Were cavemen created when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden?

Bible Question:

Bible Answer:

Were cavemen created when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden? Were they created before Adam and Eve or when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden? The following will address these questions.

When Were Cavemen Created?

Creation of the First Man

Adam was the first man God created according to the chronological sequence given in Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:20. Then in 1 Corinthians 15:45 we are told explicitly that Adam was the first man.

The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL. 1 Corinthians 15:45 (NASB)

It should be noted that 1 Chronicles 1:1 starts its genealogy of early man with Adam. This agrees with 1 Corinthians 15:45. Also Luke 3:38 lists the genealogy of mankind and indicates that Adam came from God. Humanity started with Adam and not another creature or a different man. Genesis 2:7 says that Adam was formed from the ground.

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NASB)

It is important to note that cavemen or some other species were not our ancestors. 1 Corinthians 15:38-39 clearly states animals, birds, fish and mankind are not related to one another either. The passage states that each species has distinct “flesh.” The Greek word for “flesh” is sarx. “It is associated with bones, muscles, sinews, veins, viscera, and blood.”[1] Therefore, Adam was uniquely created. He did not evolve from other animals, ape-like ancestors, or some other prehistoric creature. The first man was created by God from the dirt of the ground on the sixth day of creation.

Evolution Confusion

In addition, 1 Timothy 2:13 states that Adam was created before Eve. From a logical perspective, if we assume for discussion that Adam and Eve evolved separately, then the evolution of Eve had to happen rapidly so that she and Adam could have children in order to continue the human race. If Adam died before Eve had evolved, then the human race would not continue. Fundamentally, the evolutionary theory presupposes millions and billions of years in order to make the theory work because otherwise it is mathematically impossible. In truth, it is an untenable theory.

It is important to note that as of April 2019 the evolutionary theory has been formally rejected by over a thousand highly-ranked scientists in prestigious universities and schools around the world.[2, 3] It should be noted that the theory of evolution is not conclusively proven by facts and has serious flaws. The theory also cannot be supported by Scripture.

Creation of Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day of creation. Genesis 1:26-31 provides a very brief summary of their creation and Genesis 2:3-25 provides an expanded account of God’s creative acts on the sixth day of creation. Adam and Eve are not described as being a caveman and cave woman. The most significant statement made about them is that God created them in His own image (Genesis 1:27). Adam was formed from the ground (Genesis 2:7) and Eve was created from his side (Genesis 2:21-24).

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 (NASB)

Since God is a spirit (John 4:24) it is obvious that “in the image of God” did not mean that Adam and Eve would look like Him. Instead God was referring to His communicable attributes (Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10; James 3:29). This would also include intellect (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7), will (Genesis 3:6) and emotions (Genesis 3:10). We are never told what Adam and Eve looked like physically. But Genesis 2:21 states that they had flesh, sides and ribs. Genesis 2:23 states they had bones. Genesis 2:24; 3:11 reveals that they had genitals. Genesis 3:6 indicates they had eyes, mouths, teeth and a digestive system. Genesis 3:10-11 reveals that they had a conscience and felt guilty for disobeying God. They were fully human and not physically defective.

Cavemen and Caves

Genesis 2:7-17; 3:23-24 states that Adam and Eve lived in a garden for awhile until they sinned. Where did they live after they were driven out of the Garden of Eden? We are not told. Did they live in caves? It is possible that they lived in a cave. Fossilized remains of Homo sapiens have been found in caves, but that does not make them cavemen.

Now we must ask a question. If we assume that cavemen existed and they lived in caves, what happened as the population increased? Are we to assume that there were enough caves for the entire population? Are there enough caves in the world? Now for a serious response, just because some bones have been found in a cave does not mean the entire population lived in caves. We must remember that some people today live in caves but that does not make them cavemen and/or cave women.

Furthermore, Genesis 4 states that the population lived in cities (Genesis 4:17). The early population farmed (Genesis 4:3, 12) and raised livestock and made tents (Genesis 4:2, 4, 20). Genesis 4:21-22 indicates that early men and women made musical instruments such as the lyre and pipe, and forged bronze and iron. By Genesis 4 we discover that mankind was very intelligent, talented and industrious. Genesis does not give us any supporting evidence for the modern concept of an evolutionary hypothesis, including the existence of ape-like creatures or cavemen. Adam and Eve were Homo sapiens and the descendants of Adam and Eve are Homo sapiens.

Conclusion:

Scripture assumes from Genesis to Revelation that man was uniquely created by God and that man is uniquely different from the rest of the living creatures on the planet. Every human alive today is a descendant of Adam and Eve. There were no cavemen of diminished intellect or physical abilities as proposed by the theory of evolution. Later Noah’s flood destroyed the world. Therefore, we can also say that every human alive today is a descendant of Noah and his children, and our origin is from the area of Babel (Genesis 11).[4]

References:

1. Ceslas Spicq and James D. Ernest, Theological Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994), 231.
2. “Skepticism About Darwinian Evolution Grows as 1,000+ Scientists Share Their Doubts.” Evolution News & Science Today (evolutionnews.org/author/evolutionnews/)
3. A SCIENTIFIC DISSENT FROM DARWINISM (www.discovery.org/m/2019/02/A-Scientific-Dissent-from-Darwinism-List-020419.pdf)
4. Dr. Andrew A. Snelling and Mike Matthews. “When Did Cavemen Live?”, April 1, 2012, (answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/cavemen/when-did-cavemen-live/)