What did Adam and Eve actually eat in the Garden of Eden?

3 months ago
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What did Adam and Eve actually eat in the Garden of Eden? (it wasn't an apple)
Adultery, violence, incest, and even fratricide can all be found on the pages of the Bible. These ancient stories about people who succumbed to temptation and made mistakes serve as instructive examples for humanity. But how did it all start? What moment, according to Christian texts, became a turning point for human nature?
In the Christian tradition, it is Eve who is considered the first to show weakness by obeying the tempting serpent. This episode is known as the fall from grace. According to the biblical story, the serpent seduced Eve by telling her that the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would give her wisdom comparable to God's. Inspired by this idea, Eve decided to try the fruit and treated Adam to it.
However, contrary to popular belief, the biblical text does not indicate that the fruit was an apple. In the original book of Genesis, only "fruits from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil" are described, without specific indication of their kind. In the places where the action took place — in the area of Mesopotamia and Palestine — apples did not grow. This suggests that the biblical fruit could have been something else, such as a pomegranate or fig. Figs, by the way, were well known and often found in ancient texts as a symbol of prosperity and peace.
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they realized their nakedness and covered themselves with fig leaves. The fig tree symbolizes fertility and well-being in various cultures, and this may explain why its leaves were chosen for this purpose. It was not just a random find, but a symbol of the changes that Adam and Eve went through after being expelled from Paradise.
How did it happen that the apple became the symbol of the fall? One of the reasons could be his fame in Europe, where apples were popular and widespread. They were accessible and easy to understand. Another factor could be the popularity of the myth of the apple of discord from ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, the goddess Eris threw a golden apple with the inscription "The Most Beautiful" at the feast of the gods, causing a dispute between the three goddesses — Hero, Athena and Aphrodite, which eventually led to the Trojan War.
Interestingly, in earlier interpretations of the biblical text, the serpent was not always considered literally a snake. In some Jewish texts, he could be presented as a metaphor for temptation or as an image of Satan, in later Christian texts.
Today, many researchers consider the story of Adam and Eve as an allegory, a symbolic narrative about the maturation of mankind, its moral choice and responsibility. In particular, this story speaks about the human desire for knowledge and the consequences of disobedience.
These were the first steps of mankind towards the knowledge of good and evil, described in the sacred texts. Regardless of how we interpret these stories today, they remain an important part of the world's cultural heritage. I hope it was interesting for you to plunge into this ancient history. Drink wine — the blood of Christ, eat bread — his flesh, and may the Lord be with you. Ave Heracleum!

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