Different Perspectives

The Different Perspectives First Man and Woman Narrtive
The story of Adam and Eve’s is one that is well-known among the various biblical stories, by many. With a deeper analysis, one can learn about the different versions of the same story, and different religions that have different story that could have influenced the story of Adam and Eve. I will use the story of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis from the Pentateuch and demonstrate similarities between the creation of the first man and woman through Mesopotamian mythology, specifically using texts from Babylonian and Sumerian religious culture to show similarities among these ancient texts I will also use verses from the Quran from the religion of Islam as a comparison. Furthermore,

Adam and Eve are cursed by God for disobeying his word and eating what they weren’t supposed to. Like Enki, Eve was curious and greedy to try the fruit, though it was sacred. Enki and Eve are both cursed with a form of bodily pain. Eve is cursed by God to have painful labours when giving birth, while Enki feels pain with eight of his organs. Another interesting comparison can be made between the rib in both stories. Kramer states that the Sumerian word for rib is ti. and “the goddess whose birth in some way implied the healing of the rib, was called [Ninti]” (Kramer 9) which means lady of the rib. The word ti in in Sumerian can also mean “to make live." Thus with a play of words, Ninti can also mean the lady who makes people live. In the Yahwist version of the Creation story, Eve comes to life with one of Adam’s rib. These similarities between the story of Adam and Eve in the Genesis and the poem of Enki and Ninhursag show that the poem may have had some influence on the biblical

In the Surah Taha, which is the 20th chapter of the Quran, Adam and Hawa, who is known as Adam’s wife similar to Eve from the Genesis. Adam and Hawa are also the first man and woman on Earth and they are told by God to eat of the fruits of any tree except one particular tree (Klauck 350). The fruit from this tree would allow them to separate good from evil. Before eating this fruit, they are pure and naturally good. In the Quran, the one who deceives Adam and Hawa is not the serpent, but Satan himself who has fallen from the grace of God. Satan deceives Adam and Hawa by telling them God is hiding the truth from them and that eating this fruit will make them immortal (Klauck 350). Instead, they feel shame after eating the fruit and cover themselves, like Adam and Eve in the Genesis. However, one of the biggest differences from the Quran and the biblical story of Adam and Eve is that in the Quran, God does not curse Adam and Hawa. Although he orders for Adam and Hawa to live on Earth, where they shall die like in the Genesis, in the Quran, “his Lord chose [Adam] and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him]” (The Nobel Quran, Surah Ta-Ha. 20.122). This version of the Adam and Eve narative can demonstrate that in the Quran, the reading can be interpreted as the first beings not having sinned. Instead, they make a mistake which God forgives. Thus, Eve is not told she will have