In the bible creation is explained thus:
Creation of Light
God saw the light, that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness, and called the light Day and the darkness Night.
This is a first stage of creation
Creation of water and sky.
About 4 billion years ago liquid water appeared on the planet.
Creation of Dry Land
About 3.5 billion years ago land began forming on this planet. It was land that was for the most part water logged. The bible also mentions the creation of plants at this time.
As far as most scientists I've heard of know very simple early plants developing probably are responsible for the oxygen creation in our atmosphere. Making life for other forms of existence possible.
Living Creatures Created in the Water
About 700-800m years ago softbodied multicellular creatures began appearing in the world's waters.
Living Creatures Created on the Land
About 300m to 400m years ago life began in earnest on the land masses of the earth.
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Now what I find particularly interesting is that the biblical order of creation corresponds quite well with the scientific order.
I think most scientists will say the earth began out of the big bang. Possibly the "light" described in the beginning. In the beginning of the earth's history I also believe most geologists will tell you it was nothing but a void rock.
First, liquid develops on the planet.
Second, landmasses slowly begin to move out from underneath the seas.
Plant life begins to develop. Now most will say that bacteria came first, not plants. But technically speaking the early bacteria were able to sustain themselves because they developed photosynthesis. Which makes them fairly plant-like.
Very simple creatures develop in the world's oceans.
Very simple creatures make their way onto the land.
Land animals evolve from then.
Now I think it is pretty remarkable that if the bible is nothing more than a collection of old myths that these ancient humans developed a myth that so closely follows the order of things.
What would make a simple man 5,000 years ago say, "Hmm, let's say water came first, not land."
In fact, if I was a smart fellow 5,000 years ago and was using logic, I'd think landmasses came before water. And that "rain" created water on the earth, which covered up part of the landmasses.
But that wasn't really the case. The earth starts out void, water forms. Then land masses develop through the water.
Now of course rocks and the crust had to have been present before the creation of water. But technically speaking "land" as it were back when the bible was written was not considered to be "land" if it was under 7m of water.
And why in their myth making did they decide to say plant life came first? Why not animal life? Why in their myth making did they say water was where animals original developed and not land?
The big problem of course is that the bible says all of this happened over a period of seven days. Which any geologist or even any simple person with a very basic grasp of science will tell you is just ludicrous.
As I've said before though, Genesis doesn't actually say the earth et al. was created in 7 days. That is just what the Catholic Church interpreted the Ancient Greek to mean, which in itself was just interpreting the Ancient Hebrew.
