Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 23:32:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Cavemen

QUESTION:
<  <  Adam was the first man. So, how do we explain, according to Torah
thought, the existence of cavemen?>  >

ANSWER:
This has been explained on Torah Forum several times in a General manner.
For this particular question we can give a Particular answer.

The 5th English translation of the Zohar points out that Gen1:1-4 has a
past perfect "In the beginning G-d created Heaven and Earth but the earth
HAD ALREADY BEEN formless and void with darkness covering the land.... and
G-d said Let there be the Lights of Prophecy/hereafter...and G-d called
prophecy DAY but HAD ALREADY CALLED darkness (no propehcy) night.."

Thus the Bible explicitly states that (a) Cavemen existed before the
creation story (b) these cavemen had a status of NIGHT PEOPLE (c) that what
happened 6000 years ago was not the creation of the physical world but the
creation of prophecy---Adam was the first prophet. The translation of
light as "lights of prophecy/hereafter" is due to Rashi. The idea that
the cavemen (non prophets) were NIGHT PEOPLE is consistent with Adam's non
prophet wife who is called NIGHT (LILITH). More details were given in my
presentation at the 3rd international conference on Science and
Religion--copies of my email notes are available on request and many Torah
Forumnists have already copies.

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; RHendel@Towson.Edu
Moderator Rashi is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/