In a modern world, there are many ways to understand social change. You may follow the news closely, or read books written by distinguished academics. In particular, you’ll see great debate about women’s roles in society dominating our national discourse.
But did you know that even the Bible is studied for a newer understanding of its traditional themes—themes that have shaped society for millennia?
It’s true. And one of the most closely-studied stories is that of the first people to walk the Earth as God’s creations. The story of Adam, Eve, and the Fall forms the underpinning of almost all of our understanding of men and women, making it perhaps the most important theme from the Bible to study and reconsider.
The brand-new collection in the Biblical Archaeology Society Library, Adam and Eve, highlights intriguing insights on women’s role in the Bible and ancient thought—some of which might even be called feminist, right in the heart of patriarchal world religions.
It’s entirely possible that Adam actually “gave birth” to Eve via his os baculum (penis bone), not his rib.
In the Bible, the Fall is not sexual in nature—and Adam didn’t have to be seduced or convinced to eat the apple.
The ancient religious belief that women are evil is derived not from the Bible, but from extra-Biblical texts known as pseudepigrapha.
A feminist interpretation of the Creation story recasts woman as superior to man.
Certainly you’ll want to explore these ideas. For instance, it almost seems obvious that if humans have always been considered superior to all other animals because they were created last, then Eve, God’s final creation, is therefore the ultimate and most divine of all his works.
Similarly, while traditional interpretations of the reason for the Serpent choosing Eve for his scheme is because she is weaker and less intelligent, it’s equally logical to say Eve was chosen because she is more intelligent and better able to engage in theological discussion with the Serpent.
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Innocent or guilty?
These are just two of the points made in “Eve and Adam: Is a Feminist Reading Possible?” by Professor Pamela J. Milne. But why, exactly, is a feminist reading even necessary? Students of the Hebrew Bible know quite well that the Eve of that story is not a seductress. In fact, she neither deceives Adam nor coerces him into eating the fruit.
Photo: From Charles Foster, The Story of the Bible (1897).
Writes Susan L. Greiner in “Did Eve Fall or Was She Pushed?”:
“The word ‘sin’ is never applied to Eve; indeed, it does not even appear in the Creation account. Further, in the Bible, the Fall is not sexual in nature.”
It’s difficult to decide why the earliest theologians went to such extremes in rewriting Genesis. And while discussion of the topic is enticing, there are other, less gender-charged themes to uncover in the story of Adam and Eve.
For instance, have you ever stopped to consider how Adam and Eve made a living in the Garden of Eden? Frederic L. Pryor and Eleanor Ferris Beach have, and they take readers on a path through anthropological research and the economics of primitive societies to demonstrate that the description of Adam and Eve’s transition from gatherers—in Eden—to farmers/shepherds—after the expulsion from Paradise—closely resembles the evolution of early humans.
Become a Member of Biblical Archaeology Society Now and Get More Than Half Off the Regular Price of the All-Access Pass!
Explore the world’s most intriguing Biblical scholarship
Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Society’s vast library plus much more with an All-Access pass.
Breaking new ground in Biblical studies
For scholars both professional and lay, there is almost nothing more exciting than challenging traditional thought. That’s why this newest Special Collection from the BAS Library is already one of our most popular among our members.
Here’s what’s included in Adam and Eve:
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- “Was Eve Made from Adam’s Rib—or His Baculum?” by Ziony Zevit
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- “Creating Woman” by Mary Joan Winn Leith
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- “Did Eve Fall or Was She Pushed?” by Susan L. Greiner
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- “Eve and Adam—Is a Feminist Reading Possible?” by Pamela J. Milne
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- “How Did Adam & Eve Make a Living?” by Eleanor Ferris Beach and Frederic L. Pryor
Become a Member of Biblical Archaeology Society Now and Get More Than Half Off the Regular Price of the All-Access Pass!
Explore the world’s most intriguing Biblical scholarship
Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Society’s vast library plus much more with an All-Access pass.
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This was first published on BHD on June 4, 2019.
The post Adam and Eve appeared first on Biblical Archaeology Society.
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