Adam and Eve
Names
Adam
Adam ('adham) is one of several Hebrew words meaning "man," and usually designates man as a species. In Genesis i, 26-27 the word is used to designate the human species, including both male and female. But Adam is also used in Genesis as a proper personal name (of a specific individual) in Genesis iv, 25 and v, 1. It is read as a proper name in the present Hebrew text of Genesis ii, 10 and iii, 17, but that results from the vocalization of the Hebrew text, not to the consonantal text, which permits the word to be read as a proper name only in these verses.
Eve
The name Eve (Hebrew hawwah) is given to the first woman in Genesis iii, 20. The name is explained in this verse by a popular etymology connected with the Hebrew word for "life." Modern scholars have some doubts about this etymology, but none of several proposed etymologies has been generally accepted.
Human OriginsAdam ('adham) is one of several Hebrew words meaning "man," and usually designates man as a species. In Genesis i, 26-27 the word is used to designate the human species, including both male and female. But Adam is also used in Genesis as a proper personal name (of a specific individual) in Genesis iv, 25 and v, 1. It is read as a proper name in the present Hebrew text of Genesis ii, 10 and iii, 17, but that results from the vocalization of the Hebrew text, not to the consonantal text, which permits the word to be read as a proper name only in these verses.
Eve
The name Eve (Hebrew hawwah) is given to the first woman in Genesis iii, 20. The name is explained in this verse by a popular etymology connected with the Hebrew word for "life." Modern scholars have some doubts about this etymology, but none of several proposed etymologies has been generally accepted.
The early Hebrews had no historical or scientific information about human origins and constructed their story by the skilful combination of details drawn from popular traditions. The symbolism of most of the details can be understood by comparisons with the traditions of the ancient near east, e.g., Sumer, Babylonia, Egypt. The chapters express, in the form of a story, certain Hebrew beliefs concerning the mutual relations of God, man and the universe. The first man is called simply Adam (meaning "the man" or "Man") and is intended to be typical. Hebrew folklore often represents the ancestor as a prototype, prefiguring not only in his character but also in his life the character and the experiences of his descendants.
The substance of man was clay, not only in the Bible, but also in Mesopotamian and Egyptian literature. Man's return to the soil implied his origin from there as well. God's "molding" or "forming" man from clay has an explicit parallel in Egyptian art, where the potter god Khnum is represented molding the human figure on the potter's wheel. The divine component in Mesopotamia was the blood of a slain god, but that was inconsistent with the belief in one god. The Hebrew text inserted the more subtle element of breath from the one God.
Eden
The man is placed in a garden of Eden (Genesis ii, 8-14), but the geography is not real and the garden has no location. There is an explicit contrast between man's primitive bliss in the garden and the conditions of historical experience.
The Tree
No restraint is placed on the man except the prohibition of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis ii, 16-17). This tree has no parallel in ancient near eastern traditions, so its symbolism is probably to be understood in the context of the fall narrated in Genesis iii.
The tree of life has numerous parallels in Mesopotamian literature and art. The tree stood next to the temple and was protected by guardian genii. In Mesopotamia life was communicated by touching a branch of the tree to the nostrils. The point of the symbolism is that primeval man had life without death within his grasp.
LessonsNo restraint is placed on the man except the prohibition of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis ii, 16-17). This tree has no parallel in ancient near eastern traditions, so its symbolism is probably to be understood in the context of the fall narrated in Genesis iii.
The tree of life has numerous parallels in Mesopotamian literature and art. The tree stood next to the temple and was protected by guardian genii. In Mesopotamia life was communicated by touching a branch of the tree to the nostrils. The point of the symbolism is that primeval man had life without death within his grasp.
Understanding religious scripture requires some knowledge of the culture and language of the time when it was written. Since Hebrew customs undoubtedly developed out of an antecedent culture(s) with its own traditions, their culture included some elements from earlier and neighboring cultures and itself introduced some novel elements.
Religious texts are one facet of an ancient culture that included contemporary society, traditions, politics, and science. Their intent, symbolism, significance, and the role they played cannot be completely understood without taking into consideration the cultural context during the lifetime of their authors.
Excerpted and adapted from: Encyclopedia Britannica. 1971. William Benton, Publisher. Volume 1
See also: The Real Meaning of the Story of Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden
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