Religion | Updated June 18, 2014

The Garden of Eden: or Why They Didn’t Actually Eat the Apple

Jamie Frater

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The number of misconceptions surrounding the Biblical tale of Adam and Eve are many. In fact, there are a multitude of Biblical misconceptions in general. In this myth-busting article we will look at one very specific misconception that almost everyone holds.

Poison Apple

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The myth: Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden for eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

And he said: Behold Adam is become as one of us, knowing good and evil: now, therefore, lest perhaps he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever. And the Lord God sent him out of the paradise of pleasure, to till the earth from which he was taken.

The Trees

In the Garden of Eden there were two special trees: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating from both but the wily serpent convinced Eve to take a bite from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When God found out he kicked them out of Eden – but not because of the act of disobedience which He might have forgiven them. He kicked them out to stop them eating the fruit of the tree of life which would then endow them with eternal life – in other words, they would never die.

Another interesting misconception relating to Adam and Eve is that the fruit they ate was an apple. In fact the Bible doesn’t state what fruit they ate. The reason this misconception has come about is most likely due to the fact that in Middle English, the word “apple” was used to refer to all fruit and nuts (except berries).

Interesting Fact: The serpent that convinced Eve to take the fruit from the tree of Knowledge and Evil is not referred to as Satan in Genesis. He is known only as the serpent who was “more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth.” Additionally, the term “Lucifer” used in reference to Satan comes from the Vulgate translation of Isaiah 14:12 – at no point in the Bible is Satan directly referred to by the name Lucifer.