Reading Notes: Adam and Eve

I chose to read the topic over Adam and Eve for this weeks reading because it is a story that I have grown up hearing through catholic school and wanted to see the different variations. The first two stories, The Creation and The Fall are from the Old Testament and are the traditional stories of Adam and Eve that I have learned growing up. The stories written by Grinzberg were different than anything I have ever read, but were quite interesting to me. Many of the stories seem to focus on perfecting a woman for Adam and the differences between man and woman. One story that really stood out to me was Lilith. Lilith was a woman whom God constructed to be a companion to Adam, yet she was more trouble than Eve was in the past stories. Lilith was created from dirt like Adam, instead of being constructed out of one of his ribs. This made Lilith believe that Adam was no better than she was and made her abandon him. Lilith ended up becoming a harmful character. This is why we learn in Eve that the woman must be constructed out of one of Adams ribs in order to have a deeper connection and need for one another. The story about Eve also discusses the differences between men and women and compares the two in many ways. Both of the versions of the story of Adam and Eve discuss the fall of man and the serpent causing temptation. Adam and Eve both gained knowledge from eating the forbidden fruit and were punished by God. The serpent was also punished but removing its hands and feet, forcing it to crawl on the dirt.

Adam and Eve 

Adam and Eve Unit: The Legend of the Jews by Louis Grinzberg and King James Bible, Genesis 1-2.