Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria, grappled with these questions centuries ago. And his interpretations, preserved in what we call The Midrash of Philo, offer a fascinating perspective. Philo dives deep into the creation narrative, exploring not just what happened, but why. He asks: What does it mean that God gave humans dominion over the animals? Was Noah, after the flood, granted the same honor as Adam?
Philo points out that the scripture says, "And God made man; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and said, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth; and be ye lords over it…” (Genesis 1:27-28). God bestows this power upon humanity right from the start. And this echoes in the story of Noah, who, after the deluge, receives a similar mandate. Philo sees a profound connection here, suggesting that Noah, in a way, represents a "second creation" of humanity.
But here's where it gets really interesting. Philo distinguishes between two versions of man's creation. He argues that the first Adam, the one created "in the image of God," is different from the Adam fashioned from clay. He sees the first Adam as an "incorporeal entity," a being of pure spirit, created on the sixth day, a number considered perfect. The second Adam, formed from the earth, comes later, on the seventh day, after the world is complete.
Why this distinction? Philo suggests that it's about more than just physical creation. It's about the potential for humans to cultivate wisdom and virtue. He interprets the dominion over animals allegorically. It's not just about physical control, but about the soul's ability to master its own base instincts. : What does it mean to "rule over" beasts? Philo argues it means subduing wickedness, which he sees as untamed and savage. "Flying fowls," with their lightness and pride, represent arrogance and mischief. And the "creeping things?" Those are the destructive vices that slither through the soul: concupiscence (strong sexual desire), sadness, cowardice. Even the "fishes," pursuing a life of fleeting pleasure, represent a lack of wisdom and sobriety.
So, according to Philo, God wants the souls of wise people to cultivate beauty and virtue, filling their minds like the earth is filled, leaving no room for folly. And this inner transformation is what truly allows us to fulfill our role as stewards of creation.
Philo's interpretation might seem a bit different from what you might have heard before. But it invites us to consider: What does it truly mean to be created in God’s image? Is it simply a matter of physical form? Or does it involve cultivating inner qualities of wisdom, virtue, and self-mastery? Perhaps, according to Philo, it’s both.
This devotion of the inferior animals to man, God also at the beginning of the creation bestowed on the sixth day upon man, after he had created him in his own image; for the scripture saith, "And God made man; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and said, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth; and be ye lords over it, and be ye rulers of the fishes, and of the flying fowls, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." And did he not by these words evidently intimate that Noah, at the beginning of what we may call the second creation of mankind, was found equal in honour to that creature who in the first instance was made as to his form in the likeness of himself? Therefore he equally assigned both to the one and to the other the principality and power over all the creatures that live upon the earth. But do thou diligently take notice that he showed this man, who at the time of the deluge was the only just man and the king of all the creatures which live upon the earth, to be equal in honour, not to the identical man who was first created and formed out of the earth, but to that one who was made according to the likeness and form of the true incorporeal entity, to whom also he gives power, making him a king, not the very created man (or the man formed out of the earth), but him who is according to his form and similitude, that is to say, incorporeal. Wherefore also the creation of that man, who as to his form is incorporeal, was marked to have taken place on the sixth day, in accordance with the perfect number six; but the creation of that man who was created after the completion of the world and subsequent to the generation of all animals on the seventh day, because it is after that that the manly figure was fashioned out of clay. Therefore after the days of generation he says, "on the seventh day of the world;" for God had not yet rained upon the earth, and no man did exist who could cultivate the earth. And then he proceeds to say, "But God formed a man out of the clay of the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Therefore how he can be made worthy of the same kingly power according to the image of the man thus formed, he, I mean, who is the beginning of the second creation of mankind, is indicated by the letter of the history that relates these events. But with reference to the inward sense of the passage we must give an explanation in the following manner. God wills that the souls of wise men should increase in the magnitude and multitude of the beauty of their virtues, and should fill the mind as if it were the earth with those beauties, leaving no portion empty and void so as to become occupied by folly. And he wills also that they should rule over, and strike terror into, and inflict alarm upon all beasts; that is to say, he wills that all wickedness should be subdued by their will, since wickedness is of an untamed and savage nature. Also he willed that they should be lords over all flying fowls, which by reason of their lightness are raised on high, being armed with courage and empty pride, and which thus cause the greatest mischief, being scarcely controlled at all by fear. Moreover, he made them rulers over all creeping things, which are the symbols of destructive vices, for they creep through the whole soul, namely, concupiscence, desire, sadness, and cowardice, striking and goading; as also they are indicated by the fishes, which eagerly cultivate a moist and delicate life, but one which is far from being sober, wise, or lasting.
