What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden

Using linguistic and historical analysis, Zevit (Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature & Northwest Semitic Languages & Literatures, American Jewish Univ.; The Religions of Ancient Israel) addresses the story of the Garden of Eden from a Jewish perspective, in contrast to the standard Christian interpretations (e.g., the "Fall") that inform popular understanding. He separates his book into three units, each addressing a question about the story. Part 1 discusses why books in the Hebrew Bible other than Genesis seem unaware of the Fall. He examines them with their original audience in mind. Part 2 examines Adam's and Eve's motivations and guilt. The last section studies the treatment of the Eden story in the Hebrew Bible's other books. Zevit's goal is to place the story in its original, pre-Christian context. His close reading indicates that the Israelites who first told and recorded the story believed it to describe historically distant but true events. Ultimately, according to Zevit's analysis, the story is not one of loss but of gain, as humanity acquires the wisdom necessary to make conscious decisions.