Adam and Eve: Reading Diary A

Adam and Eve

I learned a lot through the first half of this unit.  The first two parts of the reading were stuff that I knew really well from reading the Bible.  The rest of it was far more unfamiliar to me.  I’d heard bits and pieces of some of the stories, but never the whole thing.  It was really interesting to discover more of it.  Some of the most memorable points were:

·         Man is superior to angels, specifically Adam vs. Satan

·         God used the animals to test them both (ox and cow, camel and donkey)

·         Where did the idea of Lilith come from?

·         The angels knew Adam was only a human because he fell asleep.

·         Lilith was created from the dust, like Adam.  Eve was created out of his rib.

·         Why are Lilith’s children demons?

·         Who are the three angel protectors who went after Lilith?

·         Author is extremely critical of the Daughters of Zion but fails to mention the shortcomings of the Sons of Zion.

·         “To this day it is true that men do not appreciate the charms of women whom they have known and observed from childhood up.” What? Not true at all.

·         “Indeed, God had created a wife for Adam before Eve, but he would not have her, because she had been made in his presence.” Complete contradiction with the previous part of the story.  Lilith left Adam; she wouldn’t have him.  They had to send angels to force her back to him, but she chose to have her children killed instead of being with him. 

·         Women are bad, according to the story, yet souls are referred to as feminine objects.

·         “The first portal is the Cave of Machpelah, in the vicinity of Paradise, which is under the care and supervision of Adam.”

·         “The soul then proceeds until she arrives at the gate of Paradise guarded by the cherubim and the flaming sword.”

·         “The third portal, Zebul, is at the entrance of heaven. If the soul is worthy, the guard opens the portal and admits her to the heavenly Temple. Michael presents her to God, and conducts her to the seventh portal”

·         What happened to portals four-six?

·         “six commandments which every human being is expected to heed: man should not worship idols; nor blaspheme God; nor commit murder, nor incest, nor theft and robbery;”

·         What happened to the full ten?

·         The serpent was originally almost as noble as man.

·         The fig was the forbidden fruit? The tree of knowledge was a fig tree?

·         God would have forgiven man and woman if they had not lied about their sin.

Illustration for John Milton's "Paradise Lost" by Gustave Dore, Source