Who was the first father?

The question of "who was the first father" delves into the very origins of humanity and is answered differently across the realms of religion, mythology, and science. In the Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—the first father is unequivocally Adam. According to the Book of Genesis in the Bible and the Quran, God created Adam from dust or clay, breathing life into him as the first human being. He was placed in the Garden of Eden and was given dominion over all living things. Eve was subsequently created from Adam's rib to be his companion. As the progenitor of all humankind, Adam is not only the first man but also the first father, fathering children, including Cain, Abel, and Seth, through whom the human race is said to have descended.

In Hindu mythology, the role of the first father is held by Manu. The scriptures speak of multiple Manus who preside over different cosmic ages or Manvantaras. However, the most prominent is Vaivasvata Manu, the seventh and current Manu, who is considered the progenitor of the present human race. The story of Vaivasvata Manu bears a striking resemblance to the story of Noah's Ark. Warned by the god Vishnu (in his fish avatar, Matsya) of an impending great flood that would destroy the world, Manu built a giant boat. He carried his family, the seven great sages (Saptarishi), and the seeds of all life onto the boat, thus surviving the deluge and repopulating the Earth. All human beings are believed to be his descendants, hence the Sanskrit word for human, manava, means "of Manu" or "children of Manu."

From a scientific, evolutionary perspective, there is no single "first father" in the same way as in mythology. Human evolution was a gradual process occurring over millions of years, with populations of hominins slowly evolving, rather than a single couple giving rise to all humanity. However, genetics offers a concept known as "Y-chromosomal Adam." This is not a specific individual but a scientific inference. He is the most recent common patrilineal ancestor from whom all living men are descended. This means that all men alive today carry a Y-chromosome that can be traced back to this one individual. It is crucial to understand that he was not the only man alive at his time; he was simply the man whose paternal line has survived unbroken to the present day. Scientific estimates place Y-chromosomal Adam as having lived in Africa somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago. This scientific "Adam" provides a fascinating genetic counterpart to the mythological figures, representing a different but equally profound way of understanding our shared human ancestry.