Apollo 8 marked a pivotal moment in human history as the second staffed mission of nasa’s Apollo Space Program and the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth’s orbit, travel to the Moon, orbit it, and return safely. Launched on December 21, 1968, the mission took three days to reach the Moon, where the astronauts spent approximately twenty hours in lunar orbit.
During their historic voyage, the crew delivered a Christmas Eve broadcast that resonated deeply around the world. From the confines of their spacecraft, with the Moon below and Earth suspended in the blackness of space, the astronauts began to read from the opening verses of the Book of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”
They continued through to the tenth verse, drawing from the most translated, published, and read books in human history. It was a moment of profound significance: a union of scientific achievement and spiritual reflection. As they beheld Earth—an enormous blue sphere speckled with white clouds, green forests, and brown landmasses—the astronauts reminded humanity of its shared origins. In the words of Pope Francis, it was a striking vision of “our common home.”
For generations, students were taught that space and time were immutable constants. A meter was always a meter, and a second always a second—whether on Earth or in the farthest corners of the cosmos.
This notion was upended in 1915, when Albert Einstein, during World War i, unveiled his General Theory of Relativity. Einstein demonstrated that space and time—unified as space-time—are not fixed but instead are shaped and distorted by gravity and velocity. Under certain conditions, a meter might no longer measure a meter and a second might no longer take a second. These insights were encapsulated in his groundbreaking field equation, a mathematical representation of how matter and energy warp the fabric of the universe.
Two years later, in 1917, Einstein realized that his equation described a dynamic universe—one capable of expanding or contracting, much like a flexible sheet of rubber. This directly contradicted the prevailing belief of the time, which held that the universe was static, eternal, and unchanging.
In response to this tension, and eager to align with the consensus, Einstein introduced a modification to his theory: the cosmological constant—a term he added to enforce a static model of the universe. With this adjustment, the field equation now described a cosmos with no beginning and no end, which momentarily pleased the scientific community. Einstein himself later admitted this alteration was a compromise, famously referring to it as the “greatest blunder” of his career, especially after subsequent discoveries—such as Edwin Hubble’s observations—confirmed that the universe is indeed expanding.
On May 9, 1931, the Catholic priest and astrophysicist Georges Lemaître[1] published a groundbreaking article titled “The Beginning of the World from the Perspective of Quantum Theory” in Nature, one of the world’s oldest and most respected scientific journals. In this work, Lemaître decisively challenged the long-held belief in a static, eternal universe, a theory supported by leading scientists of his day, including Albert Einstein. Drawing on the implications of general relativity and the emerging principles of quantum mechanics, Lemaître proposed that the universe was not static but expanding and therefore must have had a beginning.
In his hypothesis, he envisioned that if we could reverse the arrow of time, the universe would shrink into a denser and denser state until all matter was compressed into a single point—what he called a “primeval atom.” This incredibly dense state would contain all the matter and energy[2] of the present universe. At a particular moment, this “primitive atom” would fragment, initiating the creation of space and time. Lemaître’s proposal was revolutionary, laying the conceptual foundation for what would later become known as the Big Bang theory.
Lemaître’s ideas were not isolated. A decade earlier, in 1922, the Russian physicist Aleksandr Friedmann[3] developed a mathematical model based on Einstein’s own field equations, describing a universe that could expand. Then, in 1929, American astronomer Edwin Hubble presented observational evidence that galaxies are receding from us—demonstrating that the universe is, in fact, expanding. This observation provided the empirical confirmation needed to support Friedmann’s and Lemaître’s theoretical models.
Confronted with this growing body of evidence, Einstein eventually abandoned his “cosmological constant,” which he had introduced in 1917 to maintain the idea of a static universe. He would later confess that this adjustment was “the greatest blunder” of his scientific career. The scientific consensus began to shift: the universe had not always existed—it had a beginning.
Long before these scientific breakthroughs, the Judeo-Christian tradition attributed the authorship of Genesis—and the rest of the Pentateuch—to Moses, a towering figure in both faith and history. According to Exodus 6:20, Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed, members of the tribe of Levi, during the time of Pharaoh’s decree to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. Placed in a basket and hidden among the reeds of the Nile River[4], Moses was discovered by Princess Termutis, the daughter of Pharaoh, who adopted him and raised him as a prince of Egypt. As the brother of the future pharaoh, Moses received the finest education available in the ancient world.
And yet, the Genesis account he authored contains astonishing statements about the origins of the universe—statements that seem remarkably in harmony with what modern science has only recently come to understand. How could Moses, writing more than three millennia ago, possess knowledge that echoes modern scientific discovery? He described a universe with a definite beginning, an idea confirmed only in the 20th century by cosmologists. He wrote that everything began from nothing, aligning with the theory that space, time, and matter all emerged from a singular point. Moses spoke of the light existing on the first day, before the sun, moon, and stars were created on the fourth day—a detail that resonates with the Big Bang model, where light[5] and energy appeared long before stars formed. He stated that organic matter originated from “soil”, in agreement with the law of conservation of energy[6]. He wrote that life began in the oceans, a view now widely held in biology. Most profoundly, Moses reflected the principle of biogenesis—that life only arises from existing life (God)—a foundational concept in biology today.
Space, time, matter, energy, and motion—these five elements govern the entire universe, as evidenced by the general theory of relativity and the evolution of quantum mechanics, disciplines that have earned numerous scientists the Nobel Prize. Remarkably, these foundational elements also appear in the very first verse of Genesis: “In the beginning [time], God created [energy] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter] […] and the Spirit of God was moving [motion] over the surface of the waters.” How could Moses, writing millennia ago, have articulated a vision so aligned with the fundamental structure of the cosmos?
It is important to clarify what it means to “create.” A creator brings something into existence from nothing. Human beings transform—crafting furniture from trees and sculptures from stone—but we do not create ex nihilo. The universe, including our planet and the sun, did not emerge from nothing. The Big Bang marked the explosion of essential primordial energy. But where did that energy come from? Only a creator, in the truest sense, could have initiated such an event.
Sacred texts from various world religions also contain accounts of the universe’s origins. However, in contrast to the Bible, which speaks of a creation from nothing, many of these texts describe creation from preexisting elements. Let us examine a few examples from religious traditions I consider significant due to the vast number of their adherents.
In Islam, the Qur’an is regarded as the literal Word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel. These revelations began on December 22 in ad 609, when Muhammad was forty years old, and continued until his death twenty-three years later. The Prophet conveyed to his followers the messages he received, which were later compiled into the Qur’an after his death in ad 632. Under the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, the Qur’an took its final form: 114 chapters (surahs) composed of verses (ayats). The text is not arranged thematically or chronologically, but generally by the length of the surahs. Consequently, references to Creation are scattered throughout the book. One such passage reads:
Say, “Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds.” And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures’] sustenance in four days without distinction – for [the information] of those who ask. Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, “Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion.” They said, “We have come willingly.” And He completed them as seven heavens within two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. (Surah 41.9-12)
Another passage emphasizes the role of water in the origin of life:
Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is competent over all things. (Surah 24.45)
From these verses, it is evident that the Qur’an describes the beginning of the universe as originating from “smoke”—a substance already familiar to humankind—and life as arising from a liquid medium.
Hinduism’s foundational sacred scriptures are the Four Vedas, considered among the oldest religious texts in the world. Each Veda offers unique insights into spiritual practice, cosmology, and the nature of creation:
- The Rigveda is primarily a collection of hymns, prayers, and mantras dedicated to various deities and demigods who represent cosmic forces.
- The Yajurveda focuses on the performance of religious rituals and sacrificial ceremonies, serving as a manual for conducting rites.
- The Samaveda, whose name derives from the Sanskrit word sāman (meaning “song”), contains melodies and chants, often drawing content from the Rigveda but emphasizing their proper musical rendition.
- The Atharvaveda includes spells, charms, and ritual practices. Its name, derived from Atharvan (priest), signifies its role in ritual invocation and folk traditions.
These texts were composed orally by priestly poets from various castes between the 14th and 5th centuries bc. Like the Qur’an, the Vedas do not follow a consistent narrative structure. Their hymns are often unordered, repetitive, and occasionally contradictory. In terms of cosmology, the Vedas present multiple accounts of creation, each tied to the deity being worshiped. Below is a summary[7] of the primary creation myths found within Hindu tradition:
- Brahman – The Supreme Creator. According to one tradition, Brahman, the divine essence, and creator, emerged from a lotus blossom. He was originally the entire universe and, from himself, created the gods, placing them in their respective realms: Agni (fire) in the earthly realm, Vayu (wind) in the atmosphere, and Surya (sun) in the heavens. He then ascended to Satyaloka, the highest and most exalted sphere, leaving the created universe behind.
- Vishnu – The Sustainer and Generator. In another version, Vishnu, alongside his consort Lakshmi, is depicted reclining on a cosmic serpent with a thousand heads. In his form as Narayana, Vishnu endures the destructive fire and flood that preceded cosmic regeneration. From his navel springs a lotus flower, and from this flower Brahma, the creator god, is born. Thus, Vishnu serves as the generative force from which the act of creation proceeds.
- Shiva – The Transformer and Cosmic Architect. A third account centers on Shiva, who holds a jug made of clay containing the nectar of immortality[8]. This sacred vessel is said to hold the principles of creation—the Vedas themselves. After crafting the jar, Brahman places it in the cosmic waters that cover the earth following a cyclical, regenerative deluge. In his wanderings, Shiva takes the form of a hunter, and by shooting an arrow into the jar, he releases the seeds of creation, thereby initiating a new cosmic cycle. This story reflects Hinduism’s cyclical concept of time, in which the universe undergoes repeated destruction and rebirth.
The Rigveda also includes the Purusha Sukta, a profound hymn describing the creation of humanity[9] through the sacrifice of Manu, the primordial being. From this cosmic sacrifice emerged all aspects of existence: from his mouth came the Brahmins (priestly caste), from his arms, the Kshatriyas (warriors), from his legs, the Vaishyas (merchants and farmers) and from his feet, the Shudras (servants and laborers).
Moreover, cosmic elements are said to have emerged from him: the moon from his mind, the sun from his eye, and the wind from his breath.
As these diverse narratives illustrate, Hindu cosmology embraces multiple, often symbolic creation stories, each associated with a different deity. Importantly, in all versions, creation proceeds from preexisting elements—such as a lotus flower, a clay jar, or the body of a primordial being—rather than emerging from nothing.
The Tripitaka (also spelled Tipitaka) constitutes the core of the Buddhist canon, compiled during the reign of King Walagambahu in Sri Lanka during the first century bc, approximately five hundred years after the passing of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha[10]. These scriptures represent the foundational teachings of Theravāda Buddhism and are divided into three primary “baskets” (pitaka):
- Sutta Pitaka – A compilation of discourses attributed to the Buddha, covering ethical teachings, meditative practices, and philosophical dialogues.
- Vinaya Pitaka – The monastic code outlining rules and ethical conduct for monks and nuns.
- Abhidhamma Pitaka – A detailed scholastic analysis of mental processes and phenomena, presenting a systematic interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings.
Unlike Abrahamic or Hindu religious texts, the Tripitaka does not contain a creation narrative. Nowhere in the Buddhist scriptures is there a mention of a deity creating the universe or humankind. Instead, the Buddhist worldview emphasizes a cyclical understanding of existence: everything that exists—whether material or immaterial—is subject to birth, life, decay, and death, repeating endlessly across infinite eons. Matter is considered eternal, not created from nothing, but arising and dissolving in accordance with the law of dependent origination (paṭicca samuppāda).
In addressing metaphysical questions, including those concerning the origin of the universe and life, the Buddha advised restraint and focus on liberation, rather than idle speculation. A pivotal teaching in this regard comes from the Acintita Sutta (“The Unconjecturables”), which warns against attempting to fathom that which lies beyond ordinary comprehension:
These four unconjecturable, oh monks, should not be thought; conjectured of these, one would experience grief and madness. What are these four? (1) The sphere [of knowledge] of the Buddhas, O monks, is an unconjecturable that should not be thought; conjectured about this, one would experience grief and madness. (2) The sphere of meditative absorptions, oh monks! is an unconjecturable that should not be conjectured; conjectured about this, one would experience grief and madness. (3) The result of actions (kamma), oh monks, is an unconjecturable that should not be conjectured; conjectured about this, one would experience grief and madness. (4) To conjectured about the [origin] of the world, oh monks, is an unconjecturable that should not be conjectured; conjectured about this, one would experience grief and madness. These four unconjecturable, oh monks, should not be conjectured; conjectured of these, one would experience grief and madness. (Acintita Sutta 392, Sixth Buddhist Council; emphasis mine)
This passage underscores a key feature of early Buddhism: its agnostic approach to cosmological origins. The Buddha viewed questions about the beginning or end of the universe as ultimately irrelevant to the cessation of suffering, which is the central concern of the Dharma.
Buddhism offers a strikingly different perspective from many religious traditions. It does not posit a divine creator or an act of creation ex nihilo. Instead, it presents a universe governed by causality, impermanence, and interdependence. The focus is not on how or why the universe came to be, but rather on how beings suffer and how they can attain liberation (nirvāṇa). The Buddha’s repeated emphasis on pragmatic insight over metaphysical speculation reinforces this shift from cosmological beginnings to existential ends.
The Bible, though composed more than 3,500 years ago in a language embedded with symbolism and metaphor, continues to astonish scholars and believers alike with its elegance, internal coherence, clarity, and precision. Despite its ancient origins, the biblical narrative of the universe’s creation remarkably aligns in key stages with what modern scientific discovery has revealed only in the last century. Let us explore this correspondence in greater depth.
According to modern scientific understanding, the universe began with a monumental event known as the Big Bang—a singularity from which space, time, matter, and energy all emerged simultaneously. This idea of a definitive beginning stands in contrast to earlier scientific assumptions of an eternal, unchanging universe. Yet, the very first verse of the Book of Genesis already states this truth plainly: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), declaring a cosmic origin from a moment in time.
Science further explains that this immense explosion released an extraordinary quantity of light and energy, a remnant of which still permeates the cosmos today as cosmic microwave background radiation[11]. The Bible mirrors this phenomenon closely in its next statement: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Light, in both accounts, marks one of the very first consequences of creation.
As the universe continued to expand and cool, atoms—primarily hydrogen and helium—formed and began to coalesce into vast, formless clouds. Gravitational forces pulled these particles together, giving rise to the first stars, galaxies, and planetary systems. In the Genesis narrative, we read: “God called the dry ground ‘land’” (Genesis 1:10), and shortly after, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night…” (Genesis 1:14–15). Here, the formation of celestial bodies, including stars and planets, appears in a sequence that aligns with scientific understanding.
Modern geology and planetary science explain that Earth’s atmosphere began forming about four billion years ago. As the planet cooled after a violent era of volcanic activity, water vapor accumulated and eventually condensed into clouds, leading to the formation of rain and oceans. The Bible’s version reads: “There were not yet any plants of the field nor had any herbs sprouted… for the Lord God had not made it rain upon the earth… He made a mist rise from the ground to water the whole surface” (Genesis 2:5–6), a strikingly similar depiction of Earth’s early hydrological processes.
As life began to emerge, science tells us that unicellular organisms—notably phytoplankton—were among the earliest living things to appear, laying the foundation for the plant kingdom. The Bible also places plant life before animals, stating: “God said, ‘Let the land bring forth plants… each according to its own kind.’ And it was so.” (Genesis 1:11). The sequence is again consistent with the fossil record.
Continuing the narrative, scientific findings show that marine animals preceded terrestrial creatures, first populating the oceans before venturing onto land. The Cambrian Explosion offers strong evidence of this sudden diversification of animal life. Genesis describes the process in much the same order: “God created the great sea creatures and all the other creatures that fill the waters… God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures…’” (Genesis 1:21-24), mirroring the progression from sea to land.
Finally, the human being emerges as the most complex of all creatures. According to science, humans share the same basic organic elements as all other living organisms—derived from the earth itself. The Bible agrees but adds a dimension science cannot quantify: “Then the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the earth, and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7). Here, the biblical account introduces the concept of the soul, the divine breath that imparts consciousness and spiritual identity—a profound mystery that remains beyond the reach of empirical explanation.
Having now examined the cosmological views of the four most widely followed world religions—Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity—a fascinating observation emerges. The Qur’an acknowledges a divine creation but often portrays it as emerging from preexisting elements, such as smoke and water. Hinduism offers multiple narratives, each associated with different deities, often invoking symbolic and material metaphors like the lotus flower or sacred vessels. Buddhism, in contrast, abstains from a creator myth altogether, presenting a vision of cyclical existence and actively discouraging speculation about the origin of the universe.
Among these perspectives, the Biblical account in Genesis stands out not only for its linear chronology but also for its striking alignment with scientific discoveries, described in a manner that is sophisticated, detailed, and uncannily accurate—particularly for a text written in antiquity. Its bold claims about a beginning, the emergence of light, the sequence of cosmic and biological development, and the unique nature of humanity seem too coherent to be attributed solely to ancient imagination.
More than 75% of the global population adheres to one of the four religions discussed. Yet it is the Biblical creation narrative that appears to resonate most closely with the insights of modern science. Could such detailed convergence—written millennia ago by authors without access to telescopes, particle accelerators, or genomic analysis—be chalked up to coincidence or poetic luck?
[1]Georges Lemaître (Belgium, 1894-1966) was a Catholic priest of the Jesuit order, as well as a renowned scientist. In remarks to The New York Times, he addressed the apparent duality between faith and science: “I was interested in the truth from the point of view of salvation and from the point of view of scientific certainty. It seemed to me that both paths lead to the truth, and I decided to follow both. Nothing in my professional life, nor in what I have encountered in science and in religion, has ever led me to change my mind.”
[2]Einstein’s famous formula, E = mc², expresses the relationship between mass and energy, showing that a small amount of mass can be converted into a large amount of energy.
[3]Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Friedman (Saint Petersburg, June 16, 1888 – Leningrad, September 16, 1925) was a Russian mathematician and meteorologist, best known for his contributions to relativistic cosmology.
[4]According to what was said in Jewish Antiquities, book ii, chapter 9, paragraph 5, by Josefo Flavio.
[5]According to the Big Bang theory, the origin of the universe involved a massive explosion that released an immense amount of light and energy. In 1978, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson for their discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation—faint thermal radiation considered a remnant of that primordial event and one of the most significant pieces of evidence supporting the Big Bang model.
[6]Discovered in the mid-19th century, thanks to the work of Julius Mayer, James Prescott Joule, Hermann von Helmholtz, and others.
[7]You can see the books I quoted on the web page https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm (Rigveda, book x, hymns 72, 81, 90, 121, 129, 181, 182 and 190).
[8]In Sanskrit, Amrita—meaning “deathless”—is the name given to the mythical nectar of immortality. The term symbolizes eternal life and divine essence in Hindu mythology. Amrita has been etymologically associated by some with the word Atlantic, which has been interpreted in certain esoteric or symbolic contexts to mean “one who transcends through the inexplicable” or “one who possesses or understands feminine energy.”
[9]See https://universohindu.com
[10]Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Gautama Buddha—or simply the Buddha—was a monk, mendicant, philosopher, and sage whose teachings laid the foundation of Buddhism. He was born in the ancient Shakya Republic, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, and taught primarily in the northwestern regions of India.
To prevent common misconceptions, it is important to clarify that Gautama Buddha is not considered a god, nor is he the only or the first Buddha. According to Buddhist cosmology, the title “Buddha” refers to one who has attained full enlightenment, a state that any human can achieve. Humans are seen as possessing the greatest potential for enlightenment, though this is not limited to humanity as we know it.
[11]The cosmic microwave background radiation was first detected in 1965 by American physicists Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson at Bell Laboratories in Crawford Hill, near Holmdel Township, New Jersey. This groundbreaking discovery earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978.
