A question that hasn't been answered in 40 years

Good question. I got in trouble for asking a very similar question in Sunday school. If Adam and Eve were the first man and woman and they had Cain and Abel, then who did Cain and Abel marry to continue the population? Their sisters? Again, you have the incest thing. I, too, would still like a good answer for this.

This one gets a little strange. Eve was supposed to be the first woman but Adam had a wife before Eve who turned into a vampire. Where did she come from? Oh well, I guess we are not supposed to question, just believe any story they want to feed us.

it goes back to Jewish times we do not have all scripture in our scripture do a web search for LIlith it may answer your question

The Bible says that Adam and Eve were the first. It also tells of Cain and Able. It doesn't really go farther does it? How's this?.... Adam and Eve were the first but whose to say God didn't throw in a few more later on? He could have. Right?

I've always wondered the same thing and never got a good answer. I'll be checking in on your responses to see what you get from some of the biblical scholars.

actually, i believe that they committed incest at that time... i think incest was allowed in their time, even in the time of abraham.... sarah is abraham's half sister (gen 20:11). i just don't know when was incest forbidden in the bible because i haven't read much yet.

LOL! I always thought the same thing. Not that I went to Sunday School or anything - my parents didn't believe in all that! It is a very valid point though, and I will be interested to read the answers here.

The answer is easy...they didn't. You might say that we are all just one big family that doesn't get along so well...:-) Incest is a man-made taboo...and if I remember things correctly God originally intended for the earth to be populated by Adam and Eve. I don't remember offspring being in the plans until Eve started talking to snakes and tasting new food groups. Forty years ago was a bit early to be asking such questions at Bible School, and was guaranteed to make some people uncomfortable. The same outlook could be used for multiple wives...that is also a man made rule that is dictated by custom and religious belief.

A lot of people believe God did make other people, He just didn't mention everything in detail in the Bible. But back then, people did marry their siblings or half-siblings. They were the first people on earth and had every nationality and blood line in them. So if they reproduced with a sibling, it wouldn't be the stereotypical redneck situation of those kids ending up slow and or mentally challenged. The blood lines had not been thinned out, so there was no way damage would be done to children of that then, as opposed to now.

Good question, as many people have already said. I have thought this myself, many times but never asked anyone. I dunno how to explain that but the most possible explanation would be that God threw some more people afterwards into the Earth and thats how it all started.

My best guess to a question like this would be that back when the gene pool was pure, there wasnt as many problems with this as there is now. Nowdays when incest brings children into the world there is all kinds of birth defects diseases and cancers that have plagued family lineage. When you mix the two together, your asking for trouble. Back then there was no such diseases or cancers so it was no big deal. Just a guess anyway but I thought I would take a stab at it. Take care, Terry

People should try to stop interpreting the bible etc. literally. But he ban on incest has always been only for the average human. Royalty, gods and the first people on earth are an exception, I guess. Oh, and how absolutely petty to throw you out of Bible School for asking questions.

Wow me and my husband were just talking about this a few nights ago. Funny huh,lol. I really don't know just wanted to comment on the sitution,sorry.

I believe human are evolutioned from monkey. I believe in science. Although a lot of things wasn't able to answer by science today, but it will, when human get smarter.

I guess it all depends on how you interpret Genesis. After God created all the animals he created humans. It says "and male and female" he created them. Then he created Adam in his image and then Eve. So Adam and Eve were the first of God's special people, not the first people. This interpretation is further substantiated. After Cain went away he married someone from another tribe. In old Jewish texts and mythology there is also a mention of Adam's first wife whose name was Lilith. Lilith did not want to be inferior to Adam so she was turned into an evil spirit and sent away. I doubt if you would be kicked out of bible school today for asking this question. One of my friends was a teacher in a Catholic School and she got this question often and answered it the way I described it, except for the part of Lilith.

awwwwwwww i got kicked out too for asking wouldnt the whole creation story mean either cain or able were mothers? MMMMM still waiting for the answer for that one too, guess ill have a long wait blessed be

Well the whole Old Testament is a bit of a fairy tale to explain away all sorts of awkward questions so I would not loose too much sleep over it. If it is true, then Hi Sis!!

For starters I think that is horrible that you would get kicked out of school for asking a very good question . It is true , I have never looked at it this way before but someone would have had to commit incest for the world to be populated . I don't know how we would be able to get a good answer for this but I hope someone has a way to explain it or it really changes the way we look at things .

If you read the bible it says god created man in his image. Later on in Genesis it says he created Adam. So there were other people before Adam. To answer your incest question, it had to have been incest. As we all know certain societies still carry this tradition to this day. I would figure that women where traded amongst tribes. So Cain and Abel had women outside of the family to marry. However they were probably not more than 3rd cousins.

gardengrrl...my hubby and I have asked that same question withe the same dumbfounded....no response look on people's faces. I am still waiting for an answer too!