Why aren't Neanderthals mentioned in the Bible yet we know they existed?

Answer 1

One_Answer:">One Answer:When humans wrote the bible they had no way of knowing (or thinking) that there could of been such a thing as a Neanderthal or human evolution, just as they had no way of thinking such a animal as a dinosour could of existed. They would of seen the human race and thought it was like that forever. Another View:There are probably thousands, if not millions of things that existed in the past or exist today that are not mentioned in the Bible. The Bible never claims to be an Encyclopedia of human history or any other kind of history. It is indeed true in the facts of history it touches, but it is limited in terms of its focus.

The Bible also deals with matters of eternal significance for all mankind, and the outworking of God's plan through His people, the Jews. Thus, it would be surprising if Neanderthals were mentioned unless they somehow intersected with Jewish or New Testament history.

Many things are also only mentioned in a general sense which applies to all people groups, even if not mentioned, such as the fall into sin, the effects of the worldwide flood, that man has a special place above the animals and was created in God's image etc. All this certainly applies to Neanderthal man, as it does to the many other people groups which are also not mentioned in the Bible by name such as the Eskimos.

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My thought is that the writers of the Old Testament had no real idea of the actual history of the earth. They happened to be part of the civilizations that invented writing (there is evidence that the Hebrews became literate about 700-600 BC) so their thoughts and accomplishments are recorded, whereas the many millions of other humans that were living all over the earth at the time had no voice (writing) and no interaction with the middle east.

All civilizations have origin myths and stories that are passed down for many generations and if you investigate them they have lots of gods who they use as guides and helpers in their journey through life, Christianity is only different in that it caught on even though it has no more proofs than any other...and it beginning myths are just as silly as the others.

When the Hebrews made up their myths they had no idea that there was much, much more to the world than what they could see. The myths grew out of their particular world-view and culture of the times. They had no idea what science was and that it could and would be used to disprove the stories they wrote down.

We know for a fact that real humans (not Neanderthals) were living in the Americas, both North and South, by at least 13,000 BC...real humans were living in Australia by 40,000 BC...real humans were living in Europe and Asia by 50,000 BC...and in Africa by 200,000 BC...Neanderthals were living in Europe, Asia, and parts of the middle east from about 250,000 BC to about 25,000 BC

As for what these facts do to the Biblical myths/stories I can't tell you, but it kind of messes up Adam and Eve and the Flood and the tower of Babel...in my mind at least.

Peace

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Another View:It is my opinion that Neanderthal Man is indeed mentioned in the Bible. The origins of the word Neanderthal dates back to 1860. The location of the fist evidence of Neanderthal Man was in a valley near Düsseldorf, Germany called the Neanderthal Valley. Since the word Neanderthal didn't come into existence until well after the bible was written, another term or word would have been used in it's place.

Consider:

Genesis 6:4

"There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

Numbers 13:31-33

"But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we."

"And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature."

"And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

Deuteronomy_3:13">Deuteronomy 3:13"And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants."

Deuteronomy 2: 19-21

"And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession."

"That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;"

"A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:"

These are but a few examples of "giants" contained in the King James Version of the modern day bible. The most famous one that most everyone knows is the story of how David slew the giant Goliath with a sling. It is not inconceivable that the remains that we call Neanderthal Man in current times are indeed the "giants" referred to in the Bible.

For more information as to how and where these "giants" came into existence, I recommend reading the Book Of Enoch. Enoch was Noah's grandfather. His writings were considered "Holy Scripture" for many years prior to being discredited by the Council of Laodicea (Roman Catholic Church) in 336 A.D.

For even more information on giants in biblical times search the word Nephilim.