Pre-Christian Thought
Thecreationoftheuniverseseems afitstartingpoint.The
biblicalstoryofthecreationsetsoutveryclearlythenatureof
the relationship between man and animal as the Hebrew
peopleconceived itto be. Itis a superbexampleof myth
echoing reality:
AndGodsaid,Lettheearthbring forththelivingcreature
afterhiskind,cattleandcreepingthing,andbeastoftheearth
after his kind: and it was so.
AndGodmadethebeastoftheearthafterhiskind,andcattle
aftertheirkind,andeverythingthatcreepethupontheearth
after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness:andletthemhavedominionoverthefishofthesea,
and overthe fowloftheair, andover theearth,and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
SoGodcreatedmaninhisownimage,intheimageofGod
created he him; male and female created he them.
AndGodblessedthem,andGodsaiduntothem,Befruitful,
andmultiply,andreplenishtheearth,andsubdueit;andhave
dominionoverthefishofthesea,andoverthefowloftheair,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.^1
TheBibletellsusthatGodmademaninHisownimage.We
mayregardthisasmanmakingGodinhisownimage.Either
way,itallotshumanbeingsaspecialpositionintheuniverse,
as beings that, alone of all living things, are God-like.