# The Beginning ## Introduction > Psalm 24:1—The earth is the LORD'S … > Genesis 1:1-2,9-10—In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. ## I. The Garden of Eden ### A. God planted a garden eastward in Eden. (Gen. 2:8) ### B. God placed the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Gen. 2:9) ### C. A river ran through Eden and parted into four heads. (Gen. 2:10) #### 1. Genesis 2:11 Pison (Havilah) There is gold, bdellium and onyx stone #### 2. Genesis 2:13 Gihon (land of Cush; Cush generally means Ethiopia) #### 3. Genesis 2:14 Tigris (Hiddekel) #### 4. Genesis 2:14 Euphrates (Assyria) The flood was a catastrophic event that brought about dramatic change to the earth’s geography. With this in mind, it is very understandable that we would have difficulty finding every pre-flood marker such as Pison and Gihon. (The Tigris and Euphrates still remain.) ### D. Theories on the missing heads #### 1. Pison and Gihon disappeared totally #### 2. The Nile river somehow connected with Tigris and Euphrates once (this theory is weak) #### 3. Pison and Gihon could be translated "gusher" and "bubbler" and possibly are references to the long forgotten names of the tributaries of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. ## II. Out of Eden ### A. Adam and Eve were expelled out of the garden and driven east (Gen. 3:24) ### B. Cain was exiled farther east of Eden to the land of Nod. (Gen. 4:16) ### C. The ark (Noah) landed on the mountains of Ararat. (Gen. 8:4) ## III. Old Testament World | Seas | Mountains|Rivers| |--|--|--| Caspian Sea | Mt Ararat |Araxes | Persian Gulf | Zagros |Tigris – Hiddekel | Gulf of Suez | Caspian |Euphrates | Mediterranean Sea | Lebanon |Orontes | Dead Sea | Taurus |Jordan | Gulf of Akabah | Mt. Hor |Nile | Black Sea | Mt. Hermon |Jabbak River | Sea of Galilee | Mt. Sinai | | Lake Van | Mt. Carmel | | Lake Urumiyeh | Mt. Seir | | ### A. Land of the Mountains Armenia – the name Armenia is not used in the original scriptures, but is a translation of the word Ararat. The Ark rested on one of its mountains. Media – (Gen. 10:2) In power in 536 B.C. “Madia” Persia – Rose to the power under Cyrus the Great. ### B. Land of the Plains Assyria – In the Hebrew Asshur (Gen. 10:12 ) Nineveh is its capital. Elam or Lusistan Mesopotamia – Land between two rivers. Chaldea – also called Shinar and Babylonia. Greatest city of the east in 536 BC. Desert of Arabia – Called in scripture “Land of Kedar.” ### C. Lands of the Mediterranean Asia Minor, Egypt, Syria, Land of Goshen, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Palestine, Edom, Wilderness of Paran, Moab ### D. Capital Cities - Damascus, Syria - Tarsus, Asia Minor - Jerusalem, Palestine - Rameses, Egypt - Samaria, Palestine - Haran, Mesopotamia - Zidon, Phoenicia - Babylon, Chaldea - Tyre, Phoenicia - Shushan, Elam - Antioch, Syria - Nineveh, Assyria [![image13.jpg](https://www.bible.exchange/uploads/images/gallery/2022-04/scaled-1680-/image13.jpg)](https://www.bible.exchange/uploads/images/gallery/2022-04/image13.jpg) [![image14.jpg](https://www.bible.exchange/uploads/images/gallery/2022-04/scaled-1680-/image14.jpg)](https://www.bible.exchange/uploads/images/gallery/2022-04/image14.jpg)