BIBLE GENEALOGY.

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 113, 22 August 1941, Page 4

BIBLE GENEALOGY.

Sir,-My object in giving examples of Egyptian Civilisation and culture (Listener, May 23) was to show that the dates, which from a study of Biblical genealogy were set by Bishop Ussher at 4004 B.C. and 2348 B.C. respectively, could not possibly be correct since the oldest of civilisations has flourished continuously from centuries before those dates, Moreover, a fact which seems highly significant is that nowhere in African and Egyptian mythology or religion is there any record of such a deluge. Archaeological discoveries have shown that at some remote period a flood, purely local, did occur in the Euphrates. valley, and obviously this is the deluge of Sumerian and Babylonian legend, later introduced with embellishments into Hebrew literature. Speaking of Ussher’s date for creation, Everyman’s Encyclopaedia says: "The value of such a méthod of computation (that is adding together the years in the generations of the Patriarchs in Gen. 5) is now considered to be nil; the beginnings of life must have taken place many millions of years ago, and man has been differentiated from other animals for at least 100,000 years." If the dates of the Biblical creation and flood, presuming that they did occur, are remote and obscure, and the events obviously in the realm of myth and legend, what credence can be placed in Biblical Genealogy? Evolution, which precludes any such belief at least has scientific backing, but the idea of a special creation is what Chapman Cohen calls a "verbal splash." R. Heal recognises this position of early Old Testament dates, but W. Pettitt, E. Stinson, and "1066" still cling to the now generally discredited fundamentalist view. However, as regards R, Heal’s contention that "no scientific discovery to date has been found to disprove this unique book," I would ask what has been the verdict of science on geocentricism, demonology, witchcraft and wizardry, etc.? Did not Huxley say "that extinguished theologians lie about the ¢radle of every science like snakes beside that of Hercules?" As for W. Pettitt’s accusation that I have made facts of a mere congeries of allegations, may I suggest that he is taking a shot in the dark. Let me quote directly from Sir Leonard Woolley’s book, " Digging up the Past," where he says: "the whole history of Egypt has been recovered by archaeological work, and that in astonishing detail." In conclusion let me refer the defenders of Biblical genealogy to Matthew Chapter 1 and Luke Chapter 3, where the genealogies of the founder of Christianity will be seen to be utterly at variance,

L.

COONEY

(Auckland),

(This correspondence is now closed.-Ed.)