Essay, Research Paper: Eve In The Bible

"Eve"

The story of the creation of Adam and Eve must be one of the most widely known stories of all. The entire story transcends religious, ethnic and social backgrounds. Adam and Eve were the first people to populate God's new creation. They were placed by God in the Garden of Eden. It was a utopia unparalleled by human invention. Because of sin, they were driven from the garden and began a life that would end in physical death in a hostile environment. Their sin was the beginning of sin in God's creation, and human history from that day has felt its effects. "Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.'"(Gen 2:18)

Eve was to be one of the most important and at the same time detrimental influences in all of man kind. "God blessed them, and God said, to them, 'be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.'" (Gen 1:28). Eve was made from Adam's lower rib, after god put man into a deep sleep. "Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman for out of Man this one was taken.'" (Gen 2:23). Later this was used to rank women in a lower order than men. Eve was then tempted by the serpent, and "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate" (Gen. 3:1, 6). Both Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden. Again this is used later by men to claim she was the cause of original sin, and place women socially beneath them. Their punishment was "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen 3:15). Adam and Eve were once "naked and unashamed of it", but after being cast out of the Garden, God made clothes for them, and they were to be covered from that day on. Eve later gives birth to Abel who is killed by his brother Cain. Eve gave birth later to Seth. There is a long list of the descendents of Adam and Eve, all which are to be blessed in the kingdom of god. (I'm assuming this meant that baptism did not exist, but they would be healed from their original sin) "This is the list of the descendents of Adam. When God created humankind he made them in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them "Humankind" when they were created." (Gen 5: 1-2)

My opinions for Eve varied, I felt she was a victim of something she did not understand enough to know what she was doing, and unfairly became a scapegoat to oppress women for many later generations. She was used in religious teachings and even today (in some ancient civilizations) as an excuse to put women below men in social classes. You can see the reference to this in the following quote. "Likewise, women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, then Eve. And not Adam was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." (1 Timothy 2:9-15)

The story of Adam and Eve furthers someone knowledge of god through the understanding of the root of original sin, and that God did not impose this upon us for no reason. Eve seems to be someone who does not know what she will cause when she is being tempted by the serpent, and frankly who doesn't know what is happening when they are cast out of the Garden. Eve is partly responsible for human suffering in the world throughout history and even today, and through that many people find God. If the world was a utopian society with no sin and no temptations, there would be a lot less freedom of choice.