In the first book of Moses, called Genesis, it is stated that (chapter i) God Almighty through His infinite power, in five periods of time, which are spoken of as 'days', created the heaven and the earth, the grass and the trees, and the seas and the fowls of the air, and on the sixth day made quadrupeds, and last of all created man. But man's creation was not like that of the other creatures, since with reference to them it is written: 'And ¹ God said, Let there be light: and there was light . . . . And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so . . . . And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. . . And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind: and it was so.' But regarding the creation of man, it is thus written: 'And ² God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth . . . . And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: and man became a living soul.' And, from this difference between man's creation and

that of the beasts, it appears that man's position is far superior to theirs. And these words, 'The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,' indicate his high position: that is to say, from these words it does not appear that God created man after some delay and effort, as is understood from the Qur'an and Traditions; but simply that man, being exalted above the beasts and the other creatures, was created in a special manner; for man did not come forth out of the earth like the brutes, but God made him and breathed into him the breath of life. Therefore, having been created in the image and likeness of his Creator, he became dear unto Him: and he was created in order that, knowing and loving God, he might be perfect, and, serving Him, might obtain happiness.

From the words, 'And ¹ God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness', it is not to be understood that man's visible form and appearance are like God's, for man's likeness to God consists in his inward and not in his outward characteristics. Thus, in any good qualities of mind or spirit which are found in man, we may see some resemblance to certain of God's attributes. If, for example, we consider human mercy, kindness, knowledge, wisdom, justice, unselfish affection, we can in them still detect some faint trace and reflection of God's infinite mercy, kindness, knowledge, wisdom, justice,