* * *
Eve stared at the tree. She dithered. And then a silver-tongued serpent standing on its hind legs urged her to pluck the forbidden fruit.
(What a fun story!)
I know God said you’d die if you ate that fruit. But I’ve been around here a long, long time. I’ve seen and heard things. And I’m telling you: You won’t die. The truth is: You will be like God.
Ah, yes, there it is—our moral quandary highlighted in one telling scene beneath a tree. What is right and what is wrong? Who knows best what we should do? Whose voice do we heed? Our own or another’s? Whom can we trust?
Eve trusted the serpent. She made a choice. She defied God and, by extension, anyone who would ever tell her what she could and could not do. She took the forbidden fruit and offered it to Adam. And just like that, “their eyes were opened.” They saw themselves and the world as never before. It’s what makes us human. The human animal.
This is a myth. But, then, truth is often shrouded in fiction.
Many see this mythic tale as a tragedy. “The Fall.” They consider humankind permanently damaged by this first sin. Consequently, church fathers declared that every single human is doomed from birth because of Eve—the first woman, the first mother, the first sinner. According to orthodox Christianity, Eve was a bad apple who contaminated everyone else.
“Original sin.”
Eve as the first villain.
But the story doesn’t have to be read that way. I don’t read it that way. I see Eve as a hero. Eric Fromm in You Shall Be as Gods (1966) interprets this myth as depicting “the rise” of humanity. Because of Eve, humanity no longer lives in darkness, no longer stumbles along blindly. Eve was bold, brave, and courageous. Eve opened our eyes.
And that’s no small matter.
After all, “sight” is the supreme metaphor for knowledge. Oh, now I see! And “insight” is the metaphor for self-understanding—the aspiration of nearly every religion and spiritual practice. As the former English slaveholder John Newton (1725–1805) put it in “Amazing Grace”: I once was blind but now I see!
Eve gave us sight. Eve opened the door to insatiable curiosity. If we value humanity’s persistent quest for knowledge, information, and insight, Eve is a hero.
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and then we have Pandora
That’s right! When all else fails, blame it on women. When we look at the condition of our world, ask yourselves, “Who’s mostly been running things?” That’s right! Here in the USA, it’s well passed time to give a woman a chance.
Interesting timing of your blog’s subject today with Putin’s advocacy for women to forego education and careers so they can start at an earky age to be baby factories and give the old imperialist “motherland” large families (12 kids or more!).
Meditation teacher Tara Brach writes, “In stark contrast to a trust in our inherent worth, our culture’s guiding myth is the story of Adam and Eve from the garden…The message of ‘original sin’ is unequivocal: Because of our basically flawed nature, we do not deserve to be happy, loved by others, at ease with life. We are outcasts, and if we are to reenter the garden, we must redeem our sinful selves.”
I would add that Eve herself has been portrayed as an outcast, “a sinner,” a woman sinner at that who started the “original sin” ball rolling. Please keep in mind that the term “sin” is really an invention of the human mind. Brach prefers the word “skillfulness” (or the need for more of it) to “sin.” Thus, it is a skillful ability, not a condition, that enables us to move forward with a sense of “seeing” and insight. I find that to be more useful and hopeful. And Eve enabled that to happen!
Powerful stories provoke questions. I Timothy 2:14 states, “14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Even was fooled by the greatest liar and deceiver. Adam, knowingly, without any deception but wanting to match his woman in tasting and living, made his choice. I always wonder what would have happened if Adam had not just chosen to do what he knew his Father told him not to do.
I love your book. It casts a different light on everything to know how Christianity was shaped to be part of the culture of the Roman Empire. Of course the villain was a rebellious woman.
When matriarchal societies reign, war is nonexistent… women – trust yourselves.
Just read a book about Johanna van Gogh Bonger… the little known woman we can thank for saving Vincent’s artwork; determined to work & sacrifice & learn in order to make his genius appreciated and known the world over.
So many women to thank throughout history – starting with Eve – ignoring the nay sayers and trusting what they know to be true. And men can & have done it too!!! What a wonder filled world, when we have the “eyes to see”. Thank you again, Randy & all y’all!!
Thank you, Randy–of course. What I read as large truths in your blog today puts me in mind of one of Matthew Fox’s primary and unresolvable disagreements with the Catholic church, whose priesthood he left decades ago. The “Garden of Eden” and Eve’s courageous, defiant decision “to know,” Fox called Original Blessing. I agreed the moment I heard/read that, about 29 years ago or so.
Remember, too, the symbolic value of the serpent in ancient times. The serpent was always considered a symbolic partner to woman, as both could shed regularly and not die. In matriarchal cultures, women were revered as not only the givers of life but as beings who were able to rise and rise and rise again. Amen to that.
Eve is an apt archetypal heroine. 🙏🏼
Let’s also not forget that the Serpent is analogous to the rebellious god in other mythologies (e.g. Promethius or Ea) who, in defiance of the rest of the gods, gave humanity access to knowledge/fire.
WOW – Great insight… thanks for sharing!
I’ll add that in the original (Sumerian) version of the tale, after Ea gave humanity the gift of knowledge, Enlil decided to wipe everyone out with a flood. Ea found out about this plan and leaked it to his best friend, a man named Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim then built an ark and saved himself and his family. After the waters receded, the gods granted immortality to Utnapishtim, which is why Gilgamesh later sought him out.
Dr. Sobley Townes described this not as a fall down but a fall up.
I read that a survey revealed that 100% of men would eat anything handed to them by a naked woman.
I always wondered why the apple was growing in the garden if we were not to eat from it. Your message today is peaceful.Thank you.L.