If it can be proved by the aid of science that the human race is older than is implied by the Genesis account of creation, and if it can be shown that man has ascended from a dim and brutish ancestry, instead of being created perfect by the hand of God, the foundation would admittedly be swept from beneath the Scripture, and the entire structure of revelation collapses. However, this unwarranted attempt to confuse the issue and refute the Scripture, is manifestly unfair to science. It is not too much to say that this is a debasing of the highest labors of human mentality. Research, in the exact sense of the word, cannot be used legitimately to establish a pet theory to which the advocate clings without regard to evidence in the case. The attempt to demonstrate the organic evolution of man belongs in the realm of philosophy and not of science. The work of science is the correlation of facts. The sphere of philosophy is the interpretation of facts. In all of this controversy, we are not debating the facts of humanity, but are at odds concerning the application of those facts. The real issue then is not the antiquity of man, but the origin of man!
In the hope of obscuring the manner of origin, the enemy of our faith has sought to raise the dust storm of antiquity. It is here more than anywhere else, that archeology has been such a tremendous aid to the establishment of the truth. This science has demonstrated the premise of the Scripture, namely, the fixity and origin of our species. As far back as the spade has been able to thrust the history of humanity, we find the same types and varieties of the human family that exist upon the earth today. Since we are covering this problem of antiquity and origin in the sixth volume of this series, we will hasten on with this brief statement of the issue involved. We will later show that all of the statements made in the text of the Scripture concerning the degeneration and moral collapse of humanity have been abundantly demonstrated in the realm of archeology. Further, the claims that we make as to the historicity of the Bible can be demonstrated satisfactorily in one single field; namely, the recording of the story of man and the care used by the Scripture writers in the exactness of their statements. In this display of historical accuracy, the writers of the Bible have incidentally repudiated the entire philosophy of organic evolution. It is not too much to say that no single evidence derived in the entire realm and history of archeology has sustained the theory of organic evolution. Remember that we are dealing specifically with evidence. If the evidence is rightly interpreted and honestly implied, item by item and in the aggregate mass, it refutes the entire fallacy of this weird philosophy.
Since it deals with the realm of human history, archeology is the final voice as to the antiquity and culture of man. No race of man has ever lived upon the face of this earth and failed to leave some relics or evidences of its existence and culture.
The science of anthropology postulates the beginning of the human family somewhere in Mesopotamia. The Bible is a little more specific, in that it states that it was in that portion of Mesopotamia which lies between the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. The oldest relics of man, however, are not found in Mesopotamia. This is due to the climatic conditions in certain parts of that ancient land. The rainfall is heavy. We have ourselves suffered great inconvenience, delay, and loss by being isolated from our objective in Mesopotamia by floods that filled the wadies and gullies and made travel impossible. Also, the outlying country is underlaid to a great extent by water. When excavators dig but a short way into the strata of that land, they are handicapped and hindered by seepage. Because of this excess moisture, some of the oldest relics of our race have been destroyed by the ravages of time and the power of the elements.
The situation in Egypt, however, is quite the opposite. In most of that land there is no rain and in no part of that bleak country do we experience frost. The climate is dry to the utmost extreme, and the soil is largely sand. Due to this natural condition, the oldest records of the human race are found in Egypt. The oldest records of man and the most complete records so far recovered of his early existence have been preserved for us by this combination of climate and soil. Since the Egyptians buried in sand or in stone tombs, the deposits being protected from the elements, man was the only destroyer. Even though there has been a sad record of vandalism, as ruthless hands of the ignorant have despoiled magnificent tombs of priceless records and information, there is much that remained undisturbed. The people of Egypt built for endurance. The mighty pyramids, from Sakkara to the Great Pyramid; the Colossi at Luxor and the awe-inspiring ruins of Karnak, are present evidences of the durability of their labors. (See plates [2], [3] and [4].) Because of the strange beliefs concerning the life after death, these people also buried for eternity. We shall later consider, in the light of their customs and religious practices, the tremendous value that modern civilization has derived from this ancient fact. We have mentioned this fact now merely to note that the greatest treasure trove of preserved antiquity is found in the land of Egypt.
Plate 2
Magnificent example of embellished statue, conveying the name, hopes, and some of the record of an early ruler
Colossi at Luxor