Russ, you mentioned being rusty, well I never got started as far as original languages are concerned (a little greek but no hebrew/aramaic). Still, serious exegesis is what is called for if we really want to get into Genesis!

I’m prepared to muddle along and be corrected whenever needed by all the real scholars who will have oversight of our discussions here at OST - and thanks to all of you, that is a great feeling!

As far as the first humans being superior, that assumption is at least as old as the targums (like Pseudo Jonathan). in fact the suppositiion is that satan was so envious of these glorious creatures that he was driven to tempt Eve.

An interesting exegesis of the creation of mankind (The Living Breath of God and the Three Steps in Fashioning Humanity)

if the link doesn’t work it can be found at 

http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article9106.asp

Live to serve : Serve to live