Category Archives: DNA

Y-chromosome validates Bible

 

Foreword

Those who believe the Bible accept it by faith; however, there are many accounts in the Bible that are testable scientifically. One of these accounts is that of Noah having three sons, and these three sons repopulated the entire earth after the flood. This paper provides scientific evidence that all men alive today came from one of three ancient ancestors. Our findings are based on Y-chromosome analysis. The analysis is simple, straightforward, and repeatable; anyone can understand it and repeat it. The data is fully documented herein and generated from mainstream scientific community sources (Reference 1 is the browser and Reference 2 contains the sequences used).

The Bible made the following proclamation thousands of years ago, and now we have the genetic tools to test its validity:

Genesis 9:19  These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

Genesis 10:32  These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. 

Background

We know that the Y-chromosome is passed from father to son, and, in general, each generation passes on a few genetic variants to the next generation. These variants provide genetic markers which are highly valuable for tracking ancestry. Geneticists sort people into groups called haplogroups because they contain like genetic markers. The haplogroups form a family tree for all humanity and allow us to trace ancestry back to our most ancient ancestors.

Former Work

We, at Genesis and Genetics, made a preliminary evaluation of Y-chromosome DNA genetic markers and discovered that all human men on earth came from one of three ancient ancestors (Reference 3). We found that any human man could trace his genetic markers back to one and only one of three ancient ancestors. Any man with a marker ‘A’ at rs9786139 is from one ancient ancestor, a marker ‘A’ at rs17306671 is from another ancient ancestor, and a marker ‘G’ at rs3900 is from the third ancient ancestor. It was easy to associate these three most ancient ancestors with Ham, Shem, and Japheth by looking at Biblical history of migration and nations. Ham had the ‘A’ at rs9786139, Shem had the ‘A’ at rs17306671, and Japheth had the ‘G’ at rs3900.

This former research was based on a study of 57 modern human men. All the men had one, and only one of the three markers stated above.

Note: We use the terms “mutations,” “variants,” and “markers” interchangeably.

Confirmation

Since our original study, we have looked at many more sequences, a total of 1233 Y-chromosome genomes, and found they all conformed to our original findings.  Reference 4  documents the 1233 human genomes and which ones are from each of Noah’s three sons. All 1233 humans had one and only one of the three markers. There were no exceptions. This paper confirms our original findings and compares our Biblical ancestral family tree to that of mainline science.

Comparison to Mainline Science

In general, our analysis agreed with mainstream science concerning haplogroups. Therefore, our family tree uses the same haplogroups as our friends in mainstream science. But they are rooted differently. Here is the secular science tree followed by our family tree. There are several versions of the secular trees (called phylogenetic trees), but we, generally, used the one generated by the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, ISOGG (Reference 5).

 

 

As one can see, the two trees are similar, but the root and flow of genetic markers are different. The secular tree is rooted in haplogroup A, and the Biblical tree is rooted in Noah dividing into three separate haplogroups; one from Ham; one from Shem; and one from Japheth. We do not present Noah’s DNA, but it is simply his three sons’ DNA less their genetic markers.

Finding the Tree Root

Armed with these 1233 diverse genomes, we began our search by noticing that a few mutations/genetic markers, were common in the population;  some were up to 52 percent of the population. It is quite logical to assume that the higher the mutation’s frequency, the better chance that it is at or near the root of our family tree.

For example, if a mutation is in 1/2 of the population, it probably originated when the population was approximately 2 men. If a mutation is in 1/10th of the male population, it probably originated when the male population was approximately 10. And if a mutation is in1/1,000,000), it probably originated when the world population was 1,000,000.

So, we decided that any mutation with a frequency of more than 5 percent could be one of Noah’s three sons. This assumption would allow for some genetic drift and the inability for our 1233 subjects to exactly match the whole world population distribution.

All Men came from three ancient ancestors

Next, we took each of the mutations with frequencies higher than 5 percent and used them to form genetic groups, i.e., haplogroups. Quickly, we realized that every mutation belonged to one and only one of three ancient ancestors.

It appeared that we found Shem, Ham, and Japheth. There was a Shem haplogroup, a Ham haplogroup, and a Japheth haplogroup. All 1233 genomes fit into one and only one of the three. There were no exceptions. The three root mutations had frequencies of 10%, 38%, and 52%. And, as expected, they added up to 100% of the population. Furthermore, Shem, Ham, and Japheth were associated with the three ancient ancestor mutations easily by looking at the geographical locations of each group and comparing them to Bible history. Ham went south and east; Japheth went north and east, and Shem populated the Near East and Europe.

Noah’s Y-chromosome is impossible to find directly. The reason is that he is the origin of all male humanity and he had, by definition, no genetic markers. Therefore, the way to find Noah’s Y-genome is by determining the genomes of his sons and deleting all their mutations.

The true root of humanity was Adam. Adam’s DNA went through the bottleneck of Noah. So we all came from Adam, and we all came from Noah. Adam is the root of all humanity, and Noah is the root of post-flood humanity.

Genetic Mutations/Markers Flow in One Direction

Just as water flows downstream, so do genetic markers. Genetic markers flow from most ancient ancestors to modern ancestors. For instance, your great-grandfather passed markers to your grandfather who passed additional markers to your father. Your father passed his additional markers to you. And if you are a man, you too will pass new markers to your sons. Lineage flows downstream. More and more new markers appear in offspring as the generations pass. However, the original markers of your ancestors remain in your genome. A key point here is that as the markers flow away from the root, the new markers divide the offspring into sub-haplogroups. This dividing into sub-haplogroups shows the direction of the genetic marker flow.  Distant branches have only the markers close to the root but are missing many of the markers in their cousins, second cousins, etc.

Therefore, as expected, the data shows that markers flow from Noah’s three sons to their sub-haplogroups. Consider just haplogroup K. Everyone from haplogroup K has the rs3900 G marker. Likewise, the sub-haplogroups have additional markers that show they are later generations forming smaller haplogroups such as M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, and T. T must come from K, but K cannot come from T.

Since genetic mutations/markers flow downstream, it is not possible that the root of the Y-chromosome family tree is rooted in a marker with a small frequency. In order for that to happen, it would take many bottlenecks, overwrites, drift, and other genetic contortions.

Full Population Representation

The three adjacent haplogroups, IJ, IJK, and K contain 100 percent (Ham 38%, Shem 10%, and Japheth 52%) of the 1233 genomes analyzed. In other words, they are the source of all modern humans. Take any other combination of the other haplogroups and mix and match them; they do not represent all humanity; they do not add up to 100 percent. The only way you get one hundred percent is to use IJ, IJK, and K.

Biblical and Secular History

The haplogroups IJ, IJK, and K comprise people from Mid-East, West Asia, and Near East. According to the Biblical narrative, all humanity came from the Armenian mountains which are in West Asia and close to the Near East and the Mid-East. In short, these haplogroups locations fit nicely into Biblical history.

The historical age began in Mesopotamia, shortly after the flood. These earliest writings document a worldwide flood and the world populated by flood survivors. Nowhere do these legends and writings record mankind originating from other parts of the world.

Summary

The Y-chromosome DNA is the perfect vehicle for scientifically testing the portion of the Bible that says all modern human men were born of three ancient men. The Y-chromosome data of 1233 genomes corroborates the Biblical account. We now have a Biblical family tree and can trace our ancestry to the Biblical sons of Noah.

Future Work

We are in the process of identifying the DNA of Noah’s 16 grandsons in the family tree.

 

References:

  1. http://useast.ensembl.org/info/about/publications.html
  2. https://www.genome.gov/27528684/1000-genomes-project
  3. https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/2021/04/16/y-chromosome-migration-and-the-biblical-phylogenetic-tree-or-finding-ham-shem-and-japheth-via-y-chromosome/
  4. https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/Ancient.xlsx
  5. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y0GXjhazYa46u0EpPA9b0Y0RVWuh5lDzww_o979mbjQ/edit#gid=1904113265
  6. https://useast.ensembl.org/index.html

 

 

The First Law of Biology: automatic self-assembly

Amazingly, there are no laws of Biology that have gained consensus. Therefore, here is our proposed first law of biology that should be acceptable to all:

All biological growth is due to automatic self-assembly

Consider biological growth; it is accomplished automatically and it is self-assembled.  For instance, growth processes such as meiosis and mitosis are complex to the extreme but automatic and self-orchestrated. It matters not if it is bacteria growth, virus growth, plant growth, or mammal growth; it is all automatic and self-assembled. Consider human growth: it self-assembles starting with a single cell. then, it grows to a fully viable human with trillions of cells in just 9 months. It must be pointed out that there are no exceptions to biological growth due to automatic self-assembly. It happens all the time everywhere to every species.

DNA

DNA is a code that defines our species and traits. However, it cannot build anything; it is a code, a blueprint for life. Codes and blueprints can’t build anything. For instance, to build a house, it takes more than a blueprint; it takes a contractor, carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, dry-wallers, and electricians to put it all together. DNA isonly the blueprint. There are 9 million (number of species) unique codes for the various kinds/species, and each species self-assembles. How? We don’t know, but we see it happen trillions of times each day. How did this hummingbird (on the right) self-assemble at each stage of its life: egg, hatchling, fledgling, and mature bird?  What told the cells where to go and what to do?

Additionally, one of the most extraordinary examples of self-assembly is the butterfly. The butterfly starts as an egg, self-assembles into a worm. The worm hatches and has worm body, a worm diet, and a worm metabolism. Then, it becomes a chrysalis which deconstructs the worm and self-assembles a butterfly. The butterfly has a butterfly body, wings, a flight control system, a butterfly diet, and a butterfly metabolism. Moreover, the butterfly is like a new creature, nothing like a worm. It is fascinating to watch, and it only takes days. There are no exceptions; all biological growth is automatic and self-assembled.

Scientific Laws

Even though we do not understand how automatic self-assembly works, we do know it does work, and it works very well. It is not necessary to understand something before forming a scientific law. For instance, the laws of gravity entropy are accepted by all, but the mechanisms are not understood. Is gravity a particle, or is it curved space? Why does entropy go only in one direction? We do not know. However, we know that gravity is predictable anywhere on the earth, the moon, or anywhere in the universe. We understand the effects of gravity but not the mechanism. And we know that entropy always increases. So it is with biological growth. It is always automatic and self-constructed without exception. Therefore, we propose it as a law.

Complexity

The example above of the house construction is good, but let’s go into a few additional details. In contrast, biological growth is much more complex. Consider the developing baby, its electrical grid is built and wired to live, move, think, and sense. Then there are the vital organs that automatically appear that allow the baby to eat various foods, metabolize them, and discharge the waste. Also, the baby automatically constructs a plumbing system capable of supplying blood to each of the trillions of cells. In addition, stem cells know how to assemble a mechanism that can work in unison with millions of bacteria and produce an immune system. The most difficult of all is that the baby automatically assembles something allowing it to become conscious. And remember, it is all quick and automatic. Besides, it happens without exception.

The evolutionary view of automatic self-assembly

The evolutionary view of automatic self-assembly is that it came out of chaos, a state of no information, order, intelligence, or purpose. And it came early in the evolutionary process, very early in the process. It had to be in the first lifeform.

Biblical view of automatic self-assembly

In the beginning, God formed all creatures according to their kind. He built a reproductive mechanism in all creatures. This reproduction mechanism was automatic and divinely created. We have the details in the account of Adam and Eve. God formed Adam from the earth and made Adam a living soul. Then He took Adam’s rib and formed Eve. Together, Adam and Eve had a reproductive system capable of giving birth to Cain, Abel, Seth, and others. Moreover, God formed and assembled Adam and Eve but not their offspring. Everyone after Eve, including those alive today, was automatically self-assembled.

The present writer has concluded that automatic self-assembly is one more nail in the coffin of evolution, and the Biblical narrative is the only explanation that makes sense. How could such a complicated system as automatic self-assembly evolve in the first generation without intelligence?

Summary

Biological growth is happening everywhere, and it is always automatic and self-assembled. Consequently, we don’t think about it or question it. Also, it appears that scientists have ignored it. Now it is time to accept it as a law of biology and investigate how it works and from where it came. The present writer is a creationist and believes that God implemented it but is curious how He did it.

Additional Suggested reading:

How to Build and Rebuild the Human Heart

Adam’s Rib

Eve’s DNA  

Jesus’ DNA 

For more of our papers, please CLICK HERE

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Finding Ham, Shem, and Japheth via the Y-Chromosome

 

Introduction

At Genesis and Genetics, we have examined Y-chromosome genomes searching for Noah and his three sons, Ham, Japheth, and Shem. They were easy to find.  According to our analysis, if you have the rs17306671 Y-chromosome mutation nucleotide A you are from Shem. If you have the rs9786139 Y-chromosome mutation nucleotide A you are from Ham. If you have the rs3900 Y-chromosome mutation nucleotide G you are from Japheth. If you are a woman, you will have to check your father’s y-chromosome. Women don’t have the y-chromosome.

Background

Here is a bit of background: Y-chromosome DNA is exclusively found in males; it is inherited from one’s father. The Y-chromosome has approximately 60 million base pairs, each of which is subject to mutations. Mutations develop in the Y-chromosome, typically at the rate of 2 mutations per generation. This is based on a mutation rate of 1.0*10^-9 mutations /nucleotide/year (Reference 1) and 30 years per generation. These mutations allow us to track ancestry. If one man populated all the earth, all males would have his Y-chromosome, and if this man had two sons, one would expect that roughly half of the world would have one son’s mutations and the other half would have the other son’s mutations. Furthermore, if our original ancestor had 10 grandsons, one would expect that each grandson would have mutations that would each exist in approximately 10 percent of the male population. Successive generations would continue to generate new mutations that would form a human family tree, known as a phylogenetic tree to geneticists.

Easy to follow logic

The following presents the easy-to-follow logic and analysis which anyone can repeat. Our findings are consistent with the Bible and modern science raw data.

In our research, we used the above principles in tracking our most ancient ancestors. We made no assumptions and shelved our preconceived ideas. We wanted to see where the data led us. Appendix A shows the precise method we used to extract the data. Our strategy was simple; we gathered the Y-chromosome mutations, which are seen in more than 5 percent of human males, and entered them into a spreadsheet. We looked for patterns and color-coded the resulting groups. Please consider doing one Y-chromosome example yourself using Appendix A as a guide, or if you have your Y-chromosome data, you can trace it back to your most ancient ancestor/ancestors. You will see the ancient ancestor to whom you are related.

Sources

The data used in this research came from the 1000 genomes project (Reference 2) and retrieved using the Ensembl browser (Reference 3). The data appeared to be correct with no errors. No data was eliminated due to suspect errors, and no data was “cherry-picked” to suit any preconceived ideas. Our thanks to the great effort of those who did the sequencing and publishing of the raw data. We also greatly appreciate that it was made available to the public.

We started by taking 57 Y-genomes of diverse people (Americas, East Asia, Europe, South Asia, and Africa). Next, we gathered mutations that were in at least 5 percent of the world’s male population. The technical term for this is those with a Mean Allele Frequency (MAF) greater than or equal to 0.05 (5 percent). These mutations are the most interesting; any smaller MAF mutation is a subset of those greater than 5%.

Results

The spreadsheet below provides 57 rows (individual male humans) and 30 columns (mutations over 5 percent of the population). Each column element of the matrix was color-coded to show us whether the individual had the mutation or not. We noticed patterns beginning to form (you can CLICK HERE to see the EXCEL copy.)

Next, we switched columns and rows to form groups. The groups were obvious. We also took each group and moved the columns so that the columns for each group with the largest MAF were on the left. Now we can see a clear pattern in the figure below. We see that each individual fits into just one group and had no mutations in any other group. Also, we see that every individual in the group has the mutation with the greatest MAF; this is the mutation of the most ancient ancestor of that group. Here is what the spreadsheet looks like after grouping: Note: you can CLICK HERE to see the matrix in EXCEL.

Looking at the matrix above, we see that each group has one maximum MAF. The yellow is .38, the red is 52, and the green is .10. They add up to 100 percent.

Consistent with the Bible

Now that we have shown that our most ancient ancestor had three sons, we can state that this finding is consistent with the Bible. The three groups are consistent with the three sons of Noah: Ham, Shem, and Japheth. The Bible states that, generally, those from Ham went south to Africa and southern Asia, those from Japheth went north to northern Europe and northern Asia, and those from Shem stayed in the Caucuses, the Near East, and North Africa. Therefore, one could easily conclude that Ham is the yellow group, Shem is the green group, and Japheth is the red group. Note: Noah’s Y-chromosome is also known since it would be that of the three sons with all mutations removed.

Bible in Genesis 10, the Table of Nations, states that all humanity came from these three sons:

Genesis 10:1  Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

Genesis 10:32  These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

Analysis

This means that roughly 1/3 of the earth’s male population came from each son, but, since Japheth had 7 sons, Ham had 4 sons, and Shem had 5 sons; therefore, the worldwide distribution should be closer to the following:

Patriarch   Number of sons    % Projected World Population        Observation

Japheth        7 sons                                              43.75                                         52

Ham                4 sons                                              25                                                38

Shem              5 sons                                              31.25                                         10

 

The chart above shows that both the Ham and Japheth results were higher than expected, and Shem was lower than expected. However, this can be explained in at least two ways:

(1) The Ham and Japheth offspring are in the world’s heavily populated areas, namely South and East Asia.

(2) The Thousand Genomes Project did not provide representatives of the Near East, the Mid-East, or Northern Africa, all of which would increase the Shem percentage, thereby decreasing Ham and Japheth’s percentages.

The above two issues are not meant as criticism but offered as an explanation.

Bible, secular history, and genetic diversity

Our findings are consistent with the Bible, secular ancient history, and genetic diversity:

  1. The Bible documents Noah and his family to be the only ones spared from the deluge which flooded the entire earth, and the earth was repopulated through Noah’s three sons.
  2. The historical period began when the Sumerians began writing cuneiform tablets. These early writings documented the kings before and after the flood. Also, the Sumerian legends are consistent with the world being populated by the three sons on the Ark.
  3. According to the Bible and Sumerian history, all humanity came from one family. As they migrated throughout the world, the genetic diversity would be lost from those who separated from the core population; therefore, the most genetic diversity should be where Noah’s family settled, the Near East. Those who migrated to the Americas, Australia, and southern Africa lost some genetic diversity. We can consider two levels of observing genetic diversity, first, what we see and, second, what DNA tells us. We can easily see eye color, skin color, and hair color. Looking at a globe, it is apparent that those with the most visual diversity meet in the Near East, the place of disembarkation from Noah’s Ark. From a DNA standpoint, one can look at the diversity of haplogroups, both Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial. The extremities are South Africa, Australia, and the Americas, which have only a few haplogroups. The location with the most haplogroups is, again, in the Near East.

Summary

(1) From a Y-chromosome perspective, it appears that all humanity came from three male humans.

(2) Item (1) is not proof of the Biblical narrative concerning Noah’s three sons, but it is consistent with it. To prove it, one would have to sequence every human male ever born and analyze his genome. If anyone can trace an individual human Y Chromosome back to some basal mutation other than the three given, please let us know and comment below.

(3) We can now project Noah’s DNA; it is that of his three sons with no mutations.

(4) Our findings are consistent with the Bible, Sumerian history, and our current state of human diversity.

Future analysis It is now possible to know the Y-chromosome DNA of each of Noah’s grandchildren. This is in our job jar.

References:

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748900/#:~:text=The%20chromosomes%20were%20separated%20by,7.0%20%C3%97%2010%E2%88%928).

2 https://www.internationalgenome.org/

3 https://useast.ensembl.org/index.html

Appendix A

If you would like to repeat this analysis or add to it, the following is the step-by-step procedure we used.

Let’s start by taking someone from, perhaps, Peru and find out to which group he belongs. Did he come from Shem, Ham, or Japheth?

(1) We open Ensembl (https://useast.ensembl.org/index.html ). Leave everything default and enter rs9786139 in the upper right-hand box—hit enter.

(2) You should get a new window with the following “rs9786139 (Human Variant).” Click on it. Notice that the MAF is .38.

(3) Click on the ICON that says, “population genetics.” Scroll down to find “AMR” and the subgroup “PEL.” Click on the “PEL.” You can see that 95 percent of this group has a “G,” and 5 percent of the population have an “A.” Next, go to the far right of the “PEL” row and click on “show.” Each of the rows of this screen is an actual human being. You will notice that most of this group has a “G,” but a few have an “A.”

(4) Looking at the population genetics of those from PEL, Peru, you can see that a few Peruvians are from Ham, but most are from someone else. You can find out who by entering the defining mutations for Shem and Japheth. If you enter all the mutations and analyze the same Peruvian, you will see all his mutations are in one group or another. If you look at rs3900, you will see that most Peruvians are from Japheth.

(5) continue entering the mutations one by one, and you will see that our Peruvian is only from one group and has no mutations from any other group. If you do a significant number of individuals, please sent them to us.

 

How to Build and Rebuild the Human Heart By Automatic Self-Assembly

More people die from heart disease in the USA than any other illness. However, researchers are saying that they have hopes of rebuilding defective human hearts.

The Texas Heart Institute in Houston is conducting some fascinating research. The end goal is to develop a method of rebuilding defective human hearts and supplying them to those in need of heart transplants. The researchers obtained a defective human heart and removed all the cells except what is called the extracellular matrix, the outer framework. Therefore, all the veins, arteries, valves, and the electrical grid were removed. It looked like a heart but was nonfunctional. Then, they poured stem cells into the voided heart membrane. The stem cells transformed into the various cells needed to rebuild the heart, and each cell went to its proper place. All cells were working in unison to form the required heart components. The heart looked to be complete and viable. Next, the researchers filled the veins and arteries with fluid, and, to everyone’s amazement, the heart STARTED BEATING AND PUMPING! WOW! The heart automatically rebuilt itself from stem cells!

The research, as mentioned above, is terrific news for those needing heart transplants and good news for those, like the present writer, who are investigating epigenetics and origin of life. The fact that the stem cells can transform and somehow assemble heart components makes one wonder: What mechanism and what intelligence makes this possible. It appears to be automatic self-assembly, but automatic self-assembly defies all logic and scientific principles.

The Texas Heart institute research and findings are well documented in the following: PBS Transplanting Hope or Youtube Transplanting Hope

A few years ago, I bought a crib. The packaged kit had all the parts and instructions. It also had a good picture of the finished crib. There were probably 30 pieces, including the fasteners. It took one evening to assemble it, and when done, it was apparent that I had reversed the back and front. Wouldn’t it have been nice if the crib parts would have had the intelligence to self-assemble? Imagine the difficulty in assembling the human body with 37 trillion cells, each cell containing trillions of pieces. Biological automatic self-assembly is indeed a task of Biblical proportions and requires divine intelligence.

Think about how a heart develops in a baby. At conception, the ovum joins with the sperm and becomes a complete DNA package known as an egg. The egg is a single cell, a master stem cell, and it divides over and over until it becomes a mass of stem cells. The photo on the right shows a few stem cells on a pinpoint. This is what you looked like shortly after conception. These stem cells have a built-in mechanism designed for automatic self-assembly. Fourteen days after conception, the heart begins to form. Each stem cell assigned to the heart transforms itself into a heart cell. Then, the automatic self-assembly of the heart starts and takes three days to complete. Next, the fully functional heart begins to beat and pump blood. We must not forget that timing is critical; when the heart starts beating, it must have blood to pump and have a place to pump it. It appears that automatic self-assembly is responsible for both building and rebuilding the human heart.

The researchers at the Texas Heart Institute concluded that the stem cells take their cues from the extracellular matrix. It seems to be the only possibility. But how does it work? The stem cells have no arms, legs, fingers, or brains! When confused, we can look to the Bible:

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

John 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

John 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV)

The Bible states that the Word of God created all things, which would include an automatic-self-assembly mechanism. God’s Word permeates all things throughout the universe. In short, the Creator’s intelligence is embodied in everything: every star, every atom, every molecule, every cell, every photon, and every heart; it is omnipresent. God’s Word is not only omnipresent, but it is also omniscient. It tells the stem cell what to become, where to go, and how to self-assemble. Additionally, God’s Word is omnipotent and provides the energy and labor to accomplish that which He wants to accomplish, including automatic biological self-assembly. The details of this divine mechanism are yet to be understood, but other explanations are absent.

God’s Word is embedded in the extracellular heart matrix and everything else in the creation. His Word is everywhere and accomplishes that which He wills: Here, we see the Lord speaking through His prophet, Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Automatic self-assembly is not unique to human hearts; it is the method whereby all life grows and matures: every human, every mammal, every reptile, every bird, every plant, every bacterium, every fungus, and every insect. Automatic self-assembly happens routinely everyday trillions of times. David wrote a psalm showing he understood:

Psalm 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Note: The scientific term for automatic self-assembly of the heart or any organ is “organogenesis,” and the general term for automatic biological self-assembly is morphogenetics. They are both poorly understood by the scientific community. Furthermore, it poses a problem for those who embrace evolutionary theory in that automatic self-assembly would have to be in place before the first cell divided.

Why Can’t Dogs and Other Animals Talk?

When we first received this question, it seemed a bit silly, but after pondering it, it became quite intriguing. Why can’t dogs and other creatures speak? Wouldn’t it enhance our sojourn here on earth if they could?

By many, dogs are considered “man’s best friend.” There are nearly 90 million dogs in the United States. Dogs have some very distasteful habits; they are expensive to buy, feed, and keep, but we love them. Dogs are not judgmental and treat us as though we are important, no matter our social standing, net worth, jail record, or bad habits. Wouldn’t it enhance our relationship with dogs if we could converse with them? And how about bluebirds, rattlesnakes, dolphins, or elephants? They all see life through a different lens. Wouldn’t it broaden our knowledge to know their thoughts and life experiences?

Dogs have all the necessary DNA to build human-like larynxes, and dogs are sufficiently intelligent to converse with us. But, yet, they cannot. Why not?

The Bible gives us an excellent reason why animals should not dialogue with us. In the beginning, there was an animal called the “serpent,” which talked with Eve. The conversation did not go well. And, as a result, sin entered the world, cursing it and us. Whoa! Too bad the serpent could speak. Imagine if we could talk with wolves, mosquitoes, spiders, grizzly bears, and killer whales. What kind of sin would we learn from them?

There is one more Biblical account of an animal talking with a human. It is the account of Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22:21-39). Balaam did wrong in the eyes of God, so God sent an angel to kill Balaam, but when Balaam’s donkey saw the angel with a drawn sword, the donkey turned aside to avoid the angel. Since Balaam did not see the angel, Balaam interpreted his donkey’s reaction as disobedience and beat him. This was repeated a second and third time. After the third beating, the Lord “opened the donkey’s mouth,” and the donkey gave Balaam a reproach. The Bible gives us a direct quote from the donkey’s mouth in the book of Numbers:

Numbers 22:28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
Numbers 22:29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”
Numbers 22:30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.
Numbers 22:32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.
Numbers 22:33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.”
Numbers 22:34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now, therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.”
Numbers 22:35 And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak. (Bible – ESV)

So, the donkey did well; he is the hero of this account. Think about this: the donkey saved Balaam’s life and changed God’s purpose. God intended to kill Balaam, but the donkey prevented it. Here is one example of possible benefits from conversing with animals. But, in general, God prevents direct conversation with animals. Why?

A donkey has a brain one third the size of a human. An elephant has a brain more than four times larger than we humans, and the whale brain is bigger yet. Imagine what would happen if animals could routinely converse with us; things would change. It could ruin our having dominion over the animals, and we humans would no longer be special. Maybe the elephants and the whales would seize intellectual prowess. Perhaps humanity would be bombarded with too much information, much of which could be misinformation.

Also, the donkey had a visual connection to the spiritual world. The donkey could see the angel, whereas Balaam and his two servants could not. Do all animals have this ability? Maybe. If so, this is another potential problem. God wants us to connect with the spiritual world through Him. He does not want us to contact the spiritual world through mediums, fortune tellers, serpents, donkeys, or chickadees. God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our connection with the spiritual world, and any other source could mislead us.

Returning to dogs, consider having a hard day at your job, coming home, and looking forward to having a peaceful evening. Your spouse tells you the children are doing poorly in school, the dishwasher broke, and there were huge bills in the mail. You just want some peace and quiet, So, you go and sit in the back yard with your dog, Fido. Then Fido starts to complain about his day: tormented by the neighbor’s cat, not liking his food, wanting to go for more walks, upset that you took away his dead squirrel he rolls in, and wanting to visit his girlfriend on the next block. Would this conversation enhance your lifestyle? What if the bluebird wanted a better feeder? What if the snake reasoned that he wanted to spend the winter in your basement? How would you like to work in a meatpacking plant if the steers could talk? Etc. Etc. I am convinced that the optimum relationship with animals is the status quo.

In summary, there may be some advantages to talking with animals, but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. If dogs and other animals could talk, I suggest that there could be several problems:

1. Our relationship with the animals would deteriorate.

2. We humans would have added outlets and temptations to sin.

3. God has decreed that we are created in His image and have dominance over all other creatures. The inability to talk with animals assures our dominance.

4. It would give us a channel to the spiritual world that could be detrimental. God has put us here to be isolated from a direct channel to the spiritual world. He wants us to live by faith and get our direction and teaching from the Bible as revealed by His Holy Spirit, not a dog, donkey, or chickadee.dog in car

Things are the way they are because the divine creation is perfectly suited for our nature and nurture.

Noah’s Wine Country, the origin of Human and Wine Migration

Some believe that the Biblical account of Noah is a myth; some say it is an allegory; and some, like the present writer, say it is a true historical account. So far, we have not found Noah’s colossal Ark; maybe it was recycled by our ancient ancestors, covered by an ice cap, or buried by the Mount Ararat volcano; nonetheless, the search for Noah’s Ark continues. Meanwhile, we, at Genesis and Genetics, are looking for evidence of Noah in other places, one of which is searching for Noah’s vineyard. So, let’s combine our knowledge of the Bible with modern science and search for Noah’s vineyard.

The Bible says that after leaving the Ark:

Genesis 9:20 Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard … (KJV)

Noah planted a vineyard; but, by now, surely all signs of Noah’s vineyard have disappeared. Right? It appears that is not the case; ancient grape seeds (pips) have been found near Mount Ararat. These grape pips have been carbon dated and genetically sequenced. As a result, their DNA has been traced to modern grapes. These results are illuminating, but before we get into the migration of grapes, let’s get a bit more background from the Bible concerning Noah and his Ark:

Genesis 8:4  And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat (KJV).

The Hebrew word “Ararat” is the word for “Armenia.” When Noah’s Ark settled in the mountains of Armenia, the Armenian borders had yet to be defined; however, the Bible is a timeless book and we can assume ancient Armenia included present-day Armenia. Also, going back in history to just after the time of Moses, we find that ancient Armenia included modern-day Armenia, Eastern Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Southern Georgia. Therefore, logically, Noah’s vineyard should be in one of these countries. The Bible states that the Ark settled in the mountains of Armenia; so, it could have landed on Mount Ararat or any of the Armenian mountains. Christian tradition gives Mount Ararat the honor of being the place of disembarkation from the Ark, and it is, for sure, a possibility.

We find that the modern countries representing ancient Armenia are, indeed, rich in wine history. Here are some facts:

  • Georgia is touted by many as being the birthplace of wine. It claims to have been making wine for 8000 years. In the days of the Soviet Union, Georgia was known as the Soviet Union’s wine cellar.
  • Azerbaijan also touts its ancient winemaking. Azerbaijan has much diversity in landscape, some of which are perfect for growing grapes.
  • Present-day Armenia has a long history of wine culture. Many modern-day Armenians consider wine as the national drink. In Armenia, there are legends that Noah planted his vineyard in the Ararat Valley (Figure 1).

 

      Figure 1 Mount Ararat with vineyards in the foreground

 

Armenia boasts of having the world’s oldest winemaking facility located in Areni Cave (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Excavations in Areni cave

In addition, Armenia is rich in ancient history. For example, Carahunge, Armenia is a Stonehenge-like site. Many of the stones have holes drilled in them, and they are called speaking stones in that they make noise as the wind flows through them. The Carahunge formation of stones predates the British Stonehenge by approximately 4000 years, dating it to approximately the same age as the most ancient Armenian vineyards.

Figure 3 Carahunge, the Armenian Stonehenge predating the British Stonehenge by nearly 4000 years.

 

DNA sequencing shows that most Domestic wines owe their origins to wild grapes in the Near East.

Since the discovery of DNA, many mysteries are being solved in various fields including horticulture. Worldwide, one of the most valuable horticultural crops is grapes; therefore, scientists give much attention to viticulture. DNA markers (SNPS) are used to connect domestic grapes to wild species and trace their migration from country to country. According to an article in PNAS (proceeding from the National Academy of Science), grape domestication began 6,000 to 8,000 years ago with the wild grape Vitis vinifera sp. Sylvestris. This grape is common in the Northern hemisphere, but they have traced domestic grapes to the DNA most closely aligned with those wild grapes from the Near East, specifically Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan (reference 1). Therefore, the origin of domestic grapes is coincident with Noah’s wine country in ancient Armenia. This, of course, does not prove the Biblical account of Noah, but it shows the scientific evidence is consistent with the Biblical narrative.

Carbon Dates

We at Genesis and Genetics consider carbon dating good science in principle; however, we have concluded that the calibration curves, based on the uniformitarian model are not correct, and carbon 14 values must be corrected for the Biblical flood effects (Reference 2, To access our carbon 14 date calculator click here). The oldest evidence of winemaking dates to 5900 B.C. Correcting 5900 B.C. for flood effects gives us 2141 B.C. Since the flood receded approximately 2348 B.C., the oldest grape pips found so far lived 200 years after disembarkation from the Ark. Therefore, the oldest vineyard found thus far is probably not Noah’s original vineyard, but they are vineyards planted by Noah’s near kin. If some ancient grapes are carbon dated closer to the flood date of 2348 B.C., it may very well be the vineyard planted by Noah.

Figure 4 shows some of the ancient Armenian vineyards found so far. They probably are those of Noah’s offspring and show the earliest stages of human migration. The present findings are good corroboration of the Biblical narrative and show that (1) Noah’s Ark settled in what is now known to be wine country, (2) there is evidence of ancient winemaking where Noah landed, and (3) that ancient Armenia is the origin of modern domestic grapes.

Figure 4 Some of the Ancient Armenia vineyards found so far (the red W’s denote ancient vineyards and the white A shows the location of Mount Ararat

Summary
 

The Biblical narrative and archaeological evidence meet in ancient Armenia. Now it is clear that Noah and his offspring planted vineyards in some of the best wine-producing country in the world. Also, Noah’s wine country has been shown to be the origin of modern domestic grapes. Our findings are not proof of Noah’s account but show clearly that the Bible is once again consistent with scientific evidence. So, next time you enjoy a glass of wine, grape juice of a handful of raisins, consider giving Noah a little credit for his husbandry skills and give him a bravo for saving humanity from annihilation.

 

 

Coming Soon

Soon we will release a blog concerning the migration out of Noah’s vineyard. We have found that only a portion of Noah’s family “came from the East” and settled in the Land of Shinar (Mesopotamia). We will also identify the historical Nimrod.

References:

  1. https://www.pnas.org/content/108/9/3530?ijkey=487feaf2bb16b6c3b0eafa120da366ea9d45a464&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
  2. https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/2019/07/27/flood-effects-on-radio- carbon-dating/

     

 

 

 

 

What Happens after Death?

We live in the physical world; we have bodies and we have brains: we are living souls. We have personalities and we have memories. We have desires and we have goals. So, the question is do these personal possessions stay with us after death?

There have been many people who claim to have died, experienced the “other side,” and come back to tell about it. However, these accounts, as fascinating as they are, really cannot be trusted; there are many things that could affect their testimonies such as drugs and/or hallucinations due to lack of blood flow. Fortunately, we have an account in the Bible that can answer many of our questions, and since this account was told by Jesus himself, we know it is true. This account is about Lazarus and the rich man. This is not a parable, it is an actual account; we know this because specific names were used: Lazarus and Abraham, not just some generic Abraham, but “the” Abraham from the book of Genesis. Here is the Biblical account:

Luke 16:19  “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

Luke 16:20  And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

Luke 16:21  who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:22  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,

Luke 16:23  and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Luke 16:24  And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

Luke 16:25  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

Luke 16:26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

Luke 16:27  And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—

Luke 16:28  for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

Luke 16:29  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’

Luke 16:30  And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

Luke 16:31  He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” (ESV – words of Jesus in red)

From this account, we can answer the following questions: Where did they go? Did they keep their memory? Did they retain their physical bodies and senses? Did they keep their personalities? Let’s take these one at a time:

Where did they go?

Lazarus went to be with Abraham and was comforted (Luke 16:25); the rich man went to Hades where he was in torment (Luke 16:23). There was a deep chasm between the two places, and neither side could cross over to the other side, but they could see one another and verbally communicate from one side to the other.

Did they have memory after death?

Yes, they did have memory after their brains stopped working. Even though their neurons and dendrites rotted, their memory lived on. The rich man saw Lazarus and recognized him. Surprisingly, the rich man not only recognized Lazarus but also recognized Abraham; this would imply that the rich man had an enhanced memory/knowledge and awareness of things he had never seen. Continuing on, we also see that the rich man remembered that he had five brothers, another indication of his earthly memory. Abraham too had an enhanced awareness and memory; he spoke of Moses and the prophets, all of whom lived many years after Abraham died.

Did they have bodies and senses of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste after death?

Both Lazarus and the rich man had bodies. We know that Lazarus had a body because he was seen by the rich man and recognized. The rich man was experiencing excessive heat and thirst; he wanted Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and touch his tongue (the rich man’s) so he could feel some cooling relief. This would indicate that he had a body and similar senses to those he had while alive on earth.

Lazarus was being comforted which would show that he was in a good spiritual as well as physical state. Also, we know that they all had eyes to see, ears to hear, tongues to taste, and fingers to touch. So, all of this would lead us to believe that our characters in this account had DNA and it was performing in a similar fashion to how it performed before death.

Did they keep their personality after death?

It appears that the rich man did keep his personality. The rich man was accustomed to getting his way by ordering people around. In this account, the rich man implored Abraham to order Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his (the rich man’s) tongue, and also ordered Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to witness to his five brothers. The rich man knew that Abraham was high in the spiritual realm, but assumed that Lazarus was still a lowly outcast. Therefore, the rich man presumed that his power and authority conveyed to life after death. He presumed that both he and Abraham were men of importance, and therefore Lazarus, the low man, should do tasks when ordered. Abraham, however, did not hearken to the demands of the rich man and reproved him.

Note: This account mentions Lazarus by name, but not the rich man; he is simply referred to as the “rich man.” This shows us that Jesus knew Lazarus, but not the rich man. This is consistent with many scriptures including Luke 13:27 and Matthew 7:23:

Luke 13:27  But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

Matthew 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Final thoughts

It is important to understand that this account of life after death was before the resurrection of Jesus. The New Testament teaches that when Christians die, they instantly go to be with Jesus. However, the account of Lazarus and the rich man presents some interesting clues concerning memories, senses, DNA, and personalities. It also implies that, like Abraham, we will inherit enhanced awareness, knowledge, and memory.

One clue is missing from this account, and that is the words of Lazarus. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear Lazarus’ thoughts? Would he have said to the rich man: “Now you are getting yours,” or “I forgive you,” or “I do not know you?” Perhaps Lazarus was being spared the unpleasantness of dealing with the rich man, but for now, his thoughts remain a mystery.

Dear children and friends, The Bible is truth and the account of Lazarus, the rich man and Abraham may be used to better understand “the other side.”

Where the Spiritual and Physical Worlds Meet (Epigenetics – Part 2)

 

 

You are a magnificent creature, wonderfully made; you live in a physical world, but have strong ties to the spiritual world. One of these ties is what the scientific community calls “epigenetics.”

 

Background

When DNA was discovered, it appeared that our destiny was fixed and determined wholly by our DNA. We were led to believe that since our DNA was locked in at conception, we were slaves to our ancestry. However, we knew that this couldn’t be true; it would invalidate the promises and principles in the Bible; there would be no reason to pray, no reason to believe, and no purpose for life. We knew that there had to be more than just DNA; so, we patiently waited, by faith, and our patience has been rewarded by what is now called “epigenetics”. Not only does epigenetics solve the “slave to our ancestry” problem, but it shows us how God’s creative genius connects us to the spiritual world. It is genius, and very, very complex 1.

So, epigenetics is the study of how DNA is expressed by switching genes “on” and “off” as directed by our environment. We humans have an environment which is diverse: diet, atmosphere, stress levels, fear, music, love, microbiome, belief system, prayer, and faith. All these elements of our environment have the capability of switching our genetic switches “on” and “off.”

Diet and Epigenetics

DNA provides the genes, and epigenetics decides which genes are expressed and to what level. This epigenetic expression is dependent on how the DNA is packed in the cell. For instance, take the ant; pack his cells one way and you have ant larva; pack them differently and you have a worker ant; pack them a third way and you have an ant with wings that can fly. The DNA is the same, but the expression is quite different. Epigenetics switches determine which ant version is expressed. The worker ants attending the larva know when the time is right, then they prepare a potion of fungus. When this fungus potion is fed to the larva, the larvae’s switches are positioned to pack the DNA to produce wings and a flight control system. Each cell works in unison with the others to produce the intended creature, in this case, a flying ant.

Social Environment

Researchers are just beginning to connect epigenetics with social environment. We have all known that our circle of friends, parents, and community made an impact on our mental health, but now we are seeing the epigenetic mechanisms that affect our physical health. Researches have correlated gene expression with social influences 2. We, at Genesis and Genetics, are very interested in the results of these laboratory results knowing how the Bible warns about joining with those who practice evil.

The Nurturing Rat

Then there is the rat. It has been found that if the mother rat licks and grooms her babies, they do better mentally and physically. If the pups are not licked and groomed, they suffer both mentally and physically. This means that the rat DNA has genetic switches that are turned “on” or “off” responding to the environment of nurturing and grooming3.

Fear and Trauma

Another study where a small mouse was traumatized repeatedly 4, the small mouse did poorly mentality and physically. Again, there were switches that were being turned “on” and “off” depending on the packaging, but the interesting point is that the trauma was sometimes passed on to future generations 4 of the traumatized mouse. Some secular scientists are referring to this effect as the Biblical “sins of the father” effect 5. If you please, type, “sins of the father epigenetics” into your favorite search engine and you can read all about it.

Summary

You have nearly 40 trillion cells in your body, and how your DNA is packed in each one of these cells matters. This packaging can switch select genes “on” and switch other genes “off.” This switching can affect your overall mental and physical health. The mechanism for packing the DNA in your cells is not yet understood, but we now have evidence that our physical and spiritual environment can and does affect the packing. Therefore, know that you are not a slave to your DNA, your DNA is a slave to you and the environment you provide. You are empowered by your faith in harmony with the Bible to harness and exploit your DNA. How? Simply by supplying a proper physical and spiritual environment. Your epigenetics is crying out to fulfill its vocation to find, bind, and wind your genes so that you may do well.

Dear friends and children, it is true, the Bible got it right, our physical bodies respond to faith and prayer.

References:

  1. https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/2017/12/12/epigenetics-complexity-of-biblical-proportions-part-1/
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555996/
  3. https://www.reed.edu/biology/professors/srenn/pages/teaching/2008_syllabus/2008_readings/5_Weaver_etal_2004.pdf
  4. https://www.nature.com/news/fearful-memories-haunt-mouse-descendants-1.14272
  5. https://www.nature.com/news/epigenetics-the-sins-of-the-father-1.14816

 

 

Epigenetics – Complexity of Biblical Proportions – Part 1

The discovery of DNA has greatly enhanced our understanding of life and its complexities. However, understanding DNA is just the beginning. DNA orchestration and expression are of mind-blowing, Biblical, proportions of complexity. This orchestration is a field of study called epigenetics; a term coined in the 1940’s and currently one of the hottest topics of research. Epigenetics may very well be the most important scientific discovery of our generation.

Consider a nest of eggs. The DNA is fixed in the nucleus of each egg. After a month or so, the eggs will incubate and be transformed into chicks. These chicks all look alike but no longer resemble the egg from which they came. Their DNA has not changed. Every cell in their body, in collaboration with every other cell, has expressed itself as this baby chick. After a few weeks they increase in size and grow bigger wings, their fuzz turns into feathers, and muscles become toned for flight. At each stage, the babies, in this case, robins, all look alike; their DNA is expressed in like manner for each of the chicks; every cell is expressing itself differently, but in concert with every other cell, doing its part to produce a fledgling. Amazingly, the robin’s DNA does not change, but the robins do; they change a lot. They all grow at the same rate and fledge at the same time. Finally, we have mature birds, all approximately the same size and approximately the same physical appearance. The DNA is fixed from egg till death, but the expression of the robin’s DNA is changed drastically from one stage to another. Everything is performing with perfect orchestration and expression.

So, the question is, what mechanism produces this orchestration? It is explained by epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of how DNA is packed into the cell and with which chemicals it is packed. The result of this packing regulates which genes are expressed and to what extent. Each time a cell divides, it is subject to new packing arrangements. Each cell is different and each cell packs in concert with every other cell; each doing its part. This is a miracle. Every stage of growth and development is a miracle. An extreme example of epigenetics is the butterfly. During metamorphosis, the larva changes to a butterfly, totally different from the larva in appearance and metabolism. And, it happens very quickly. The cell divisions act in unison with all cells to regulate gene expression and produce what looks like a totally different creature even though the DNA remains fixed.

Epigenetics is a system of turning genes off and on. We humans have just over 20,000 genes in our body and each of these genes can be expressed or not depending on how tightly it is wound and with which chemicals it is packed. Therefore, with the butterfly, one combination of genes is expressed to build the larva and another combination of genes is expressed for constructing the mature butterfly. No matter how the DNA is packed, it cannot construct a moth, a bird, or a chimpanzee; it can only express the various stages of that species of butterfly.

Now let’s look at human epigenetics and make it a bit more personal. What regulates and orchestrates our DNA packing? The answer is, “our personal DNA coupled with our environment determines how our DNA is packed.” This environment includes diet, air quality, stress, friends, attitude, purpose, and spiritual beliefs. The environment triggers receptors, switches, hormones, and electrical signals: these triggers affect how our DNA is expressed. In summary, not only does your DNA regulate gene expression, but so does our physical and spiritual environment. We have a blog (part 2 of this blog) that shows both the physical and spiritual effects of epigenetics using laboratory tests of mice and rats.

Now that we have given the basics, it is time to shock you with the complexity of epigenetics. Consider you. You looked different when you were a fetus and you looked different as a newborn. Then came the toddler years and adolescent years. Every decade you look different. Each cell in your body must do its part in making you, you for each period of your life. Latest estimates are that a human body has 37.2 trillion cells. Each cell contains about 6 feet of DNA. Therefore, you have 6 X 37.2 = 223.2 trillion feet of DNA that must be orchestrated to make you, you. If we take this 223.2 trillion feet of DNA and divide by 5280 (feet in a mile) and take that and divide by the distance to the sun (93 million miles), we get 459.07. This is shocking! This means that if you stretch out your DNA, it is long enough to make approximately 230 round trips to the sun. This is complexity of Biblical proportions. Each of these 6-foot strands must do its part in the orchestration with all the other 37.2 trillion strands to produce you at any point in your life. Only divine intellect and ingenuity can explain complexity of this proportion.

Dear friends and children, if you believe the Bible you are doing well. The complexity of life is of Biblical proportions and cannot be explained by chaos. When we face the creator, we will be able to say, “we believed your Word, that you created all things.”

 

Where Does Neanderthal Fit in the Bible – Update

This blog presents several additional points to support the notion that Neanderthal is antediluvian man, i.e. those who lived before the Biblical flood. In 2012, we presented evidence, based on partial mitochondrial DNA sequences, that Neanderthal is indeed our direct, antediluvian ancestor 1. We now have more evidence that solidifies our position. When Neanderthal fossils were discovered in the mid-1800s, Neanderthals were portrayed as ignorant ape-men, but now with the advent of DNA sequencing, they are being portrayed quite differently. More and more they are being portrayed as fully human like us. They are seizing their rightful position in the history of man: our direct line ancestors: the sons and daughters of Adam who lived before the global flood. The following points should be considered in defense of our stance:

Human Speech

It has been found that the human variation of the FOXP2 gene is present in Neanderthal.2 This FOXP2 gene found in Neanderthal is identical to that of humans living today; this is significant in that FOXP2 plays a major role in human speech 3, separating us from the animal kingdom. This finding coupled with the fact that Neanderthals had brains larger than present-day humans4 could suggest that they were more articulate than we.

Genetic Similarity The present-day human and Neanderthal genomes appear to be at least 99.5% identical 5. This difference is statistically the same as some of the latest estimates of genetic differences within the present-day human genome (99.5%) 6. Clearly Neanderthal is fully human; however, since his DNA markers do not exactly align with any present-day family groups or any post-flood family groups, he must be placed as antediluvian man, our pre-flood ancestor. Note: these DNA markers (single nucleotide polymorphism-SNPs) constitute only 0.3% of the human genome 7 and are useful in determining parentage.

Y-chromosome and mitochondrial sequences

To better understand how the mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA supports our position, consider our version of the human family tree:

Figure 1. Human Family Tree

The family tree above shows that the roots of the tree represent the Neanderthals; the stump represents Noah and his family; and the branches and leaves represent us, the present-day nations and family groups. The trunk of the tree represents the genetic reset performed by God during or just after the flood; this reset set in motion human DNA compatible with the new ecosystem and lifespan 11. Neanderthal fossils have been found in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Russia, Siberia, Iraq, Israel, Belgium, and Uzbekistan. These Neanderthals are all offspring of Adam and Eve. The Neanderthals died in the flood with the exception of Noah and his family. Since the post-flood ecosystem and human lifespan were much different than the original ecosystem and lifespan, God performed a genetic reset preparing humanity for the new environment and lifespan. One would expect that human DNA sequences prior to Noah and his family would be very similar, but not align exactly with any post-flood nation or family group. And they don’t.

A portion of Y-chromosome data has been extracted from Neanderthal fossils. As expected, these sequences do not align exactly with any modern man Y-chromosome nation or family group 8. If they did, one would conclude that Neanderthal was post-flood. But they do not, and, therefore, must be the root. This is a very significant finding for which we have been anxiously waiting. Now, we know that, like the mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosomal DNA shows that Neanderthals are fully human but are the roots of the tree, not the branches and leaves.

Also, now that we have the full mitochondrial sequences, we find that they, like the Y-chromosome sequences, support our original conclusions: Neanderthal is antediluvian man.

Ruddy/Rosy Complexion

We, at Genesis and Genetics, have concluded that Adam and Eve had red hair and rosy complexions. This conclusion was reached due to the fact that God gave Adam his name which means “red.” The accompanying rosy complexion is compatible with the pre-flood atmosphere. Just lately, using advanced sequencing tools, scientists have found that two Neanderthal fossils had genes for red hair and ruddy complexions 9. It is difficult to find Neanderthal DNA with these genes intact, so, as far as I know, these are the only two tested for red hair and rosy complexions. It is also, noteworthy that these Neanderthals came from two different locations: one from Spain and the other from Italy. Our model predicts that Neanderthal would, like Adam and Eve, require complexions compatible with the pre-flood atmosphere.

Cannibalism

A recent excavation of a site in Belgium has added evidence to the existing view that Neanderthals were sometimes cannibals 10.  There are accounts of modern human acts of cannibalism; however, they overwhelmingly occur when humans are forced to choose between cannibalism and starvation. During the flood, the Bible implies that all humanity didn’t die at once, and some could have survived for many months in the water (Genesis 7:19-24). The Neanderthal, being very intelligent, would be in boats, on rafts, or clinging to the large floating mats of debris; but faced with starvation they may very well have resorted to cannibalism. The caves, being the flood drainage pipes, would and do harbor the evidence of this cannibalism.

Summary

Evidence continues to accumulate that Neanderthals were the offspring of Adam and Eve, and our pre-Noah ancestors. Our version of the human family tree is presented above; had it not been for Adam’s sin, it would look quite different; but Adam did sin and Noah found grace in the eyes of the Creator, thereby forming the bottleneck (family tree stump). Then God chose to make changes in human physiology, including reduced lifespan, all of which required a genetic reset (the trunk of the family tree). Here is a summary of the additional evidence for our version of the family tree:

(1) Neanderthal has the FOXP2 gene identical to present-day humans indicating that they had human speech capabilities.

(2) Neanderthal DNA signature is incongruous with any modern nation or family group. This is true for both Mitochondrial DNA (inherited from the mother) and Y-Chromosome DNA (inherited from the father). The only place available for Neanderthal on the family tree is the roots, our roots.

(3) Neanderthal fossils show evidence of cannibalism. Human cannibalism has a history of occurring primarily when there is some catastrophic event which deprives them of food.

(4) The Neanderthal DNA, so far tested, show evidence of red hair and ruddy complexions which would be compatible with the pre-flood atmosphere and the name God gave Adam.

(5) The similarities of the present-day human and Neanderthal DNA coupled with the fact that they each have unique DNA markers, positions Neanderthal correctly in Biblical history as antediluvian man.

Note: Our former work and evidence can be found here for the blog https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/2013/11/08/177/ and here for the technical paper https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/Neanderthal_Identity.pdf

 

We will keep you posted as we find more evidence for our position. We do have more compelling evidence for our model which concerns Neanderthal and carbon dating. This will be published soon. You may subscribe here if you would like to be on our mailing list.

 

Keywords: antediluvian, pre-flood man, Neanderthal, Neanderthal’s place in human history, Biblical Neanderthal, Neanderthal Bible, Bible Neanderthal, Neanderthal in the Bible

 

References:

(1) https://www.genesisandgenetics.org/Neanderthal_Identity.pdf

(2) http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071018/full/news.2007.177.html

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/93986

(4) http://www.pnas.org/content/105/37/13764.abstract

(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2583069/

(6) journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0050254

(7) https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/snp

(8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27058445

(9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17962522

(10) https://www.nature.com/articles/srep29005

(11) www.genesisandgenetics.org/2016/11/03/divine-genetic-resets/