Reading the Bible with the Dead

Eve Introduction

      In the beginning of Genesis, God created a man named Adam. God decided that Adam needed a companion and decided to create a woman, Eve, out of Adam's rib. Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and told they could eat freely from any tree in the garden except one. A crafty serpent appeared to Eve and told her that if she ate from the tree that God has said not to, her eyes will be opened and she will be like God, knowing good from evil. This appealed to Eve and she ate from the tree. Eve also told Adam to eat from the tree with her and he did so. This went against God's will and from then on there was sin in the world and Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden. As a punishment for this, God told Eve, "I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Gen 3:16). 
     
      This topic is significant because it is the first story in the Bible and it is also where the first sin takes place. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree, Genesis 3:7 states that " the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked." This shows that they knew they did wrong and violated God's will, which is what the definition of sin is according to a religious context.
 
     The interpretations about Eve correlated with the political history of women at that specific time when the interpretation was made. Throughout the timeline that is to follow, you can see the connections of the interpretations to the political standpoint of women in that time period. In the beginning interpretations, Eve was seen as inferior to Adam, but as the timeline progresses, you begin to see more interpretations for the equality of Adam and Eve. At this time in history, women were gaining more rights and equality through the women's rights movement. An interesting theme that we noticed throughout the timeline of interpretations was that they are usually related who was at fault for the first sin. 
 

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