Synopsis 

PART 1:  Was Adam the first human?

The question is considered from two perspectives. Firstly, what does the Bible actually say about Adam and what argument does Genesis present? Secondly, what is learnt from a comparison of the culture in Genesis to the culture of indigenous Australians; whose arrival in Australia is now dated to 60,000 years ago. The final say goes to Jesus in Matthew 23:29-35.

PART 2:  When was Adam?

This section uses the events in Genesis and the genealogies to establish a likely time for the existence of Adam. The Sumerian King List is also used, as it is contemporary history, to provide a basis for understanding the life spans in Genesis.

PART 3:  Scientific perspective

Three chapters each introduce a different area of current knowledge—the archaeological record from primates to humans, the impact of the ice ages, and the lessons from genetics. These topics build a picture of our world and provide a scientific framework for the origins, development and migration of humans around the world. This knowledge provides an essential setting for a logical and sustainable understanding of Genesis 1 to 5.

PART 4:  How do we interpret Genesis? 

Using the revised biblical chronology from Part 2, this section explores the historical and cultural background in which the events of Genesis take place. A logical framework to assist with the interpretation of Genesis 1 to 5 is then discussed.

PART 5: A fresh perspective

This section provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 1 to 5, and bases our understanding of Genesis 1 to 5 firmly within the framework of current thinking about human origins and human history. The result is that Adam is lifted out of a mythical past and placed within a known period of time in Southern Mesopotamia when the invention of writing and new numbering systems were dramatically changing culture and religious practice.