וַיִּיצֶר ה' אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה:
God formed one human from the dust of the earth. God blew into the human’s nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being.
[JPS translation]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What does it mean that we are formed from the dust of the earth?
2. According to this text, human life is sacred. How should this foundational premise influence how we treat each other - near and far?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)