You only dealt with half of the definition, or concentrated on the last half. How is knowledge gained, and what is scientific knowledge. All scientific knowledge must be gained by observation. If there is on observer it is not science. There was no one to observe the origin of the earth, thus evolution puts itself in the realm of the metaphysical or faith and religion. It is scientism not science. It takes faith to believe in evolution. It cannot be observed. It is not true science. Sceince is observable knowledge; knowlege gained by observation.tragic_pizza said:"a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws:"
The law of gravity was discovered by observation--an apple falling off of a tree. Never did any apple fall and go upward into outerspace. All things fall downward because of gravity. It is our observation that gives us that knowledge.
Are you denying that these individuals had knowledge, gained by their own observation of what they accomplished in their respective fields? Are you denying that they were experts, as the Bible says they were, each in their own fields? Would not an expert in music be student of it? An observer? A scientist of his own art?OR, more likely, these were archetypal individuals. Again, a matter of a "how the elephant got his trunk" story. It's that, or every cowboy descended, literally, from Jabal, every musician descended, literally, from Jubal, and every blacksmith descended, literally, from Tubalcain. Every last one.
Why do you take the one part of native superstition out of the context of everything else that Jacob did? Why do you ignore all else that Jacob did in the science of genetics and breeding? Isn't it odd that you choose this one lttle inicident out of all the chapters and details given to the work that Jacob put into the raising of sheep. Amazing! What a selective memory you have. Yet, in spite of that incident you fail to realize that it was God that over-ruled that entire incident, when the record plainly says:Perhaps. What is more likely is this: a bit of a fable sprang up about ol' daddy Jacob:
"Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted." (Genesis 30:37-39).
Can you direct me to the branch (pardon the pun) of animal husbandry that directs shepherds to strip poplars to make sheep speckled? Or is it possible that parts of Genesis are the recorded inspired, but oral, traditions of the Hebrew people?
Genesis 31:9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
--How did God give Jacob the cattle? Not by stripped poplars as you suggest! It wasn't through superstition. It was God that gave those cattle to him in spite of a native superstion. Are you willing to believe the Bible on this account or not.
Now go back and read the entire account and see how Jacob used natural selection and breeding techniques to raise strong cattle of a specific variety, and make sure that another variety was of a weaker sort. That was entirely apart from the incident of the stripped poplars. If you can't see it, your blind to the Scriptures. Jacob was aware of genetic principles.