Adam's dirt: Do we still need it?



Elohim creating Adam (by William Blake)

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the word “Adam” comes from the Hebrew word adamah, meaning “ground.”  This seems right in sync with Genesis 2:7 (KJV):  Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 3:19 further elaborates upon the connection of Adam (referring to generic “mankind,” as well as to the very first “man”) with the earth’s substance.  The KJV passage states:  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.  The Jewish Encyclopedia also points out the similarity between the Latin term humanus, meaning “pertaining to man” - and the English word “humus,” meaning “the organic portion of soil.”  An ancient Semitic notion was that “men not only came from and returned to the earth, but actually partook of its substance.”

It is therefore no wonder that the human condition is deteriorating as humans move farther and farther from their earthen roots.  Dennis Thompson of MSN Health points out that “strict adherence to good hygiene,”

which often entails a literal avoidance of dirt, may have actually “impaired the immune system’s ability to

properly respond to environmental changes.”

Dr. Graham A. W. Rook, a microbiology professor at the University College London, identifies this “reduced exposure to bacteria, viruses and parasites” as a possible cause for an increase in gastrointestinal disorders, severe allergic reactions, and autoimmune diseases.  He states that those who live on a farm, have a dog, or are younger siblings from large families are therefore less likely to have a compromised immune system.  He also adds:  The bottom line is organisms that were present in mud, untreated water and feces were with us right from the start of humanity…

This last quote almost sounds as if it could be a scientific addendum to Genesis – minus the poetry – and plus the lab analysis…

Resources

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=758&letter=A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cold-and-flu/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100280181&gt1=31036

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humus

http://www.latinwordlist.com/latin-word-for/latin-word-for-humane-33511266.htm

Copyright September 12, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved