Adam and Eve: Literary genre
31. Aug, 2009 
5 Comments
The Creation Story in Gen. 2.4 – 3.24 is clearly not a factual description of what might have happened a few millennia ago. It is rather a reflection of wise people living in the kingdom of Israel around 1000 BC. These men asked themselves various questions: where did mankind come from? Where are we heading? Why life, suffering, death? Why is it that men are attracted to women? What is our relationship with God?When attempting to answer these questions, these authors started with their own faith. This faith is based on the Exodus of Israelites from Egypt, and their entry to the Promised Land. These wise men also relied on their own reflections as well as those of their contemporary counterparts from other civilisations. The story of Adam and Eve is the result of this reflection, written in the form of a story.
So, some people may argue that the story is false, since ‘Adam and Eve never existed’! We first have to understand what is meant by word ‘true’; we will need to distinguish between the terms true and exact. The term exact refers to what actually happened in history, i.e. what a camera would have factually recorded. However, even though speeches and events are not always reported in an exact manner, these reports can be true if they include the correct meaning of these events.
That’s all for today! Next time, I will continue writing about Adam and Eve and post about the creation of man, gender equality, the serpent, suffering and paradise as described in Gen. 2.4 – 3.24.
Reference:
Charpentier, E (1982). How to Read the Old Testament. London: SCM Press Ltd. 39-41.
Even in Islam Adam and Eve were the first man and woman. As for the rest I'm clueless!
You should post the other articles you mentioned. I'm curious to read your 'idea' about why Adam and Eve were punished…
So does that mean that the story of Adam and Eve can be replaced by something 'truer' than the story of Adam & Eve, something more precise than symbolism, like science? I know i'm being extremely pedantic and keep pseudo-challenging the faith of Christianity, and for that i'm sorry, but will science ever have a part to play?
I remember that Adam & Eve got punished because they took an apple from the tree. Is that what is written in the Old Testament…or has the Simpsons (and other programs depicting Biblical stories) misled me?
I believe it would symbolise the sin of temptation?
I know they – Adam & Eve – were punished because Adam ate the apple. That's what the Holy Bible says too, ain't it?
@Nav and Wez
I am going to post more on this soon, but I invite you to read the text again here. I do not see any mention of any APPLE, but FRUIT … some careful reading required my friends.
@Bruno @Wez ah..so Simpsons lies!
lol
ok..will read "The Text" once more and see if i understand things more