Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part A
I chose to read the story of Adam and Eve because of my close connection with my faith, as well as my current bible study involving the story of Genesis. Since I am currently reading the book of Genesis, I am familiar with the story, but I was intrigued to read the modern retelling of it! Adam and Eve were the first human created on God and they ultimately brought sin into the world. Since they were tempted by Satan, God punished the lineage and brought suffering into the world.
Genesis
Characters: Adam, Eve, God
Summary: God created Adam in His image and he created him through the dust on the ground. After Adam was given a name, he chose to name all the animals and creatures that were on the earth. God didn't want Adam to be alone, so he created Eve. He put Adam into a deep sleep and used a piece of Adam's rib to form woman. The two were intimately connected.
God placed Adam and Eve into a garden filled with an abundant of fruit and vegetable trees, but his one command was they couldn't eat the fruit from this one particular tree. This tree was the knowledge of good an bad and if they ate it's fruit they would die.
A serpent came to Eve and tempted her. The creature promised Eve all these wonderful things and it persuaded Eve to sin and eat the fruit. She was eating what was pleasing to her and she encouraged Adam to join her. Immediately they knew they had sin and felt shameful they were naked and hid from God.
God punished them for bringing sin into the world. God cursed Eve with childbearing pain and he cursed Adam with work that would be hard and laborious.
Ginzberg: The Ideal Man
Summary: Adam was created by God as a gigantic man. Many other men in the Bible resembled Adam's features like Samson possessed his strength, Saul his neck, Absalon his hair, Asahel his fleetness of foot, Uzziah his forehead, Josiah his nostrils, Zedekiah his eyes, and Zerubbabel his voice. The ironic thing is history reveals all these men were killed tragically for having qualities related to Adam.
Eve was also created to be an ape like woman. She was created in the image of God and he soul is made pure through him.
When God first created Adam, he revealed to him everything that would happen through every generation. Adam named the animals to combat arguments between God and the angels. God insisted man would have more wisdom than themselves. Finally, Adam got his name because he was created with Adamah dust.
Ginzberg: The Fall of Satan
Summary: When God created Adam with such physical and spiritual qualities, it angered the angels in heaven. They tried to perish him with fire, but God protected him. Satan was the most jealous one of all though.
Satan refused to play with Adam. He demanded they have a trial. Satan deemed it unfair that Adam named all the animals on earth. So Satan attempted to assign names to the animals, but he failed.
God came back to Adam asking him why he chose the particular animal names he did. God helped and encouraged Adam and they found the perfect names for him and Satan was forced to acknowledge the superiority of the first man created.
This infuriated Satan and all the other angels followed Satan's lead. Satan wanted to be regarded as the most high. Immediately, God flung Satan out of heaven into the depths of the earth. This created the enmity between Satan and man.
Ginzberg: Lilith
As God created Adam, when Adam opened his eyes for the first time he broke out in praise of God. The creatures of the world starting giving Adam adoration and took him to be their creator. Even the angels began to think Adam was the Lord of all Lords. God heard of this and caused sleep to fall upon him.
God put Adam to sleep so he could make him a wife. This was so God could create an entire human race. The creatures of the land then knew Adam was not Lord and they began to tremble.
This in turn caused God to divide the time they had together. God took night and the animals and earth took the day. It showed that man must work to get his food.
The purpose of giving Adam a wife was so he wouldn't feel so isolated since all the animals were created in pairs. Adam was given Lilith and she was created from the same dust on the ground. She was only with Adam a short time for she would not be submissive to him and vanished into the air.
This caused Adam to complain to God that his wife abandoned him. Angels were sent to find her in the Red Sea. Lilith chose a punishment where she would kill all baby boys instead of coming back to live with Ada,. The only way to fend off her evil is to attach an amulet bearing the names of her three angel captors to the children.
Ginzberg Eve:
Summary: Eve was created to be the companion of Adam and she was created from him. When God was creating Eve, he made sure she would not be more powerful than man, less prideful, and she would be created perfectly. Unfortunately, all women had the qualities God tried to abolish.
The formation of women is much more complicated than man because of the child bearing factors. Woman was formed from bone not dust. Women are not easily placated, have a shrill voice, and they must be asked to become wives. Also, women cover their hair is tokens.
Women introduced sin into the world and tempted man. Adam repelled Eve because he had another wife before her. Eve caused Adam's heart to throb. When they got married, there was much pomp and celebration. The angels were dancing and playing their musical instruments.
Ginzberg: Paradise
The Garden of Eden was the first abode of man and woman where all souls must pass through before death. Souls must go through seven portals before they arrive in heaven.
The first portal is the Cave of Machpelah and the cave is under the supervision of Adam. If a soul makes it out, it is considered worthy. The soul then goes to the gates of paradise guarded by flames.
The the soul reaches the third portal, Zebul at the entrance of heaven. If the soul is worthy, it is admitted into the heavenly temple. Then Michael the angel conducts the soul to the seventh portal, Arabot, and the souls are changed to angels.
In Paradise are the trees of life and knowledge and only those who clear a path can come close to the tree of life. This tree is nourished from the major waters of the earth.
Before the tree was nourished by the waters of the earth through God and it changed when Adam was created. Adam began to use the water to work the land. He had to study the Torah and obey the six commandments. Adam was to eat only the green things of the field.
He was not allowed to slaughter animals but the angels tempted him. The animals feared the first human couple and it changed with the fall of man.
Ginzberg: The Fall of Man
Out of all the animals, the serpent was the most important. He was like man and he without the fall of man, a pair of serpents were to perform all the work man had to do. The serpent meditated on ways to kill and tempt man. The serpent knew woman would be an easy target too.
The serpent was cunning with Eve and convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit. Adam had forbidden Eve because it would bring death. The serpent made Eve touch the tree and showed her she wouldn't die. Eve followed the advice of the serpent and she ate the skin of the fruit. She saw the fruit itself did not cause her death. This is when she saw the Angel of Death.
Eve convinced Adam to eat the fruit too and she gave the fruit to all living things. They were to never live in Paradise since they disobeyed God's command. Adam and Eve became naked and their bodies were covered with horny skin since they were ashamed. Adam tried to find leaves to cover his parts and only the fig-tree allowed.
Ginzberg: Punishment
Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves and God would not allow them into Paradise. God cursed them for many years to come. When Adam and Eve heard God approaching, they ran and hid. They feared God. God asked them where they were.
God wanted to give them the opportunity to confess their sins but instead they blamed the serpent and God. God then inflicted a curse on the serpent and made it a villain. The angels came down and chopped off the serpents hands and feet and he experienced great suffering.
Eve got ten curses and Adam received the same. They introduced sin into the world. The earth too would suffer because of Adam and Eve's sin. He dismissed them from Paradise.
To guard Paradise, God appointed cherubim with flaming swords and they could change into any desired shape. God then gave Adam the Torah which permitted him to take up his abode in the vicinity of Paradise.
Bibliography:
Title: The Book of Genesis & The Legends of the Jews
Author: Moses & Louis Ginzberg
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