Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions: Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations of Antiquity Considering also their Origin and MeaningDoane, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions: Being a Comparison of the Old and New Testament Myths and Miracles with those of the Heathen Nations of Antiquity Considering also their Origin and Meaning
The woman then looked upon the tree, and as the fruit was tempting, "she
took of the fruit, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband, and he
did eat." The result was _not_ death (as the Lord God had told them),
but, as the serpent had said, "the eyes of both were opened, and they
knew they were naked, and they _sewed_ fig leaves together, and made
themselves aprons."
Towards evening (_i. e._, "in the cool of the day"), Adam and his wife
"_heard_ the voice of the Lord God _walking_ in the garden," and being
afraid, they hid themselves among the trees of the garden. The Lord God
not finding Adam and his wife, said: "Where art thou?" Adam answering,
said: "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was
naked, and I hid myself."
The "Lord God" then told Adam that he had eaten of the tree which he had
commanded him not to eat, whereupon Adam said: "The _woman_ whom thou
gavest to be with me, _she_ gave me of the tree and I did eat."
When the "Lord God" spoke to the woman concerning her transgression, she
blamed the _serpent_, which she said "beguiled" her. This sealed the
serpent's fate, for the "Lord God" cursed him and said:
"Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and _dust_ shalt thou eat all
the days of thy life."[4:1]
Unto the woman the "Lord God" said:
"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception; in
sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall
be to thy husband, _and he shall rule over thee_."
Unto Adam he said:
"Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying,
Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake;
in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and
thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, _for
out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return_."
The "Lord God" then made coats of skin for Adam and his wife, with
which he clothed them, after which he said:
"Behold, the man is become _as one of us_,[5:1] to know good
and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also
of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" (he must be
sent forth from Eden).
"So he (the Lord God) drove out the man (and the woman); and
he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cherubims, and a
flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the
Tree of Life."
Thus ends the narrative.
Before proceeding to show from whence this legend, or legends, had their
origin, we will notice a feature which is very prominent in the
narrative, and which cannot escape the eye of an observing reader, _i.
e._, _the two different and contradictory accounts of the creation_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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