The Real Garden of Eden

Artist's idea of the Garden of Eden

The story of the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament has long fascinated mankind.  The account of the fall of humans from such a paradise led to the concept of Original Sin and epic poetry like “Paradise Lost,” among other creations.

In the biblical account in the opening book of Genesis, God creates a man and a woman.  In one case, they are created together; in the succeeding chapter, God uses a “rib” to form the woman.  He tells the man, called Adam, not to eat from a plant identified as the Tree of Knowledge.  His wife, Eve, beguiled by a snake, does eat from the tree and then gives some to Adam.  After which, both are dismissed from the Garden.

This tale has also been extensively studied by scholars virtually from the first reading of the text. As a result, most biblical scholars today have a clear understanding of the word usage, grammar and context of the story.  They have found parallels in neighboring cultures as well as a keen understanding of what was meant by the writing.

 

On the other hand, few people outside that lofty educational realm do.  They simply read the English translation and assume they have a grasp of the events. 

To merge the two worlds, Yale Press has published a book titled What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden?  It was written by Ziony Zevit, distinguished professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages and Literature at the American Jewish University, Los Angeles, California.  Zevit is a recognized expert in biblical studies and the ancient Israeli religion.

RASHI

In his book, Zevit has taken commentary and explanations from such world-renowned scholars as Martin Luther, 1100s Jewish scholar RASHI, ancient sages and modern linguists to analyze the text from a linguistic and legal point of view.  The results are accessible and refreshing.

To start with, Zewit notes that the text must have been comprehensible to the audience who would read (or heard) it when written.  They would have to understand the legal terminology and the nuances, none of which would have the same meaning today.

Zevit

Just for an example, he records that rich landlords thousands of years ago hired laborers to tend their gardens.  The terminology used in the Eden story matches the wording already documented in ancient sources for such farming. Adam was basically a gardener.

Other findings, based totally on the word usage and not on similar stories in other cultures, point out that:

1) The Garden of Eden is intended to be a model, not a real place.  Multiple attempts to find the four rivers that watered it or to link names in the Bible to known rivers have failed. Moreover, Eden was a working estate, not an idyllic paradise.

Adam

2) Adam and Eve are not the only people created.  Uses of plural where singular would be appropriate demonstrate that.  Based on the language and root words, Eve was created as an equal helpmate, not as subservient to Adam in any way.  The parallel is to the creation of animals, which are treated as equal regardless of gender.

Eve is also not created from a rib, as many translations claim.  The term in the Bible is “penis.”  The reference is to the missing baculum bone in humans which is attested to in animals, Zevit argues. However, his translation has been challenged by other linguists.

3) The Tree of Knowledge is not identified beyond its title.  It was not an apple tree.  Adam is warned to not eat it, but the threat is vague and not a command.  Commands in the Bible take special words, none of which are used in the text.

Snake in the Garden

4) The snake was clever, not evil.  He had been formed when God was looking for something to help Adam.  The writer used past tense to describe its punishment for giving fruit to Eve, meaning that the snake already crawled along the ground.  The punishment was that it would continue to do so.  The snake misled Eve because, according to terminology used, it wished to become superior to man. 

5) Eve did nothing wrong.  She was not told about the Tree of Knowledge; Adam was informed before Eve was there, or, for that matter, the snake existed.  As a result, she is not punished.  The grammar indicates the wording should be that women “will continue to feel pain during childbirth.”  Eve would know that because Cain, her eldest, had already been born in Eden, as indicated by the grammar.

Tree of Life?

6) The concern about the Tree of Knowledge had nothing to do with nakedness, but about overpopulation.  That was a major concern in the ancient Middle East with stories of how disease and other problems were created to keep mankind at a proper population level for the available food.

7) As such, again based on the grammar, Adam and Eve were not dismissed from the Garden for eating the fruit.  In fact, they had broken no laws: Eve didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to eat; Adam simply ate without knowing what his wife gave him.  They were exiled to avoid eating from the Tree of Life and gaining immortality.  In that, God was concerned about them, not punishing them.

In essence, as Zevit wrote, “It is not a story about death and redemption.  It is a story about the origins of mankind and human nature, about proper comportment, dignity, the acquisition of knowledge, and, ultimately, ethical self-awareness.”

He concluded that “it was a homely story, not a cultic, or ethic or tribal legend.  It originated in the very human quest for knowledge about what is known through experience and observation.  Its author assumed that there are rational explanations for what is knowable about the physical and social world within which Israelites lived.”

It is an uplifting story, a positive story that has been twisted and turned ever since into something it definitely isn’t: a tale of a fall and sin.

Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus regularly writes about religion and religious history.  He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout Florida.  You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.net.  He is the author of the famed Unauthorized Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth: Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion.  His books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.  He can also be followed on Twitter.

You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1

History Faces Off with Belief

Abraham's Well?

The nice part about being a religious historian is that I don’t have to invent facts.  I just have to do as much research as available and see where the facts lead.

That’s much easier these days with the internet.  I used to have to spend hours in local libraries, trying to find what information I could.  Now, by going on valid sites, I can quickly find pretty much anything I need to know.

Take something as intriguing as Abraham’s Well in Beersheba, a popular spot for tourists.  I had a chance to visit the site.  It’s a well all right and obviously very old.  During my visit, I saw lots of people praying there.  They clearly believed it was a sacred site.  That’s true for any object of veneration, from the Shroud of Turin, the Wailing Wall or a fragment of the True Cross. 

A believer doesn’t need any more “proof” than visual observation or enthusiastic claims.

An historian can’t stop there, even at Abraham's Well.  The rope used to haul the bucket up can be tested for age.  It’s probably young; ropes wear out and are replaced.  The bucket can be tested for age as well with the same caveat. The construction of the well can be measured against other old wells.  Different cultures used different construction methods.  Maybe the well was repaired over the years.  Is there any evidence?  Is there residue on the stones that can be tested for age?  How were the stones cut? Was that method used millennia ago?

More than that, geology would help determine if the well could have been in existence for thousands of years.  Maybe there was no water then, and some meteorological or seismic event created the flow in recorded time.

What if the well turns out to be only 1,000 years old?  That would eliminate Abraham as a link, since he must have lived close to 4,000 years ago.  That’s no problem for an historian.  However, for a believer, it’s not that simple.  A believer has a choice: either to ignore the research – and typically attack the messenger – or to accept the research and change the belief.

You know which option a believer will choose.

Evolution

That’s exactly why believers reject evolution, which has been repeatedly proven correct in both labs and in the field.  In one egregious situation, a father recently filed suit against the university his daughter is attending for teaching evolution, which, he says, is a “belief” and will hurt her possible success as a veterinarian.  How funny: animals evolve, too.  Any vet unaware of that won’t be able to do a good job.

The suit won’t go anywhere.  Courts have already ruled that evolution is science, not a religious belief.

Believers, however, have a dilemma.  If evolution is fact, then their belief in a single creation is incorrect.  The Roman Catholic Church has evaded that trap by accepting evolution and saying it does not contradict religious teachings.  Not everyone is that flexible.

Dead Sea Scroll vases

I don’t have any concern at all.  If science somehow proved evolution was incorrect, I can alter my thinking to conform to the new paradigm.  I wouldn’t have to with evolution, but have already done so when facts turn up that belied earlier findings. 

That often happens in religious history, where new data confirms one explanation at the expense of others.  Take the Dead Sea Scrolls for example.  How did they end up in ceramic vases in caves near Qumran? Different historians have theorized:  (1) They written and hidden by a sect of religious folks called Essenes. (2) They are the remnants of a library of a resort located on the Dead Sea (3) They are sacred books from the Temple in Jerusalem, hidden in the caves ahead of the Roman army or (4) They are books of wealthy Jews trying to save them from the Roman Army.

All of the proposals are based on facts, but only one is likely to be correct.  Eventually, enough evidence will likely be found to pinpoint the correct option.  Supporters of the other three proposals will quickly shift their ideas.

This has already happened numerous times where scientists and scholars wedded to one concept, such as the shape of DNA, quickly converted when clear evidence was found that contradicted earlier ideas.  In several famous instances, scientists who built their reputations on one set of supposed facts stood up before meetings of their colleagues to admit they were wrong and to embrace the new research.

Scientists come up with updated findings all the time because all ideas, from evolution to anything else, are thoroughly tested and tested again.  New results are tested repeatedly, too, until a consensus is reached based on clear, hard evidence.  With modern technology, that testing is more rigorous and more exacting.  The final findings are more obvious.

Believers don’t have to worry such effort.  They simply believe.  That’s great.  Belief helps many people get through life.  Their belief may even be correct.  However, if an aspect is shown to be wrong, then they ignore the facts.  For example, the sign at the Abraham’s Well says it dates to the 12 or 13^th century BCE, which makes it too young for the Patriarch.  Facts like that haven’t deterred believers.

That’s when advice from Dr. James Charlesworth, one of the world’s foremost religious historians, could come in handy.  He is George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project at Princeton University.  Charlesworth was one of four scholars who addressed 400 or so Protestant ministers at an annual Pastoral College hosted by Stetson University some 20 years ago.  The topic that spring was the historical Jesus.  I went because that’s a subject I am very interested in.

The four scholars used up to date research to explain that everything thought to be known about Jesus’ earthly existence has been proven to be incorrect.  The evidence dismayed the ministers.  One finally stood up and plaintively asked what he and his colleagues should tell their congregations.

Charlesworth

Charlesworth told the group that if they base their faith on history, they will be disappointed.  However, he continued, if they base their faith on philosophy, such as peace on earth and good will to men, then they would have no problems. 

That satisfied the ministers. 

It’s a good answer.  It leaves belief to the believers and facts to the scholars.  They can then ignore each other in peace.

Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus regularly writes about religion and religious history.  He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout Florida.  You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.net.  He is the author of the famed Unauthorized Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth: Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion.  His books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.  He can also be followed on Twitter.

You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1

Abuse of Jewish Prisoners

Three years ago, I began working on a book that detailed the plight of Jewish prisoners in American jails.  This week, the book is being published through a French company, revealing horrific conditions that most Americans cannot even imagine.

The book grew out of a chance meeting with Sid Kleiner, a resident of Naples, Florida, and a long-time advocate for the prisoners.  We met on a cruise ship.  I thought an English couple we had met previously were waving hello to my wife and me.  Actually, they were greeting Sid and his wife, Trudy.  After the English couple left, Sid started telling us about his efforts to help Jewish inmates.

Friedman

He is one of a handful of advocates who battle daily to improve the lot of Jewish inmates.  Another, Gary Friedman, has testified before Congress on hearings that touched on this issue.  They are swamped by the number of Christian ministries as well as by outside apathy and, in many cases, hostility.

My wife volunteered me to write a book to help Sid in his crusade.  In turn, Sid opened his files to let me read the letters desperate prisoners wrote him.  I had no idea of the depth of the problem.

Few people do.

For one thing, there aren’t a lot of Jews in jail.  Statistics are hard to find and notoriously inaccurate since inmates claim religious affiliations for various reasons.  Still, only about 1 percent of all prisoners are Jewish.  That is in line with the percent of Jews in the American population, about 1.7 percent.

As a result, Jews in prison are vastly outnumbered by Christians, Muslims and other religious groups.  They are also targeted by Christian chaplains in a relentless effort to convert them.

Neo-Nazi inmate

In addition, they face extremely hostile prison gangs, such as Aryan Nation, which attack them on the basis of religious affiliation.  They are also subjected to abuse by prison guards and administrators.

To compound the problem, they get little support from the Jewish community.  Most Jews would rather pretend that their co-religionists don’t commit the kinds of crimes that lead to lengthy prison terms.  However, no religion can prevent anyone from committing a felony.  In the past, Jews have served as Mafia hitmen as well as murderous gang leaders, although they are more associated with white-collar crimes, such as embezzlement, drugs and scams.

Kosher food

In prison, Jews have no escape and no refuge.  They have been beaten, raped and murdered simply because of their religion.  They are particularly distinctive if they request kosher food, which has to be prepared outside the prison and delivered.  In fact, as I found in my research, one neo-Nazi group started to identify its members as Jewish to obtain what the organization felt was better food. 

One of the leaders finally decided that was being too hypocritical and dropped the request.

The situation is slightly better under Barack Obama than under George W. Bush, who pushed faith-based ministries.  Bush is sure that religion somehow is a panacea and would convince inmates to reform.  Naturally, he was positive Christianity was the only route for inmates.  His administration funded faith-based programs that subjected Jewish inmates to increased pressure and abuse.

Since such programs have been shown to be complete failures, they have largely vanished once Bush left office.

Nevertheless, Jewish prisoners still face widespread abuse.  The men and women in jail aren’t there because of a miscarriage of justice or because of their religious affiliation.  However, they don’t expect to be maltreated because of their religion.

I don’t know if the book will have any effect.  I doubt it.  I do know that it is an issue that has been ignored.

I hope you’ll get a copy of the book.  It’s called Passover in Prison and should be available via Amazon and other sites shortly.  The proceeds are going to Kleiner’s nonprofit.  He and his wife have funded their outreach for years, buying religious articles and waging nonstop writing campaigns with prison administrators to improve the living condition of Jews behind bars.

Kleiner is now in his 80s.  He’s hoping the book will help carry on the effort when he is no longer able to.

At least, now, no one can say the problem is hidden anymore.

Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus regularly writes about religion and religious history.  He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout Florida.  You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.net.  He is the author of the famed Unauthorized Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth: Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion.  His books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.  He can also be followed on Twitter.

You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1