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Among Christians, the "first day of creation is 6000 years ago" theory didn't really gain prominence until the early 1900s, as a part of the Christian Fundamentalist movement (which pushed strong literalism), which itself was a reaction to the Liberal Christianity movement of the late 1800s (which pushed the idea that all of scripture was figurative). Wikipedia has fairly straightforward summaries of the history of both groups. Consider this very modern-sounding quote: >> "For who that has understanding will suppose that the first, and second, and third day, and the evening and the morning, existed without a sun, and moon, and stars? and that the first day was, as it were, also without a sky? And who is so foolish as to suppose that God, after the manner of a husbandman, planted a paradise in Eden, towards the east, and placed in it a tree of life, visible and palpable, so that one tasting of the fruit by the bodily teeth obtained life? and again, that one was a partaker of good and evil by masticating what was taken from the tree? And if God is said to walk in the paradise in the evening, and Adam to hide himself under a tree, I do not suppose that anyone doubts that these things figuratively indicate certain mysteries, the history having taken place in appearance, and not literally." That was written by Origen of Alexandria, probably around 250 AD (part of http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.vi.v.v.ii.html ). I've found sentiments of that nature are common among very ancient Christians, as well as among Jews of the same era. |