The Hebrew Worldview, Ep 4: The Garden of Eden

The Ancient Near East had tons of stories of divine abodes, nearly all of them as palaces built in gardens that were placed upon the peaks of mountains, the closest points to the heavens. These gardens contained sacred trees and water sources, both considered symbols of fertility and life. The Hebrew depiction of the Garden of Eden is even more profound because the was the penultimate and original location where the supernatural interconnected with the natural, bring Yahweh's two councils together to rule over creation. Check out this video to learn more. :)

Moore, Daniel E. “Cherub, Returned Exile.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm; Supernatural; Angels; Demons; and The Divine Council in Late Canonical and Non-Canonical Second Temple Jewish Literature, a dissertation.

Ronn A. Johnson, The Old Testament Background for Paul's Use of "Principalities and Powers," a dissertation.

Dunne, D. A. Neal & John Anthony. “Eden, Garden of.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

Sandra L. Richter, The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament

Mettinger, T. N. D. “Cherubim.” Edited by Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der Horst. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Leiden; Boston; Kˆln; Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: Brill; Eerdmans, 1999.

Mettinger, T. N. D. “Seraphim.” Edited by Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der Horst. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Leiden; Boston; Kˆln; Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: Brill; Eerdmans, 1999.

Hendel, R. S. “Serpent.” Edited by Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der Horst. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Leiden; Boston; Kˆln; Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: Brill; Eerdmans, 1999.

Baez, Enrique. “Tree of Knowledge.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.