Why the Engineers Wanted To Destroy Humanity Explained

why are all answers have anything to do with religion or Jesus?

I think the simplest explanation is that they are engineers....experimenters.

They wanted to create the most perfect beings....

and human are just one of their experiments.

their true goal was to advance the creation of the xenomorph a.k.a aliens

they created humans so that humans can be the breeding ground for their most advanced creation.....humans can be the place for these xenomorphs to mutate and evolve...

hence, the reason for their plan to bring all these vases full of xenomorphs' genetic materials and shoot them on their way to earth....

any thoughts?

We can never be sure what the reasons are, yes maybe the 2000 years ago was purely coincidence, Ridley did play on that by dropping the Jesus hint as maybe a Red Herring but all the connections to Ancient Mythology and Religions could be there on purpose and maybe that these cultures and believes are just interpretation of Engineer contact that could be warped over years as stories are passed on from generation to generation and maybe ultimately what we then end up as being God Like Creators is far off what the real Agenda is.

There are many inconsistencies and well problems with some of the ideas of why they created us to then destroy us, we just cant be sure of what the Big Picture is and i think this is the vocal point of Paradise.

You see why wait 2000 years ago, what was different to Mankind 2000 years ago compared to 4000 years ago? 

Could it be that they had to work to perfect their Xeno Experiments and it was just not ready over 2000 years ago?

Could it be that they felt they had to act sooner as Mankind was starting to show signs of Advancing Fast?

We really still dont know why we was created for, its open to debate.  But creating us just to purely use as a Xeno Host seems a little odd... The Xeno is a near perfect life form as far as its ability to procreate and survive but so are Ants and Cockroaches.  A Xeno is Intelligent but nothing seems to show us that they are higher being that way than our Engineers or indeed mankind.

Maybe there is some kind of worship with the Xeno maybe some reason they felt a great deal of respect and appreciation for the Organism or its predecessor?

The movie does try and tie in these Engineers with our creation and thus all Religion to a degree, so it would be right to assume there was a plan for us and we was created for some purpose and that surely cant be to use as Xeno Hosts as well  what benefit does having Billions of Xenos have for the Engineers? Or maybe there is some benefit and use for the Organism.

Maybe the Engineers created us for some purpose and to serve them, and after we would not obey them, the Engineers came across some new Toy to play with and they wanted to the spite us with their new favoured creation?

We just cant be sure, i would kind of hope that these Engineers are merely tools of the Elders and that they rebelled against the Elders and found some Organism to use against their creators.

They then started to worship to a degree this organism, and then attempted to get mankind to worship them as Gods... this would be like Weyland using David to create a new Life form and then David killing off mankind and trying to get this life form to then worship David as God... but when this said life form does not then David creates something else to wipe out this creation.

I would think and hope something along those lines is what we have, but only time will tell or would it? Would we just be left with even more answered questions and clues that are so ambiguous that well we will never get to figure out whats going on?

Worth reading to understand why religion and Jesus come up when discussing 'Prometheus', especially when you look at specific comments Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof have made during interviews.

Cavalorn's LiveJournal

Nice Find....

I do not think they would go the whole in your face Jesus on cross Engineer route, i think they would be more subtle and i would not even want to see a Scene of such things.

I would be as Lindeloff hinted in that link, like to see some flash back scenes such as what the Sacrificial Engineer scene was in the first movie and thus see scenes of Engineers interacting with mankind. As i think they are hinting that these Engineers had played a part in visiting mankind every once in a while to teach us new Technology and also to upgrade us.

But as far as any reference to Jesus etc, i would simply have this either in a scene where David reads some Engineer Tablets etc or is confronted by a Engineer or Elder and it speaks to David.

Either way we dont get a translation of the Writing or Engineer Talk, but only Davids interpretation as we saw in Prometheus... And i would then have it that David relays to Shaw that these Elders/Engineers had become upset at how mankind had become, and they had tried many times to try and steer us on to the path the Engineers wanted but after one last attempt via a Emissary on their behalf had failed.

The Engineers decreed that Mankind must be punished.

I think thats all we would need at the most, we would not need any hints or scenes to sugest this Emissary  was Jesus, or a Engineer, or a Hybrid or even any indication as to what timeframe this event occured.

Just as from Alien we dont need a Spoon Fed Scene of the Space Jockeys flight from getting into the Pilot Chair to being Chest Busted, and how, when and why.

Its not needed...

If there would be any hint to the event, then again David would come across clues either from Tablets or contact with Engineers or even leave it for Part 3 if they go back to LV 223 or even for another Android or Scientist to come across clues on LV 223.

And then it merely has to be to tell that these Engineers was either transporting a Organism to be tested on LV 223, or that they had created a Organism on LV 223 to be transported... but ultimately which ever it is, the Organism in the stage that it was, was to  hazoudous a Bio Weapon and so they attempted to go back to the Drawing Board.

Something like this would be enough to tell what LV 223 was used for and to show that the transportation of the Xeno Egg Bio Weapon was not perfect and had its pit falls.

Saying that i do see a theme about multiple levels of Creator to Creation and Rebellion of Creation and Punishment via another creation.

For this reason, i think it could be said that Elders created Engineers just for same reasons Weyland created David 8,  and that there was some rebellion as the Engineers or a fraction did not want to serve the Elders and thought they was a superior race, this fits perfectly with the Frail Elders compared to their creation the Engineers... so just how David would see he is superior to his creators.

At some point and for some reason Mankind was created... maybe the Elders used some Engineers who was still loyal to create Mankind as a successor to the Engineers, and the Engineers was then having to serve Mankind, just as Angels are in the Bible. To watch over and teach us.

Again this could make the Engineers jealous, or maybe the Engineers created us so we could serve them and as they rebel against their creators they then wanted to ascend the throne as the Worshiped ones and tried to get us to Worship them.

At some point the Xeno or related organism came into the mix, was this something the Elders wanted to use on the Rebellious fraction of Engineers but ultimately it back fired on them... And then the Engineers in turn tried to Experiment with and Re-Weaponize this threat to use on their creators?

Then after Mankind would not serve or please the Engineer fraction that intended on our destruction they then attempted to turn this Bio Weapon upon us, in the process creating a new Race.

I am not sure what would be going on, but i do think something similar to the above cant be ruled out, just in what order and relation the Elder/Engineer/Mankind and Xeno have is uncertain.

This would explain maybe why no Engineers or Elders on Paradise bothered to come back, unless they simply wanted us dead but after the failure of their plans they then just felt to leave us to Rot on Earth and we would some day kill each other off, so they basically abandon us and do not attempt to wipe us out due to the cost of trying to do so 2000 years ago.  Also in knowing that should we find LV 223 then what awaits us is DEATH

It would be safe to assume these Engineers on Paradise in the above Scenario would simply think the distances to get to Paradise would be beyond Mankind.

If the above Scenario is close to whats happening that means that Paradise has Engineers and Elders on it and that what remains of them could be in good health...

This would then open up a potential problem because if David and Shaw find Paradise which they will and if they have any Bio Weapons on board,  then the Engineers and Elders would now know how much of a threat mankind is as they can reach Paradise and by doing so they can fly the Engineers ships via Android creations like David.

Surely this would prompt the Engineers/Elders to want to go back to Earth and Finish the job as now Mankind has proven it is a massive threat and has the means to come to the Front Door of their creators.

But if so, well as in timeline of Aliens to Alien Resurrection, there is no contact with Engineers and Mankind is not destroyed....

This means that either the length of time it takes David and Shaw to get to Paradise must mean they get there after the events of Alien Resurrection... or if there is not much left of the Engineers civilisation, then by the time David is finished with Paradise there would be none left... i.e he is bringing Hell with him in Ridleys own words..

So you see there is plenty of scope for finding out what the Engineers purpose and Agenda for Mankind was.

Sometimes I think the last engineer is guilty for the outbreak in the Pyramid

@shambs

Well this may had been the idea, but the recut of the movie and scenes removed now seem to not be the case... You see the deleted scenes and even shots we not been shown such as the Engineer reading a Book in Vickers lifepod just before he found Shaw hidding behind the Bar etc.

This scene and how he acted when he saw the Voilin Girl  and the way he looked concerned for Shaw in the Engineer speaks to David and Weyland scenes and more so when you see the full scene and have some partial translations.

These dont show this Engineers as a Human Hating Psychopath.

Also these Engineers must have known about the Xeno, and what the Goo in the Urns does, even Ridleys clues to Alien seem to most likely show the Eggs or what ever orginally was on the Derelict came from LV 223 and it had taken off some 200 ish years before the outbreak.

So this race knew how deadly the Xeno was, they knew how deadly the Goo in Urns was, they had been messing about with the Xeno or Predessor and Goo for at least 200 years before the outbreak.

We have to assume they never had any major outbreaks to the level that killed them nearly all off prior to the 2000 year ago outbreak.  Surely a Advanced race has safety protocols and how to deal with such outbreaks.

So how did things go to pop.....

And why did only one survive?

Well in the concept work the Cryo Pod he slept in was refered to as HERO CHAMBER...

What was so Heroic of him? 

Did he manage to contain the outbreak, then decided to have a rest?  If he was on the same side with same Agenda, then why wait so long to wipe us out unless his Alarm Clock never worked....

However what if he had something to do with the outbreak, what if he caused it? Sabotage?

What if he did not agree that mankind should be punished as such and needed another chance and thus he Sabotaged the mission?  so he saved mankind and Earth as we know it!

In terms of the movie, that surely would be enough to warrent the name HERO!

But alas, once the crew had found LV 223, the Engineer first intrigued, and suprised but not in anyway panic or threatened.  Was not agressive.

Only when he saw how Weyland was acting like the King, like how only his Agenda mattered and that Shaws Questions and Life meant nothing to Weyland, the Engineer then found out how Selfish Mankind still was, and also then how Weyland wanted to be made Imortal and considered himself at equal to the Engineers because Weyland had created life in his own image with David.

The Engineer would have then realised David was not real, and would consider maybe this action and the requests and Agenda of Weyland as blasphemous.

We now also have to consider this Engineer if indeed he was the last one on LV 223 and if he knew he was, he would now know that not only can Mankind get to LV 223. But that the creation of Man, the Androids like David not only can speak Engineer, but can activate and work their Technology.

This Engineer would know that LV 223 still has more Juggernaught Ships.

He would then know if he does not stop Mankind and if he was to die, then Mankind would still come to LV 223 with more of these Androids and he could not risk mankind getting its hands on the Engineers secrets, the Goo and also their Ships.

He would assume that their was every chance the Android could maybe fly one of their ships and even maybe figure out where the Engineers homeworld was... (Which David does and is doing so as of the end of Promethues).

The above would show the Engineer that despite maybe he never agreed with the plan to wipe mankind, he now knows maybe his brothers had made the right choice and that he must now proceed to wipe us out as their is no way he can risk us getting the secrets and technology left on LV 223, let alone take that stuff to the Engineers homeworld.

That is my view of what went down... but seems Fox with all the cuts and comments are trying to avoid maybe that theory. And replace it with one that makes less sense.

we should all remember that more people on Earth dont believe in Jesus or believe in other Prophets like The Buddha, Mohummad, are still waiting, believe in Multiple Gods or not all than those that do. 2000 years ago most of the Worlds population was either in Europe, China and India so why on Earth would the Engineers send a messesnger to the Middle East?

I think they could have it that they send down a number of Hybrid Emissaries to various parts of the world, unless the Engineers saw the area of the Middle East as Important dont forget the area that was Babylon is believed to be where the Garden of Eden from the Bible and Koran was located.

But back in those days not all Cultures came from the Middle East, but the oldest recorded culture was viewed as Mesopotamia by most Scholars as far as first advanced Civilization and Mesopotamia is the Middle East.

Saying that Earliest proof of Human remains points to South Africa.

But i think the Middle East element is because that area pre Christ era was the one with most significant and diverse Civilizations to come and go.

One of the curisities is why the outbreak happened. If the Engineers were planning t wipe out humanity, it seems terribly convienient that there is an outbreak just prior to this, which spares humanity. It seems more likely that there may have been a disagreement within the ranks of the Engineers and some did not agree with the destruction. This could have prompted an intentional release of the black goo or some other biological weapon, such as the xenomorphs (as shown at the end). If you remember the pile of bodies that were discovered, it is mentioned that it looked like something burst out from their insides. The Engineers being attacked from within by one of their own to prevent humanity from being destroyed seems a likely scenario as we never hear an explanation as to what caused the outbreak.

Very true there was so so many different clues that you can not get definite answer, this was the aim of Lindeloffs writing and he aimed for Ambiguity he wanted us all to not be able to all come to the same concussions.

Thats always the problem with this movie is conflicting ideas and trying to give explanations that contradict...

What do i mean?

The Dead Bodies are piled up could have multiple explanations, as far as how did they get there we saw some was running away from something to get into the Mural/Urn Room.

As far as the Injuries, well many seem to have injuries over various parts of their body, notably the Arms and Leg, some also have head wounds....

Some Speculate was this wounds from what ever was chasing them? we dont know what was chasing them,  and we also can not say for sure that sound was a Deacon, it could be the sound of the Hologram starting, we cant be sure.

Yes the Cryo-Pod Engineers was chest busted and also by something that seemed similar size to the Deacon i.e larger than the Xeno hole in the Space Jockey in Alien from inside.

Here is proof...

This is kind of similar size to the Deacon at the end as opposed to the Xeno Chest Busters.

Yet the outside hole of the Cryo/Hypersleep pods seem to show the outbursted hole is only the size of a Human Head, thus maybe something smaller than the Deacon, but larger than the Xeno Chest Buster?

But is this what chassed after our Engineers and killed them? While some of the wounds could be from attacks i.e puncture wounds, here is a clue they are not..

Zoom in if needed, but the holes in Red, you can see are hollow, there is not bones, or nothing left inside these but a empty shell.  The Yellow one you can see the Arm of the Suit is not there and also chest area above near the shoulder also appeared to be empty, maybe we can make out a few signs of what looks like maybe bone or some body parts but for the most part they are empty.. If you watch the movie and this scene you can see clearly some are hollow.

Do dead Engineers simply disintegrate to nothing?  Have we seen a Engineer disintegrated to nothing in the movie?  Yes the Sacrifice Scene.

Milburn mentioned they are opened up from inside like it exploded, and this is what we see this eventually Happens to the Engineer Head...

The movie hints to a infection by the Goo, the Head also was preserved in the Mural Room could it be this environment within that room somehow stops the infected Engineers from well rapidly being broken down by the Goo, as the Head is the only part of any Engineer that was preserved and not well reduced to a empty Space Jockey Suit. Thus maybe the reaction is put on Hold in that Room under certain conditions?

Also Milburn mentions it looked like they was running from something, this could imply from something or some infected Engineer?   They also mention that whatever killed the Engineers is gone is it? Does this imply maybe indeed something else chassed and killed them?

But is it more than just coincidence that the Door those bodies were piled up outside seems via the Hologram map to lead to the Big Head/Mural/Urn Room, the same room the other Engineers managed to enter apart from the one who did not make it.

Then if we consider the head was preserved, the other bodies outside seem to be empty shells, the exploding of the head once it was brought back to life, maybe it reactivated the process that was occurring just before the Engineer fell to his knees.  Maybe if we look at how the Sacrificial Engineer became well nothing but disintegrated molecules.

We see thus the reaction is a violent one, a violent chemical reaction takes place, what other voilent chemical reactions can we use as a analogy?  Have you ever taken a Coke Bottle and placed a Mento inside?  This causes a violent reaction to the coke where the Gasses and Coke expand and eject out of the bottle with some force... Now if you placed a lot of Mintos inside and got the lid on you would have a chemical reaction that would lead to a build up of pressure, and this pressure would seek to escape from its weakest point?  Proceed to shoot the coke bottle or make a hole in it and the coke will explode out of that hole.

If we see the violent chemical reaction going on with the Sacrificial Engineer, and imagine if this occurred within the pressured suit that is the Space Jockey suit, the broken down Engineer Material would build up and like a Coke and Minto it could explode out of the suit, thus leaving nothing but empty suit because the Engineer has been broken down into well just a chemical soup.

I think this pretty much explains what killed the Engineers, and if you read Spaights draft the infected Engineers was running to a room that had a huge Chasm and they was throwing themselves down into the Abyss in a hope to commit suicide either to stop the Goo taking effect or to avoid the painful process of change that the infection would cause.

That long post was just to kind of show while the running Engineers looking over their shoulders and the sound of what could be a Deacon, and fact the Jugernaught had Chest Busted Engineers could hint that yes something was unleashed that attacked the Engineers.

The other clues and comments made by the crew i.e regarding infection and spilling of something analogy his used from a Scientific outpost on Earth that he and a colleague had to nuke because some clumsy guy split something... plus clues as i highlighted above seem to show that maybe the Engineers was in the process of being broken down by the Goo only at a slower rate maybe due to less quantity of the goo, or that the Goo in the Urns is more of a water down chemical or indeed the result of what happens to something Sacrificed is uncertain.

like so much of the movie..

As for why they wanted us dead?

Well we have to assume the Sacrificial Scene shows us something that was also done on Earth that led to creation of life and eventually us, Lindeloffs draft and the movie was not a straight forwards quick path to produce us as the showing a Primate infected with Engineer DNA to lead to us. No The movie seems to show the Sacrifice was to create life. Why? Who knows!

Did they know at that point that this process would lead to us? Who knows!

But can assume some how they may have or at very least known it would result in life that would carry Engineers DNA, for some greater purpose of the Engineers.

Was we the intended result? Was they trying to create something else that they can then use as Guinea Pigs, was that us and our purpose? Or did all off a sudden Mankind Evolved over time from the Sacrifice and created thus something of a surprise to the Engineers, thus they kind of saw us as a interesting result of their experiments and they then came to visit us over the thousands of years. (or if they came back to re-engineer life over and over upgrading our Evolution until mankind was the result).

The movie hints they plaid a part in our advancement of technology etc, and that getting from maybe Cave Men with Stone Tools, as in the Cave Paintings to obtain better tools and build temples and other architecture was something we was maybe taught by the Engineers?

And also we have to wonder is it just coincidence regarding the time of the planned mission to exterminate or upgrade us, around the time of Christ’s Death? Ridley hints this is the case, but its not saying Christ was real etc he uses it as a reference that around those times mankind was well not behaving in a fashion that God intended just as we had in the times of the Flood from the Bible as well as other cultures accounts of a similar event.

Ridley did say these Engineers sent down a Emissary and we well killed him.. that was the last straw, if this is the case then it shows the Engineers may not have wanted to destroy us had we change our path and worshiped the Engineers or behaved in a way that they intended for us.

David said sometimes to create one must first destroy, but that kind of contradicts why they would go to all that effort over Millions of years of waiting from the point of the Sacrifice to get to Mankind in the Engineers image, well thats what the scene shows me. And these Engineers had came back over and over, upgrading and further re-engineer life on Earth to try to achieve some kind of CREATION they see as Worthwhile and important. All signs seem to point to that at one point we was held in high regard by the Engineers... if we take a Bible Connection God created man to be his favoured creation, above even the Angels and the Angels task was to watch over and worship us.

The Engineers had came back the Star Maps show this and movie is hinting they over time helped us advance, what more proof do we need? David was able to learn and speak a Language the Engineer could understand.

Can David just Translate any Language that he comes across, i.e could he speak Predator if well Mankind had no contact with them? Nope we have to assume, we see David was taking lessons in how to learn Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) How did this lesson help him speak to the Engineer? The only way is if the Engineers taught ancient man the (PIE) Language.

It would seem these Engineers are Genetic Gardeners, always trying to make a better Crop so to speak, to harvest? Maybe not no, maybe i mean we are like Flowers rather than something that can be used like we do Food crops etc, but who knows.

Also why was LV 223 outpost being Teraformed? This was not for their benefit as well the deleted scene we never saw, even on deleted extras shows our Engineer did not need any helmet to breathe on LV 223 surface, we have to assume the Worms was someone native or indeed also could breathe on LV 223 surface. The Xeno we know does not need the same Environment we do to breath. Why the Star Maps? Why the Big Head?

Was this place once being Tera-Formed for us, was this going to be a Paradise for us, or was it a Environment the Engineers could take some of the life they created back to LV 223 to test and re-engineer, and then replant the improved results back on Earth?

This does not have to mean the Engineers was all alone using us as Xeno Hosts, that makes no sense not when you consider the amount of time our creation from the Sacrificial Scene to Mankind in the latter Star Maps or say to what we was 2000 years ago, or 35’000.

Then why teach us to speak, etc and help us advance.... if we was just mealy Hosts for the Xeno, then they should left us to be primitive Cave Men, this would make for a much easier Host for the Xenos, or whatever.

Now lets go back to these Engineers being Genetic Gardeners, created many things, upgrading and experimenting and re-engineering...

What if a faction once time came across something they created either by mistake, or that they had found that then produced via infecting one of their own... a organism. And they either tried to carry experiment on this Organism and Re-Engineer it.

i.e did they create the Xeno, did the Xeno come from something else they found either by experimenting on a related Organism, or via infection of a Engineer by a Face Huger or related Organism?

Did they thus create the Xeno from the Goo, or other means? Was the Xeno found or its ancestor and the Engineers either experimented on this Organism to create or attempt to create a new kind of life in the hope of creating PERFECTION? i.e the Deacon.

Or did the Xeno predated the Goo in the Urns, did they come across the Xeno, or Eggs or was they created by experimenting on something else they found and again a end result was the Deacon?

Was the Deacon a intended creation? Or some Accident either from a Experiment or by coming into contact with a Organism that infected a Engineer to produce the first Deacon.

And either way this was a Organism, that left the Engineers or a faction of them in owe, they found it fascinating and marvelled at what they had discovered or created.

With mankind becoming a bit rebellious and maybe a failed experiment, maybe the Engineers or a faction decided that the result of either experiments either on purpose or a accidental side effect, produced the Deacon or maybe coming into contact with some Organism produced it.

This new creation they then saw as more favourable than Mankind...

The Engineers pursuit to Sacrifice themselves to create us in their image, we was their off spring as a result of the Sacrificial Goo, and then re-engineering and upgrading this produced us the Engineers Favoured Creation.... or so they thought... until many times we disobeyed them and upset them.

Thus the new creation that for what ever means it was created the Deacon became a new Organism the Engineers or a faction started to Marvel at its Wander...

They then maybe Sacrificed the created Deacons (created by some relation to the Face Huger and Engineers), they did so in the same fashion that they did with the Sacrificial Engineer.

Before the Engineers saw their own Genetic DNA as the Prefect Basis to create life in their image.... Sacrificing their DNA to pass it on to create and Evolve life.

But now they had seen another Creation the Deacon, whos DNA they now favoured over their own DNA.

The constant upgrading of Mankind from the Sacrifice to modern day, with us in their image with their DNA was no longer seen as the Perfect Creation... The Deacon was now seen this way and after having enough of Mankind, they then proceed to forget trying to Evolve us to become like them, they then saw that seeding the Deacons DNA would produce a more favourable Organism.

There came a point that those Engineers on LV 223, or indeed all of them saw that our DNA which is based on the Engineers, could now need a upgrade to the DNA of the Xeno, or the Deacons (which is from Xeno related Experiments or Mishap) and the best way to pass on the DNA of the Deacon to life on Earth?

The same way that they felt passing their DNA on to create life on Earth in the First Place, via Sacrifice via the Substance in the Sacrificial Bowl, if our Engineer was not standing on the edge of the Water Fall but indeed into a Bath or Vat, maybe of Water or not, and he was Sacrificed and the broken down Material we saw that flowed through the Water was instead, collected and placed into Urns...

Would then not empting these Urns containing broken down Engineer Chemical Soup, not produce the same result if this collected substance was poured onto a lake or river or the Water Fall?

Thus is it possible the Deacon was Sacrificed the same way (or a number of Deacons) or some related to them and Xeno Organism, to then be used in those Urns as just as the Sacrificial Engineers DNA was seeded, as a better way to pass on the Deacon (or related Organisms) DNA onto Life.

In a nutshell, we was created and favoured by the Engineers, we fell out of favour with them and while they did not quite give up, they came across, or created or created from something they came across a event that created a Deacon, this Organism they then favoured and after we still proved to not be the Creation the Engineers Favoured, it was time to replace us with their new favoured CREATION...

THAT IS MY VIEW ON WHY THOSE URNS WAS TO BE USED ON US!

Here's what I believe

The Engineers are a race of alien beings that travel the universe splicing their genetics with Life in an attempt to create A super-being. When they came to earth they realized that it was habitable for them the opening scene from Prometheus occurs leading to the creation of us thinking we would do the same. while continuing to scour the universe to create the perfect super being, they then came across a planet with life which they spliced their DNA with then something went wrong causing the species to mutate into the Xenomorph which they realized it's weapons capability so they decided to put the planet on Quarantine, while searching the universe they soon found out that the humans were to barbaric they then think of ideas in an attempt to stop their war-like ways however they would not change, they continued to search the universe for an apprentice they then came across the predator home world which they shared their technology with, the predators then said they would become their apprentices if they provided them with prey to hunt, worried that they would become barbaric they refused however they realized that they had an honor code and then offered the Xenomorph to hunt, the predators refused claiming they were not pure and not intelligent enough to be thrilling to hunt, the engineers then remembered the humans and offered them, the predators accepted but also said they wanted to be able to hunt some Xenomorphs and agree to contain an infestation if there is one, the engineers agreed to the terms and that is my theoretical story. 

The Engineers are a race of alien beings that travel the universe splicing their genetics with Life in an attempt to create A super-being. When they came to earth they realized that it was habitable for them the opening scene from Prometheus occurs leading to the creation of us thinking we would do the same. while continuing to scour the universe to create the perfect super being, they then came across a planet with life which they spliced their DNA with then something went wrong causing the species to mutate into the Xenomorph which they realized it's weapons capability so they decided to put the planet on Quarantine, while searching the universe they soon found out that the humans were to barbaric they then think of ideas in an attempt to stop their war-like ways however they would not change, they continued to search the universe for an apprentice they then came across the predator home world which they shared their technology with, the predators then said they would become their apprentices if they provided them with prey to hunt, worried that they would become barbaric they refused however they realized that they had an honor code and then offered the Xenomorph to hunt, the predators refused claiming they were not pure and not intelligent enough to be thrilling to hunt, the engineers then remembered the humans and offered them, the predators accepted but also said they wanted to be able to hunt some Xenomorphs and agree to contain an infestation if there is one, the engineers agreed to the terms and that is my theoretical story. 

If Jesus plays into this story I don't think it's Jesus is an Engineer scenario. Rather, I think it is that they found a human woman to play host to Jesus, a hybrid human/Engineer who they teach during his life to bring a message of peace to humanity. The crucified alien in the mural could be antithetical to Jesus on the cross. Both represent rebirth - one brings life, while the other brings death. Since humans rejected life, they're going to get death. In the end, there is still going to be rebirth, but it's not the kind of rebirth humans would want. 

Questions I'd like to see answered in Covenant or the sequels:

1- Who created the Engineers? 

2- Did the Engineers or their creators believe in a god? If not, who created the Engineer's creators? If we look at the Annunaki story it could be that the Engineers and/or their creators did believe in a higher power or some type of divine fate.

3- If the Engineer's were created, what happened to their creators? Did they kill them off? If not, are their creators aware of what's going on with humans?

So far, the message I get from Prometheus and the footage I've seen of Covenant is this: Playing god will not end well for you. Leave it alone. 

@Trevor "So far, the message I get from Prometheus and the footage I've seen of Covenant is this: Playing god will not end well for you. Leave it alone. .."

And yet, we are already doing it EVERY day, with fertility, with cloning, with stem cells, with nuclear/atomic sciences. It WILL end badly.

Because they invited humanity to one of their parties and humanity brought food that they didn't like. ;)

The Engineers are picky and have a bad temper.

I think the mural is just symbolism,  like the many other religous references throughout prometheus. If you had a problem with the execution of christ, terminating the whole species seems a bit heavy handed, unless the engineers do it just as part of their 'species management'

Ridley went on to say:

“If the planet went wrong, they would want to wipe it clean. But that could take 500 years. When they revisit –  because different visitors would come back and see we’re not doing so well – they would look at these human beings that are jerks, that are killing the planet, killing themselves, can’t settle down, they’re like a bunch of children. We should wipe it clean.”