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The First Adam
Philo's Concept of Two Adams
"The general consensus has been that (Adam) is perfect man in full possession of all human faculties, in perfect harmony of body and soul, and in a right relation to God, to woman, to himself, and to the natural world around him." International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, June 1995). But how did this perfect man commit the original sin that caused Yahweh to cast he and Eve out of the garden? Genesis points an accusing finger at Eve. Seems odd that a man perfect in all things, formed in the likeness of God, a true superman, could be so easily duped by a woman. But that is the story left to us by the Hebrew Bible.
Philo of Alexandria presents another view of Adam. Although difficult to discern when reading the ancient text directly, according to author Howard Schwartz, Philo speaks of two Adams.
The notion that there were two Adams, one heavenly and one earthly, is reflected in Philo's explanation of the apparent contraction in the two creation texts found in Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:7. The earlier creation of man in Genesis was understood by Philo to be a heavenly man because he was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), while it is clearly stated that the earthly Adam was formed from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7), consisting of body and soul, and therefore human.
Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz (Oxford University Press, 2007) at page 125; See Philo, On the Creation XXIII (69) for a discussion of the heavenly first Adam and On the Creation XLVL (135-138) for a discussion of the earthly second Adam. It is the description given by Philo of the earthly second Adam that the modern Christian, Muslim or Jew most often identifies with this Biblical character--
But the original man, he who was created out of the clay * * * appears to me to have been most excellent in both particulars, in both soul and body, and to have been very far superior to all the men of subsequent ages ... . * * * [T]he materials out of which (the first Adam was created) were unmixed, uncorrupted, and pure; and the things made from this material were naturally free from all imperfection. * * * God made this figure in the in the present form of a man, working with the most sublime care, after he had * * * selected carefully the most excellent clay of all the earth, of the pure material choosing the finest and most carefully sifted portion ... . For it was an abode or sacred temple for a reasonable soul which was being made, the image of which he was about to carry in his heart, being the most God-like looking of images. * * * And after he had endowed it with fair proportions, he clothed it with beauty of flesh, and embellished it with an exquisite complexion ... .
Philo, On the Creation XLVIL (136-138).
But it's this first Adam that peaks my interest. Where did he go after creation and how does he fit into the story of man? I think a clue comes to us from Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15). In this parable, there are two sons. The elder stays with the father remaining faithful to him at all times, while the younger departs to a foreign land where he debases himself before coming to his senses and returning home. If these two brothers are the two Adams, then the elder son is our heavenly Adam. He remains always in the spiritual realm.
Paul of Tarsus appears also to know of the two Adams: "So also it is written, 'The first man, Adam, became a living soul.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual." 1 Cor. 15:45-46. Quite an odd contention that the material (lower) Adam comes before the spiritual (higher) Adam. Such can only be the case if one is ignorant of the full circle of life. Philo (and all Platonists) obviously would disagree. I'm convinced Jesus would disagree as well. The prodigal son starts his journey in heaven, descends to the material world, then returns to the spiritual realm (his true home). The material world was merely one stop in the complete cycle. Judging by the words of 1 Corinthians, Paul lacks this understanding.
One quick after thought on the "two Adams" regarding the famed Knights Templar icon of the horse with two riders.
If there are two Adams (one earthly and one heavenly) and Adam is the template upon which all men were made, are not all men created in pairs? Might not the Templar symbol of the two riders in fact represent the earthly and heavenly pair that comprise each human being? It makes perfect sense; however, I have seen no documentary evidence even hinting at this conclusion.
JJR
8-4-09
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