Quote:
|
Quote by: Bighugs How do you know that the story of Adam and Eve in the garden isn't literal, unless of course, you were hiding in some tree watching the whole thing. |
I assume the story of Adam and Eve is not a fact based on what happened, because we have no phycial evidence of talking snakes, trees with magical powers, cherubs, that dust or mud can be turned into bodies of flesh and blood as the bible explains, rather than the changing of matter as science explains.
Geologist believe they can identify the area of Paradise with the four rivers, and this is around Iran, in what used to be the territory of Sumer. Geologist know this area has ungone dramatic climate change, and this would explain the Sumerian explanation of what happened. We start with a lush valley fed by rivers, and then go to flooding followed by a very long draught that almost completely dried up the river. Then a returned to favorable weather. This explanation is written in cuneiform, the language of Sumerian writing. It tells us that when the weather returned to good weather, the river filled, and we have Eden, literally an uncultivated valley. Then we have Adam the cultivation of this valley. These are Sumerian words, and when the Hebrews settled in Ur, translated these clay tablets, they adjusted the story to fit their world view of one God. Eden, a place of many gods, becomes the special garden of one God. Adam instead of people settling the valley, becomes one person. Eve, instead of being one of the goddesses who helped heal the river, "he lady of the rib" because this goddess specialized in healing ribs, and the "Lady who makes live" as her name also meant, becomes the women made out of Adam's rib.
This information has been available for many years, and I find it amazing, considering the story of Adam and Eve is so vital to the world view of Judism, Christianity and Islam, that the Sumerian origin of the story is not well known. But then can you image the Christian reaction to putting this is school book?! Here for those of you who want an Intelligent Design explanation of creation, is one of the most important creation stories. Deal with it.
Oh one more thing, in the sumerian version it was a Goddess who made a man and woman from mud and breathed life into them. She created them because the river asked for helpers to him stay in his banks. The orginal version agrees with so many pre religion explanations of our human creation, that are here to take care of this planet.