Relationship between Science and the Hebrew Bible - Essay Example

? of the of the of the Relationship between Science and the Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible provides a narrow monotheistic interpretation of human life and universe as the creations of God. This partial structure has been adopted as the unvarnished truth by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The latter has been principally based on Judaism and Christianity, with many of the Biblical prophets being acclaimed by the Muslims (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Most of the material in these scriptures, save for a few passages in the Book of Daniel, were written in Hebrew, between 1200 to 100 BC. It has been conjectured that the Hebrew Bible assumed its present form around the second century AD (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Interestingly, those believe in the Bible contend that it is perfect and that though science has been subject to errors, no such defect is to be found in the Bible. These people further contend that whatever pertaining to science is mentioned in the Bible, is totally accurate (Encyclopaedia Britannica). God provided man with considerable information in the Bible, and only now has science started to catch up with this information. The Bible is correct when it discusses even the most difficult subjects in nature or physics. God was favourably disposed to the patriarch Abraham, whom he promised at Genesis 13:16 to provide with innumerable descendants (Let Us Reason). Cosmology was nothing new to the Hebrew Bible, which clearly states at Genesis 15:5 that the stars are uncountable. This is reiterated at Jeremiah 33:32, which declares that the stars cannot be counted. At this juncture, it should be noted that these biblical quotes related to a time when there were no telescopes. At that stage of development, man was able to number the stars. For instance, Hipparchus, arrogantly declared that the number of stars was 1,026. This was increased to 1,056 by the Roman Ptolemy after 150 years (Let Us Reason). Moreover, in the year 1608, Galileo invented the telescope, which brought about a rapid increase in the number of stars seen by man. Around 100 billion stars have been seen with modern 200 – inch telescopes, and this is with regard to just the Milky Way, our galaxy. The number of stars is overwhelming, given that there are billions of galaxies (Let Us Reason). This indicates the foresight of the Hebrew Bible. Modern high powered telescopes have led astronomers to the conclusion that there are more than 100 billion stars in our galaxy and that there are at least 100 billion galaxies in the known universe. The number of stars has been estimated by Henry Morris to be at least 1024 stars (Let Us Reason). However, it has been contended that the Bible has contributed significantly to the development of modern science. Biblical content could be interpreted either to confirm or oppose scientific claims. There was no uniformity of interpretation and the extant requirements would dictate the interpretation to be made. During the 16th and 17th centuries, important changes were made to the interpretation of the Bible (Harrison 115). Consequently, the previous practice of allegorical interpretation was being discarded for interpretation that was based on the historical or literal sense. At this juncture, Protestant reformers and humanist scholars brought about a system of interpreting nature on the basis of taxonomic and mathematical considerations (Harrison 115). One of the books of the Hebrew Bible or what the Christians term the Old Testament is the Leviticus. This book was written before 1400 BC. It provides a description of the value of blood. Thus, Leviticus 17:11 states that ‘‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul (Clarifying Christianity).” This depiction is mirrored to some extent by science, which states that blood transports water and nourishment to the cells of the body, controls the temperature of the body, and removes the waste material from the cells of the body. In addition, oxygen is carried by blood throughout the body. Blood circulation is an important feature of physical life, and it was discovered in the year 1616 by William Harvey (Clarifying Christianity). As such, biogenesis and the stability of living beings have been described in the Bible. This relates to the development of living beings from other living organisms. Thus, the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible provides important insights into this concept (Clarifying Christianity). For instance, Genesis 1:11, 12 states that God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth.” Accordingly, the earth sprouted grass, herbs that provided seeds that were exclusive to them, and trees that yielded fruits. God was pleased with these results, as stated in the Bible (Clarifying Christianity). In addition, Genesis 1:21 states that God created mighty marine creatures, every moving creature, and every bird and concluded that this was good (Clarifying Christianity). In Genesis 1:25 it is described that God made the terrestrial creatures, cattle, and every creature that creeps on the earth. These developments found favour with Him (Clarifying Christianity). In all the above scriptural quotes, the term according to its kind recurs. This emphasises the reproductive integrity of every type of flora and fauna. Modern science has shown that this integrity is on account of the genetic code, which sequences these reproductive systems (Clarifying Christianity). Moreover, in Genesis 2:7 the chemical nature of flesh is described. This states that the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. With this man emerged a living being (Clarifying Christianity). The Hebrew Bible is also known as Tanakh, Hebrew Scriptures, or Old Testament. It is a collection of writings that was compiled and maintained as the sacred scriptures of the Jews. A major portion of the Christian Bible is comprised of the Hebrew Bible. On the whole, the Hebrew Bible is a description of the interaction between God and the Jews, as His chosen ones. These people had called themselves Israel (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The Hebrew Bible begins with a description of the creation of the world by God and the advent of human civilisation The first six books of the Hebrew Bible, provide the history and genealogy of the Israeli people. Thereafter the events leading to the conquest of the Promised Land, under the terms of the covenant between God and Abraham, who was promised with offspring that would eventually become a great nation (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Isaac renewed this covenant with God, and subsequently, his son Jacob did the same. Jacob’s sons gave birth to the 13 tribes of Israel. After very many years, Moses renewed this covenant with God (Encyclopaedia Britannica). In addition, the subsequent seven books describe the story of the Israelites in the Promised Land. These people were continually indulging in apostasy and violating the covenant. The monarchy was repeatedly established, in order to punish these people and force them to live by the covenant. The people were not interested in living according to the covenant, and considerable force had to be used to compel them to live in that manner (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The prophets colluded with the monarchs and issued dire warnings to the people to follow the covenant. The hapless people were threatened with divine punishment and exile. The last 11 books of the Hebrew Bible consist of additional history, theology, and poetry (Encyclopaedia Britannica). However, there is considerable criticism, mostly unjustified, against the Bible and its contents. Opponents to the Bible argue that there is no scientific basis for the ideas in the Bible. Proponents of the Bible contend that the misinterpretations of the principles described in the Bible had contributed to the opposition and disagreement with the biblical ideologies (Deem). The Roman Catholic Church had promoted the notion of geo – centrism. However, there is no such idea in the Bible. The concept of geo – centrism was in vogue for centuries. This is one of the fundamental misinterpretations of the principles of the Bible. In the Bible, it is stated that humans are at the core of the attention of God. This concept has been misinterpreted by the Church to promote the view that the planet on which people live was the centre of the universe (Deem). According to the Bible, the heavens rule the earth. The scientific concept of helio – centrism, which is the reality, had been propounded by astronomers, such as Nicholas Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei, despite strong opposition from the Church. These astronomers were Christians. Similarly, Isaac Newton the author of the Principia had stated in this work that the system of sun, planets, and comets had a beautiful symmetry, whose origins were divine. The objective of the Bible was to impart spiritual values to humans. It was not aimed at providing scientific information. It is chiefly concerned with the nature of God, humankind, and the method for achieving a personal relationship with God (Deem). It is estimated that the Bible had been written between 1450 BC and 95 AD. There is no doubt that the Bible is an ancient scripture and there is considerable evidence regarding its authenticity. Such evidence includes the Dead Sea scrolls, historical documentation, and the word of mouth of the people. It is strongly argued that the contents of the Bible were inspired by God. This can be surmised from the fact that the scientific phenomena described in the Bible were not discovered till thousands of years had elapsed, after the Bible had been written (Clayton). Moreover, there was harmony between the Bible and the views of the scientific community in the past. However, this harmony was gradually destroyed, as new developments took place in science. People began to think rationally and discredited the misinterpretations and assumptions of the Bible. They turned to human reasoning for answers and resorted to science in all matters. Thus, science and scientific pronouncements were widely welcomed by people. Their confidence in science increased to the detriment of God’s Word (United Church of God). At present, science has become an integral part of the lives of the people. Science has gained ascendancy over religion, with the latter losing its importance in the lives of the people. Science and the products derived from it occupy and simplify the life of individuals. In a demographic study, it was found that the average American spends nearly 15 hours per week, on leisure activities, while devoting at most an hour to religious activity (United Church of God). A majority of the men devote very less time to religion. The advancement of science has introduced sophisticated technology and devices for entertainment. This development has completely undermined the position of religion. In the past, the Bible was considered the authority for everything and it enjoyed precedence over scientific discoveries. Subsequently this situation has been reversed (United Church of God). The scientific developments of the nineteenth century have firmly established that what is not scientific is false. Thus, science is regarded as the only method to discern the truth. The reality is otherwise, and science by itself does not satisfy the needs of humankind. It cannot provide morals or standards of life that should govern human conduct. Moreover, science does not teach people how to lead a righteous life (United Church of God). According to scientific approach, humans are a species of animals and the principle of survival of the fittest applies to humans. However, there is another dimension to human life, namely the spiritual. This spiritual dimension is at variance with the materialistic approach of science. This situation has resulted in terrible atrocities in the past. For instance, there were several incidents of genocide in history (United Church of God). Science has led to the production of weapons of mass destruction, which have been used for widespread terrorist activities and genocide. A number of weapons have been are developed, which produce extreme damage and destruction of life and property. These nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons are capable of destroying the entire human race (United Church of God). The scientific community envisaged the establishment of a utopian world with peace, prosperity, and abundance with the advancement of science. However, this has not happened, because the moral aspect had not been addressed. What we have is a community with a number of problems. The scientific world has contributed to the troubles in the world. It is the principal cause for industrial, chemical, and nuclear pollution. Its efforts have contributed to global warming (United Church of God). The discovery that the earliest Hebrew writing was made in the 10th century BC, during the reign of King David, indicates that the Hebrew Bible was written hundreds of years prior to the accepted date of its writing. It has generally been believed by the biblical scholars that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century BC. This was based on the belief that there was no Hebrew writing prior to this date (Moskowitz). The newly discovered text was seen to be four centuries before the 6th century BC. Consequently, on has to conclude that the Israel was in existence by the 10th century BC. By interpolation, some of the biblical texts were written centuries before the date commonly agreed upon by the scholars (Moskowitz). This great breakthrough was discovered on a shard of pottery, during excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa. The text was identified as being the Hebrew language by Gershon Gail, professor of Biblical Studies at the Israeli University of Haifa (Moskowitz). Moreover, in his work ‘The Cosmic Covenant’, Robert Murray has conducted an authentic study, based on anthropology, of the Hebrew Bible. He concludes that the Hebrew religious texts depict similar awareness of the relationship between human and non – human life systems, which are to be found in the primary cultures. The concept of domination to be found in the Hebrew Bible, has been misinterpreted to support an instrumentalist approach to natural systems (Northcott 167). The Hebrew Bible promotes the concept of a precarious balance between cosmic disorder and created order. It is the opinion of Murray that the various rituals and laws of the covenant community of Israel were designed to preserve this order. He has highlighted a theory of creation, in the Hebrew Bible, which is earlier than that of the Genesis. According to this theory, creation is nothing more than the control of chaos and the imposition of order and covenant on the unbridled forces of the cosmos (Northcott 167). The system of cosmology in the Hebrew Bible is not systematic as in science or the philosophy of the ancient Greeks. However, several sweeping statements and concepts had been developed by the early Biblical authors. The extraordinary depth of description and variation in this area, makes it possible to collect information regarding cosmology from the perspective of the Hebrew Bible (Mills x). The Hebrew Bible does not describe cosmology with a single word, and several words have to be combined to provide such description. For instance, at Genesis 1:1 and 2:4 there is mention of heavens and the earth. This term has to be understood as the universe. Similarly, at Exodus 20:11 we find the phrase the heavens and earth and sea. Moreover, Deuteronomy 5:8 provides the statement heaven above, earth beneath, and the waters under the earth. These terms denote the cosmos (Mills x). The ancient Israelites regarded the universe as a more or less closed entity comprised of three levels. The earth was believed to be a flat disc that was encompassed by mountains of the sea. The earth was believed to be surmounted by the firmament or solid hemisphere that covered it completely and which rested on the mountains at the periphery of the earth (Mills x). Deep inside the earth, the region of Sheol, or abode of the dead was deemed to exist. There is in addition, water above and below, which envelopes the universe. The blue colour of the celestial water is visible, due to the transparency of the firmament. In addition, it was believed that the firmament had sluice gates to allow water in the form of rain to fall upon the earth (Mills x). The vast canopy includes the heavens, sun, moon, and stars. In addition, there were believed to be pillars that supported the earth from below. It was also believed that the earth was suspended over the void. God, humans, and the dead were believed to have their own abodes in this cosmos. In keeping with the greater importance to be accorded to God, He was perceived to be present on earth and Sheol, in addition to the heavens (Mills x). With the exception of a few disagreements regarding certain details, this view of the cosmos was generally held by those who lived by the Hebrew Bible. Such theories of the cosmos were shared by the ancient Babylonians and Sumerians. Many of the Hebrew words employed for the earth’s surface, waters of the abyss, and the underworld occur without a definite article. This indicates that these terms were proper nouns, which serves to indicate a mythical background to these concepts (Mills x). Furthermore, the Hebrew Bible has been credited with incorporating exemplary procedures that promote the use of land in a manner that promotes social and ecological justice. The present day emphasis is on individual control, which is has to be supplanted with a new understanding regarding mutuality. Any flourishing has to perforce be mutual (Coomber 929). There is a deep interrelationship between science, biblical theology, and moral vision. The people of the Biblical age found it difficult to engage in agriculture, and this made them realise their total dependence upon the land for their survival. Their situation was deeply dependent upon the land. Thus, when the rains were timely and copious, they enjoyed an abundance of food. When the rains were scarce or untimely, or when marauding enemy forces destroyed their crops, they starved. This compelled them to understand their dependency on the land (Coomber 931). As demonstrated by Walter Brueggemann, the entire biblical canon is founded on how to live fruitfully in the land and how to exploit it wisely. The Hebrew Bible is pervaded with responses to previous mistakes and provides important insights regarding the manner, in which individuals can live fruitfully in this increasingly crowded world (Coomber 931). From this perspective, it seems that the stories regarding creation complement the scientific account of creation. The Genesis does state that God created the cosmos and the humans, but there is no mention regarding the actual emergence of any entity. On the other hand, science provides a lot of information regarding the origin of various objects; however, it does not provide any material regarding the reason behind their creation (Coomber 934). Although, the biblical theologist will find nothing wrong with the Bible and even claim that it is infallible, the facts are otherwise. For instance, the Hebrew Bible is replete with superstitions, mythologies, erroneous notions about science and cosmology and other shortcomings (Kania 99). There is considerable evidence to indicate that the Hebrew Bible was not a book of the history of the Jews. It is more likely a collection of works by several writers. The aim of these writers was to glorify their version of god to the detriment of the competing cultures. This resulted in distorted and typical interpretations of history. In fact, it has been contended that the contents of the Hebrew Bible are not the revelation of some divinity, but the attempts of the Jewish priests to make their ideas seem to be direct and divine revelations (Kania 99). A large number of people who read the Hebrew Bible, believe that it provides information regarding the exact time that the world began. Such erroneous beliefs came to the fore, before the advent of geology and palaeontology. In fact, Borg a biblical scholar, went to the extent of stating that the world had been created around 4004 BC. This was based on mere speculation, and the opinion of such people held sway (Kania 99). Science attached great importance to physical things, because these can be measured, observed, and analysed. It does not consider things that cannot be observed or tested. Thus, science does not define spirituality. As such, spiritual issues are important for humans and play an important role in human activities and affairs. Thus, science deals with materialistic objects with a materialistic approach (United Church of God). The advancement in science had challenged the authority of the Bible over humankind. Science gained the upper hand in the battle and pushed the Bible to the background. However, in the past, there was little conflict between the Scriptures and science. The churchmen and scientists had conceded that the Bible and science had the same approach towards humanity. If there was a conflict in the theories, the Bible took precedence over science, during that period. Most of the scientists and churchmen viewed science and Bible as being similar Works Cited Clarifying Christianity. Science and the Bible. 2003. Web. 16 April 2013. . Clayton, John N. Scientific Proof of the Bible. 2013. Web. 17 April 2013. . Coomber, Matthew JM. "Caught in the Crossfire? Economic Injustice and Prophetic Motivation in Eighth-Century Judah." Biblical Interpretation 19.4/5 (2011): 396 – 432. Print. Deem, Rich. Science and the Bible: Does the Bible Contradict Scientific Principles? 26 March 2013. Web. 17 April 2013. . Encyclopaedia Britannica. Hebrew Bible. 2013. Web. 16 April 2013. . Harrison, Peter. "The Bible and the Emergence of Modern Science." Science & Christian Belief 18.2 (2006): 115 – 132. Print. Kania, Walter. A Believable Bible: An Enlightening and Inspiring Guide to a Mature Faith. AuthorHouse, 2009. Print. Let Us Reason. Biblical Evidences of Science. 2009. Web. 17 April 2013. . Mills, Watson E. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Mercer University Press, 1998. Print. Moskowitz, Clara. Bible Possibly Written Centuries Earlier, Text Suggests. 15 January 2010. Web. 17 April 2013. . Northcott, Michael S. The Environment and Christian Ethics. Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print. United Church of God. The Bible and Science. 2013. Web. 17 April 2013. . Read More