Paper 74 Overview: Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia 37,848 years ago to help improve the human races. They were welcomed by many people and began setting up a new government in the Garden of Eden. Even though they faced many challenges, including a rebellion attempt, they worked hard to teach better ways of living to the people of earth.

Adam and Eve made many contributions to human civilization including better farming, arts, and education. They taught about family life, health, and created laws based on treating others fairly. Though their mission did not go as planned, they left behind a lasting impact on earth's development and culture.

Adam and Eve came to Urantia in the year 1934 when the Garden of Eden was in full bloom. They arrived at noon near the temple of the Universal Father, transported by seraphic carriers from Jerusem. For ten days, they underwent a process to become human before waking up together to become the world's new rulers.

The Material Sons and Daughters always work together as pairs and are never separated. They were designed to work as a team, which is essential to their service throughout the universe. After becoming human, they were presented to the world and prepared to begin their mission on Urantia.

Adam and Eve were members of the senior corps of Material Sons on Jerusem, jointly numbered 14,311. They belonged to the third physical series and were over eight feet tall. Before coming to Urantia, they had worked for more than fifteen thousand years directing experimental energy and teaching citizenship to new arrivals on Jerusem.

When volunteers were called for the mission to Urantia, all the senior Material Sons and Daughters offered to go. Adam and Eve were chosen, remained loyal to Michael during the Lucifer rebellion, and left behind one hundred offspring on Jerusem. Their children gathered to say goodbye as Adam and Eve fell asleep before being transported to their new assignment on Urantia.

Adam and Eve woke up in the Father's temple on Urantia where Van and Amadon welcomed them. They had learned the Andonic language before leaving Jerusem so they could speak with the people of their new world. The news of their arrival spread quickly as runners released carrier pigeons to announce that the promised leaders had come.

A formal reception was held on a hill north of the temple where Amadon led a welcoming committee. Adam and Eve took an oath of loyalty to the Most Highs and were made rulers of Urantia by Van. They were dressed in royal robes, and the archangels proclaimed the start of the third planetary epoch as Adam and Eve began their reign under seemingly favorable conditions.

Adam and Eve became aware of their isolation on the first night as they realized there were no familiar broadcasts or communication circuits. Unlike other worlds where a Planetary Prince and experienced staff would be ready to help them, on Urantia the Prince was present but had limited power because of his rebellion. That night they walked through the Garden discussing plans for the next day.

Over the next several days, Adam and Eve learned about the planet's situation. On the second day, they met with planetary receivers and learned about the Caligastia rebellion. The third day was spent inspecting the Garden from passenger birds called fandors. On the fourth day, they spoke about rehabilitating the world, and included women in their council - something new for Urantia. The fifth day was for organizing temporary government, the sixth day for inspecting animals, and on the seventh day, they rested and prevented people from worshipping them.

While Adam and Eve slept on the night after the sixth day, hundreds of excited people gathered near the Father's temple. These well-meaning but confused Garden dwellers decided that Adam and Eve were gods who deserved to be worshipped. They planned to bring the pair to the temple at noon for everyone to bow down to them.

Van protested but was ignored and almost carried away to be worshipped himself. He sent a midwayer messenger to warn Adam and Eve, who were transported to the temple early in the morning. Adam explained that only the Father should be worshipped, and directed the people to bow down to the invisible Father instead of to him and Eve. This became the origin of the Sabbath-day tradition, where the seventh day was devoted to self-improvement and worship.

For almost seven years after Adam's arrival, the Melchizedek receivers remained on duty. Eventually they turned over the world's affairs to Adam and returned to Jerusem, despite Adam's requests for them to stay. At midnight, the seraphic transports took fourteen beings to Jerusem, including Van and Amadon who were translated at the same time.

Things went well for a time, and Adam established manufacturing and trade with nearby tribes. However, he faced problems trying to create a world government as outside tribes resisted his efforts. Caligastia, though deposed as world ruler, was still present and able to resist Adam's plans. Even some Edenites caused trouble by wanting too much personal freedom. Adam had to divide people into groups of one hundred with captains over each and lieutenants over groups of ten, and established almost one hundred trade centers ruled in his name.

The Adamic family grounds covered more than five square miles, with space planned for over three hundred thousand pure-line offspring. Adamson was the first-born of the violet race on Urantia, followed by his sister and Eveson. By the time they left the Garden, their family consisted of four generations with 1,647 pure-line descendants.

Adamic children did not drink animal milk after one year of age but were nourished with nut milk and fruit juices. The family did not cook food in their household, eating fruits, nuts, and cereals as they ripened. Adam and Eve's bodies gave off light, and they could communicate with their children over distances up to fifty miles through thought exchange. Children were educated in schools where they changed activities frequently, and at age eighteen they began preparing for marriage, which they could enter at age twenty.

Adam's children lived and worked in the "east of Eden" except for four years when they attended western schools. They were educated intellectually until age sixteen using Jerusem methods, then taught at Urantia schools at the other end of the Garden until age twenty. The western school system focused on socialization, with mornings for gardening and farming, afternoons for competitive play, and evenings for socializing.

The schools taught about health, the golden rule, rights and obligations, history, trade, emotional management, and play instead of fighting. The Garden was open to visitors, but to stay permanently, Urantians had to be "adopted" by pledging loyalty to Adam and the Universal Father. Garden laws were based on seven areas: health, social rules, trade, fair play, home life, the golden rule, and moral rules. Adam tried to discourage set prayers and blood sacrifices, and taught sex equality, explaining that women contribute equally to creating new life.

The story of Urantia being created in six days came from the tradition that Adam and Eve spent six days surveying the Garden. This gave special meaning to the seven-day week, which had been introduced by the Dalamatians. Adam's choice of the seventh day for worship happened by chance and was not planned ahead of time.

The legend of creating the world in six days developed more than thirty thousand years later. The story of Eve being made from Adam's rib was a confused version of the arrival of Adam and the exchange of living substances when the Planetary Prince's staff came more than 450,000 years earlier. The Old Testament account of creation was written long after Moses, who never taught such a distorted story. By the time Jewish priests returned to Jerusalem, they had completed writing their story of creation, which later became part of the scripture of Hebrew and Christian religions.