Was the First Woman Made of 100 Percent Rib Bone?
Question of the week: Have scientists confirmed that women are made of 100 percent rib bone?
My answer: This question arises from Genesis 2. Some English translations of Genesis 2:21 state that God took one of Adam’s ribs to use in his creation of Eve. Other translations say that God took part of Adam’s side. In the original biblical Hebrew in which Genesis 2 was written, it says that God took some physical part from Adam’s side as a template to make Eve.
Genesis 2 does not specify what physical part from Adam’s side God used. Even a physical part as small as the nucleus of one of Adam’s cells would contain a complete DNA template of Adam. God could have reengineered that DNA template to manufacture Eve’s DNA and use that DNA to construct Eve’s entire body. I say “could” because Genesis 2 does not give us specifics. God has many options on how to use some kind of physical sample from Adam’s side as a template to make Eve. The fact that a single cell from one of our ribs contains a complete DNA template of our body implies that in that context we are made of rib bone. However, that fact also implies that physically, in that limited context, we are made of any physical part of our body.