Question on Adam and Eve/Tree of Knowledge Metaphor?

Question

My teacher in my religions class told us that the adam and eve story as been interpreted as a metaphor by some scholars as something I found really interesting.
He said in this metaphor the eve isn't literally offering adam the forbidden fruit but is offering sex, this could be why they have to cover the private areas when god gets angry and why woman is cursed with childbearing pain (because life is created through sex) Anyways....
I am really interested in it and want to know if you've heard about it, what you think of it, I would love further info or facts that could point to this being true, or any good websites. Thank you.

Just so you know, my teacher wasn't teaching it as a fact, he was just letting us know what some scholars believe, as I stated before. I really don't want judgments either. I really just want more info on the subject, like where this myth could've come from and facts about it.

Answer 1

Yes. The forbidden knowledge was really carnal lust in the original myth. Its true meaning was altered in the retelling over the centuries before it was finally written down, probably aroun 500 BCE

It was borrowed from Egyptian mythology, with the role of Egyptian male and female gods being replaced by the human Adam and Eve,

Answer 2

Yes I've heard of that metaphor; however, I've heard of a more interesting one as well. The story of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, etc. borrowed heavily from Sumerian religion (i.e. the Epic of Gilgamesh). Anyways, The story of Adam and Eve is a metaphor for the advent of agriculture and agrarian societies. I'll explain. The serpent promised Adam and Eve that they could become Gods. That they could control and manipulate all of God's creations. Adam and Eve were punished by God for eating from the tree of knowledge. Once they acquired that knowledge (agriculture) they were never again allowed into the garden of Eden. Many believe that, if existed, the Garden of Eden was in Mesopotamia, which is were agriculture first developed. Secondly, the original location, where the Tigris and Euphrates empties into the Persian Gulf, was flooded and is currently underwater. So, the story explains how becoming an agricultural society ensures that early man can never revert back to the easier life as a hunter and gather in the lush plains of the fertile crescent. Just a thought. I wish I could explain better. It would be way too long. The story of Adam and Eve is not an historical account. I do not understand how North could say that. The contradictions are numerous.

Answer 3

First off the tree is not the Tree of Knowledge it is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is the only thing in the garden that is forbidden to Adam and Eve, it is in effect the only rule. The reason the good and evil part is important is this, when Adam and Eve obeyed God and did not eat of the fruit they were in communion with God and only knew of God's characteristics. God by definition is good. When they ate of the fruit they suddenly found themselves outside of God's goodness and had committed an act that was not good, therefore it was evil. Up until that point they had no idea what evil was, there was no knowledge for them to draw upon for evil, all they had known was good. Once they ate of the fruit they had knowledge of both good and evil because they had experienced both.

Sex itself did not enter into the equation until after the garden when it says that "Adam knew his wife", so how could Eve offer sex if they did not know about it until after the event.

Answer 4

I do not believe that the scholars are correct on this account. In Genesis 3, the entire chapter is devoted to telling the story of the fall of man. In the beginning of it, Gen 3:1-7. It tells of Eve's discussion with the serpent and the actual taking and eating of the fruit BEFORE offering it to Adam. I believe that it was a tree and it was a test to see if Adam and Eve could obey the basic of commands, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Answer 5

It's possible, that's an interesting premise, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they were having sex before the Fruit was eaten. I think the Fruit could symbolize any number of things though, so it could very well be sex. I think it was more awareness though.

They always have some story that supposedly influenced the Christian story, but often these beliefs differ in some fundemental and important way.

Answer 6

Actually, there were 2 trees we could not eat from, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. Adam and Eve were not banished for eating from the tree of knowledge, read carefully and you will see that God says '...and lest they put forth their hand and eat of the tree of life also and become as we are...'. I guess we are supposed to only listen to what the story is rather than read for ourself. another part of the story I like is Adam and Eve covered themselves with leaves, but God then gave them furs to wear. Take that PETA!

Answer 7

that is a popular, but nonsensical teaching.

its simply not based on anything.

Sex, in its proper application(within a loving relationship, ideally this being actually within formal marrige, but the marrige is really a technicality, the relationship is the point, ... some will disagree on this, but thats semantics IMO) is one of the most holy and sacred acts one can preform, to say that it is wrong like that is just... ugh, borderline blasphemy really.

what I have come to understand/realize is that the fruit itself is metaphorical even, that its not that there was a fruit, an act, or an "offering" per se, that was even the point,
lets say there was a tree that God said "don't eat from this tree". ... the tree wouldn't have to DO anything. the mere act of chosing to disobey, would in itself make them aware of the fact that they really could chose contrary to God's instructions. this itself, the defiant act, not WHAT the defiant act is, is itself the part of the whole issue that makes a difference.

think of it like a little kid who figures out that they can say "no". they might not be able to enforce their will of resistance, but at a certain point, the child realizes they can at very least, INTEND contrary to what their told. they can chose to NOT want what they are told/given, in a concious way. this is really a very important, very fundamental turning point in awareness,

before they "ate from the tree" they were as beasts. they knew nothing except living in accordance to nature as God had instructed them and put forth for them. they did not know they had free will, they did not know they could chose contrary to what God said. they had never experienced that.

after, they were aware and truly capable of chosing, as they knew the difference, from personal experience.

if you had never once disobeyed your parents, would you really even know that you could?

God INTENDED them to eat from the tree. if they had not, none of human existance as we know it, would have come to pass.

Answer 8

(Genesis 2:16-17) And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”

Dying seems a bit harsh for just having sex.
No. it is not about sex but about OBEDIENCE.
God himself planned marriage for two people, eg.
(Genesis 4:1) Now Adam had intercourse with Eve his wife and she became pregnant. In time she gave birth to Cain and said: “I have produced a man with the aid of Jehovah.”

God did not want people to know about anything bad.
Adam and Eve and even Satan had free will. to do either good or bad. All chose wrongly. And we know the results.

Answer 9

story of adam and eve as told in the Bible is an urban legend fairy tale. If you read genesis you will see passages where God is walking in the garden looking for adam and eve, they even hear God walking. God shows up as Nicolas cage or some 6 feet tall creature.

Yes it was all about sex as would be whenever a man and a woman meet in a place like that - the garden of eden, or perhaps at the back of a bar at 2 in the morning.

Answer 10

I have not heard that but it is interesting I do believe that part of genesis can be a metaphor for the creation of the world and mankind