Imagine my surprise when I traced my ancestry right back to the Garden of Eden...which is about as far back as you can go, yes? Why, I might go so far as to say that my reaction was--disbelief. Incredulity, even. And yet, here it is in glorious living color.

I hate to be a cynic, but it seems to me that when you venture back, I dunno, a jillion or so generations, you're wandering pretty far into the fields of fantasy. Leaving aside the question of whether the earliest biblical characters were actual historic figures--and the fact that the earth is way more than 6000 years old--there are any number of logistical issues at play here. Like, who kept track of that sort of stuff thousands of years ago? And isn't it amazing that these "way back" branches of the family tree seem to include only really important people--kings, pharoahs, an occasional royal vizier or something--and never ordinary shopkeepers, farmers, or day-laborers? Once again, it almost strains credulity.

In short--everything in this section is for fun only. I don't believe I can authoritatively trace my ancestry to Abraham, or Adam, any more than I assert a family connection to Bruce Wayne or the Cisco Kid.

So... bring your salt, and have fun!

William J Reynolds
May 2003