For the week ending 2 November 2002 / 27 Heshvan 5763

Age of the World

The Color of HeavenArtscroll

Age of the World

From: Michael. in Los Angeles, CA

Dear Rabbi,

It is hard for me to understand the fact that many relics such as dinosaur bones, cave art, and rock formations are thought to exist for millions of years. I asked this to a local Rabbi. He told me that dinosaur bones were planted by G-d to test our faith. I do not really understand this answer. How can you explain this apparent contradiction with the Jewish calendar?

Dear Michael,

The resolution of the apparent contradiction between the "scientific" age of the universe and the Jewish date of 5763 years since Creation has two standard approaches:

  2. The Jewish date is true, and the scientific estimate must be explained (away).




Now you’re probably thinking, "But why would G-d do that? Why create bones, artifacts, partially decayed radium, potassium-argon, uranium, red-shifted light from space, etc., all pointing to an age which is not true?"

Strictly speaking, this isn’t a problem. Not knowing why G-d did something doesn’t prove that He didn’t do it. But I’ll try to answer this anyway:

The purpose of this world is to hide G-d’s presence. This allows us to exercise free will. In fact, the Hebrew word for world is olam which means hiding. Evidence which "hides" the age of the universe could be part of G-d’s general "policy" of hiding.

Now you might say "According to this we can never rely on our observations. Doesn’t this approach negate all scientific findings?"



Here too, scientific observations have to be understood in light of the other available evidence - i.e., the Torah. The Jewish People were eyewitness at Sinai who observed the giving of the Torah (hence the term "observant Jews?"). For us the Torah’s account of events is first-hand testimony.



Caveman 1: Ugh!
Caveman 2: Ugh! Ugh!
Caveman 1: Stop changing the subject!

Carmell and Domb, 1978, Association of
Orthodox Jewish Scientists, pp. 124-41, 142-49, 164-75.

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