Paper 63 Overview: The First Human Family

This paper presents the epochal narrative of Andon and Fonta, the progenitors of all humanity, whose emergence approximately one million years ago marked the dawn of true human consciousness on Urantia. Their unprecedented departure from their primitive tribal origins, motivated by an innate hunger for progress and perfection, initiated the first human family lineage. The text chronicles their initial flight from their ancestral group, their discovery of fire, their establishment of a family comprising nineteen children, and the development of early human social structures and rudimentary religious concepts.

The paper further delineates the geographic dispersion of the Andonic clans throughout Europe, their adaptive survival strategies in response to glacial periods, and their cultural evolution over thousands of generations. Central to this evolutionary narrative is the spiritual leadership of Onagar, who emerged nearly 983,000 years ago to unify disparate tribes and introduce monotheistic worship of the "Breath Giver." The account culminates with the remarkable revelation that Andon and Fonta, now citizens of Jerusem, continue their cosmic journey and service as greeters for newly arrived Urantians on the mansion worlds, establishing a profound continuity between humanity's terrestrial origins and its ongoing spiritual destiny.

Urantia was officially registered as an inhabited world when the first two human beings, the twins Andon and Fonta, reached eleven years of age, prior to becoming parents of the first offspring of the second generation of actual human beings. This momentous planetary recognition was commemorated through an archangel message from Salvington, which concluded with a petition that these pioneering creatures might soon receive the personal indwelling of the Universal Father's spirit gift.

The names "Andon" and "Fonta" carry significant Nebadon meanings: Andon signifies "the first Fatherlike creature to exhibit human perfection hunger," while Fonta denotes "the first Sonlike creature to exhibit human perfection hunger." These appellations were unknown to them during their mortal lives, being bestowed only upon their fusion with their Thought Adjusters. Throughout their terrestrial existence, they identified each other as Sonta-an ("loved by mother") and Sonta-en ("loved by father"), self-created designations that reflected their profound mutual regard and affection.

In numerous respects, Andon and Fonta represent the most remarkable human pair ever to inhabit Urantia, superior to many of their immediate descendants and fundamentally distinct from all their ancestors, both proximate and remote. As the authentic parents of all mankind, they demonstrated exceptional qualities that distinguished them from their contemporaries and established the foundation for human evolutionary development.

Their own parents, though only marginally different from the average members of their tribe, ranked among its more intelligent constituents, belonging to the pioneering group that first employed stone-throwing and club-wielding in combat. Andon, while still living with his parents, demonstrated ingenuity by securing sharp flint pieces to club ends using animal tendons, creating effective weapons that saved both his life and that of his adventurous sister on at least twelve occasions during their exploratory journeys. Their momentous decision to flee from the Primates tribes indicated a mental quality substantially superior to the baser intelligence that characterized many later descendants who regressed through interbreeding with simian cousins. This nascent awareness of being something beyond mere animals derived from their possession of personality and was augmented by the indwelling presence of their Thought Adjusters.

The twins' decision to leave their tribe emerged not merely from dissatisfaction with their social environment but from an intuitive recognition of their distinct potential and destiny. This awareness represents a critical juncture in human evolution—the first instance of deliberate self-determination based on a higher concept of existence and purpose. Their departure constituted not simply a physical migration but a profound psychological separation from their ancestral limitations, establishing a pattern of progressive development that would characterize human advancement throughout subsequent history.

After deciding to flee northward, Andon and Fonta initially hesitated, confronting fears of familial disapproval and potential violent retribution from their jealous tribesmen. As youngsters, the twins had primarily associated with each other rather than their animal cousins of the Primates tribe, and their construction of a separate, superior tree dwelling had further diminished their standing within the group. This early demonstration of independent thinking and innovation, though socially isolating, foreshadowed their capacity for progressive development beyond tribal constraints.

The definitive moment of decision occurred during a violent storm that awakened them in their treetop dwelling, where they embraced in fear and affection, finally resolving to abandon their tribal habitat. They had prepared a crude treetop retreat half a day's journey northward, which served as their initial sanctuary. Despite the pervasive Primates' fear of nighttime ground travel, they departed shortly before nightfall, correctly reasoning they would face less risk of pursuit in darkness. During their northward migration, they discovered an exposed flint deposit and collected suitably shaped stones for various purposes. While attempting to improve these flints through chipping, Andon discovered their spark-producing quality and conceived the idea of creating fire, though this notion did not immediately take hold since the climate remained mild and fire seemed unnecessary.

As autumn approached and temperatures declined during their continued northward journey, the twins increasingly relied on animal skins for warmth. After approximately one lunar month away from home, Andon suggested to Fonta that he might produce fire with flint. Their persistent experimentation over two months yielded consistent failure until, fortuitously, Fonta climbed a nearby tree to retrieve an abandoned bird's nest. The dry, flammable nest ignited immediately upon contact with a spark, startling them so thoroughly they nearly lost the flame before successfully adding appropriate fuel. This momentous discovery initiated the first deliberate search for firewood by humanity's original parents and represented a pivotal advancement that would enable their independence from southern climate constraints and their animal relatives.

Nearly two years after the twins' departure from their original home, their first child, Sontad, was born—the first creature on Urantia to be wrapped in protective coverings at birth. This event marked the formal beginning of the human race and heralded the emergence of the instinct to properly care for increasingly vulnerable infants, a characteristic that would distinguish the progressive development of intellectual beings from the purely animal type. Andon and Fonta ultimately produced nineteen children and lived to enjoy the association of approximately fifty grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

The family established their domicile in four adjoining rock shelters, or semicaves, three of which were interconnected by hallways excavated in soft limestone using flint tools developed by Andon's children. These early Andonites exhibited a pronounced clannish spirit, hunting in groups and rarely venturing far from their homesite. This behavior stemmed from their sense of isolation and uniqueness as living beings, reinforced by the enhanced mind ministry of the adjutant spirits. Andon and Fonta labored ceaselessly for the nurture and advancement of their clan until age forty-two, when both perished during an earthquake from a falling overhanging rock, along with five children, eleven grandchildren, and with nearly twenty descendants suffering serious injuries. Following this tragedy, Sontad, despite a severely injured foot, immediately assumed clan leadership with assistance from his wife and eldest sister, organizing the entombment of their deceased relatives by rolling stones over them; an act not to be imbued with undue significance, as their concepts of afterlife remained vague and primarily derived from their varied dream experiences.

The family unit established by Andon and Fonta maintained cohesion for twenty generations, until combined food competition and social friction precipitated the beginning of dispersion. This protracted period of family continuity demonstrates the extraordinary social foundation established by the first human parents. Their immediate legacy was not merely genetic but profoundly cultural, establishing patterns of childcare, shelter construction, tool utilization, and group cooperation that would persist through countless generations. The practical innovations of the Andonic family—protective coverings for infants, sophisticated interconnected dwellings, and stone implements—represent the nascent technological ingenuity that would characterize human civilization throughout its development.

Primitive humans, the Andonites, possessed black eyes and a swarthy complexion representing a blend of yellow and red coloration due to the melanin pigment present in all human skin. In general appearance and skin color, these early Andonites more closely resembled present-day Eskimos than any other living human group. They pioneered the use of animal skins as protection against cold and had only slightly more body hair than modern humans, representing early adaptive responses to environmental challenges. The tribal organization of their animal ancestors had foreshadowed numerous social conventions, and with the enhanced emotional capacity and augmented brain power of these beings, social organization and clan labor division developed rapidly.

These early humans demonstrated exceptional imitative abilities, though their play instinct remained minimally developed and their sense of humor nearly nonexistent. Primitive humans occasionally smiled but rarely engaged in hearty laughter, as humor would emerge later with the Adamic race. These early beings exhibited less sensitivity to pain and adverse circumstances than later evolving mortals, with childbirth being neither painful nor distressing for Fonta and her immediate female descendants. The Andonites constituted a remarkable tribe, with males fighting heroically to protect their mates and offspring, while females demonstrated devoted affection toward their children. Their patriotism, however, remained entirely constrained to their immediate clan; while willing to die unquestioningly in defense of their children, they could not conceptualize improving the world for future generations. Altruism had not yet emerged in the human heart, despite the presence of all the emotional foundations necessary for the development of religion.

These early humans displayed a touching affection for their companions and possessed a rudimentary but genuine concept of friendship. Later periods frequently witnessed these primitive individuals valiantly fighting with one hand while simultaneously striving to protect and save injured fellow warriors. Many noble and profoundly human characteristics of subsequent evolutionary development were presaged in these primitive peoples. The original Andonic clan maintained unbroken leadership succession until the twenty-seventh generation, when the absence of male offspring among Sontad's direct descendants precipitated conflict between two aspiring rulers. Before the extensive dispersal of Andonic clans, a well-developed language had evolved from their early communication efforts, expanding almost daily with innovations and environmental adaptations created by these active, restless, and curious people. This language became Urantia's first human family tongue, persisting until the later appearance of the colored races.

The early Andon races achieved limited penetration into Asia and initially avoided African migration entirely. The geographical constraints of their era directed them northward, and progressively farther north they journeyed until impeded by the slowly advancing ice of the third glacier. Before this extensive ice sheet reached France and the British Isles, Andon's descendants had pushed westward across Europe, establishing more than one thousand separate settlements along the great rivers leading to the then-warm waters of the North Sea.

These Andonic tribes became the early river dwellers of France, particularly along the Somme River, where they resided for tens of thousands of years. The Somme remained unaltered by glacial activity, flowing to the sea then much as it does today, explaining the abundance of evidence of Andonic descendants along this river valley. Contrary to common misconception, these Urantia aborigines were not primarily tree dwellers, though they sometimes sought refuge in treetops during emergencies. They typically dwelled beneath overhanging riverside cliffs and in hillside grottoes, positions that afforded both protection from elements and advantageous views of approaching threats. This arrangement allowed them to enjoy fire's comfort with minimal smoke inconvenience. Neither were they truly cave dwellers, though later ice sheet advancement eventually drove their descendants into caves. They demonstrated remarkable ingenuity in disguising their partially sheltered abodes and constructing stone sleeping chambers—dome-shaped stone huts into which they crawled at night, securing the entrance by rolling a large interior stone into position before completing the roof structure.

The Andonites developed into fearless and successful hunters who, excepting wild berries and certain tree fruits, subsisted exclusively on meat. As Andon had invented the stone ax, his descendants soon discovered and effectively employed the throwing stick and harpoon. The conjunction of a tool-creating mind with an implement-using hand enabled these early humans to become extraordinarily skilled in fashioning flint tools. They undertook extensive journeys seeking flint, much as contemporary humans traverse the earth in quest of precious metals and gemstones. In numerous additional ways, these Andon tribes manifested intelligence levels that their regressing descendants failed to attain in half a million years, though these later generations repeatedly rediscovered various fire-making techniques.

As Andonic dispersion expanded, the cultural and spiritual status of the clans deteriorated for nearly ten thousand years until Onagar emerged to assume tribal leadership. This remarkable figure established peace among previously contentious groups and, for the first time, united them in worshiping the "Breath Giver to men and animals." Andon's philosophical framework had been profoundly confused; he narrowly avoided becoming a fire worshiper due to the substantial comfort derived from his accidental discovery. Reason, however, directed his attention toward the sun as a superior and more awe-inspiring heat and light source, but its remote nature prevented the development of sun worship.

The Andonites developed early fears of natural elements—thunder, lightning, rain, snow, hail, and ice—while hunger remained their constant companion. As they primarily subsisted on animals, they eventually evolved a form of animal worship, with the larger food animals symbolizing creative might and sustaining power for Andon. Periodically, certain animals were designated as worship objects, with crude wall drawings and later engravings marking their veneration. These early peoples established traditions of abstaining from eating the flesh of tribally venerated animals and developed ceremonies conducted around such animals' bodies to impress their youth. These primitive performances evolved into more elaborate sacrificial ceremonies among their descendants, originating sacrifices as worship components—a concept later elaborated by Moses in Hebrew ritual and preserved by Paul as the atonement doctrine. Onagar maintained headquarters on the northern Mediterranean shores near the present Caspian Sea at a settlement called Oban, situated at the westward turning of the northward travel route from Mesopotamia. From this location, he dispatched teachers to remote settlements to disseminate his revolutionary doctrines of one Deity and his afterlife concept, which he termed the "Great Beyond." These emissaries constituted humanity's first missionaries and pioneered regular fire use in food preparation, particularly for cooking meat.

Born 983,323 years ago, Onagar lived for sixty-nine years, with records of his intellectual and spiritual leadership during the pre-Planetary Prince era presenting a thrilling account of primitive societal organization. He established an efficient tribal government unmatched by subsequent generations for many millennia. Never again until the Planetary Prince's arrival would Urantia witness such an elevated spiritual civilization. Although both Andon and Fonta had received Thought Adjusters, as had many descendants, it was during Onagar's era that Adjusters and guardian seraphim arrived on Urantia in unprecedented numbers, truly constituting humanity's primitive golden age.

Andon and Fonta, the extraordinary founders of the human race, received formal recognition during Urantia's adjudication upon the Planetary Prince's arrival, and subsequently emerged from the mansion world regime with Jerusem citizenship status. While never permitted to return to Urantia, they remain cognizant of the race they established. They grieved over Caligastia's betrayal, sorrowed following the Adamic failure, but experienced profound joy upon learning that Michael had selected their world for his final bestowal.

On Jerusem, both Andon and Fonta achieved fusion with their Thought Adjusters, as did several of their children, including Sontad, though the majority of their immediate descendants attained only Spirit fusion. Shortly after arriving on Jerusem, they received permission from the System Sovereign to return to the first mansion world to serve among the morontia personalities who welcome Urantia's time pilgrims to the heavenly spheres. They have been indefinitely assigned to this service and sought to transmit greetings to Urantia through these revelations, though this request was wisely denied. This narrative constitutes the most heroic and fascinating chapter in all Urantia history: the evolution, life struggles, death, and eternal survival of mankind's unique progenitors.