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If Adam and Eve were the first 2 humans, aren’t we all related and children of incest?
Adam carried a diverse set of genes. His genome contained different alleles for different traits. The same can be said about Eve and their descendants. With this diversity, there was no health risk for Cain to marry his sister, niece, or grandniece. It was not morally wrong at that time. Later, Noah's family of eight contained the diverse human gene pool. There was no problem with Abram marrying his half-sister (Gen 20:12).
In the Bible, illegal 'incest' regulations were first codified by Moses starting in Leviticus 18:
New American Standard Bible, Leviticus 20:
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
There was no special technical Hebrew term for "incest". The English word "incest" does not appear anywhere in most Bible translations. I would avoid using it in a Christian discussion.
In the beginning, marrying close relatives was okay. However, by the time of Moses, it was not.
Is incest okay today?
Incest, as defined in the criminal code in Canada, is illegal.
Adam carried a diverse set of genes. His genome contained different alleles for different traits. The same can be said about Eve and their descendants. With this diversity, there was no health risk for Cain to marry his sister, niece, or grandniece. It was not morally wrong at that time. Later, Noah's family of eight contained the diverse human gene pool. There was no problem with Abram marrying his half-sister (Gen 20:12).
In the Bible, illegal 'incest' regulations were first codified by Moses starting in Leviticus 18:
By this time, within a single family unit, the siblings tended to carry similar genes, not as diverse as in Noah's time.6 No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
New American Standard Bible, Leviticus 20:
Strong's Hebrew: 8397. תֶּ֫בֶל (tebel) — 2 Occurrences12 If there is a man who sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed incest, and have brought their own deaths upon themselves.
Brown-Driver-Briggs:
English Standard Version:noun [masculine] confusion, violation of nature
Was incest okay in the Bible?If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them.
There was no special technical Hebrew term for "incest". The English word "incest" does not appear anywhere in most Bible translations. I would avoid using it in a Christian discussion.
In the beginning, marrying close relatives was okay. However, by the time of Moses, it was not.
Is incest okay today?
Incest, as defined in the criminal code in Canada, is illegal.
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