Eden
4. Adam’s Diary – “We”
5. Adam’s Diary – Sunday
6. Adam’s Diary – Eve
7. Adam’s Diary – Niagara Falls
8. Adam’s Diary – Escape
9. Adam’s Diary – Mark Twain I
10. Adam’s Diary – Mark Twain II
11. Adam’s Diary – Mark Twain III
12. Adam’s Diary – Mark Twain IV
13. Adam’s Diary – Mark Twain V
14. Adam’s Diary – Mark Twain VI
15. Adam’s Diary – Rib
16. Adam’s Diary – The Snake
17. Adam’s Diary – Catastrophe
18. Adam’s Diary – Clothing
19. Adam’s Diary – Cain
20. Adam’s Diary – Kangaroo or Bear?
21. Adam’s Diary – Abel
22. Adam’s Diary – Brontosaurus

©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
Monday July 5, 2010 A.D.

Read my June 2010 Bible-Science column
Noah’s Ark Found?.

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. (Genesis 5:1-5)