The Passion of Eve: Remembering the Beginning, 3rd Edition

By Edward N Brown

Discover what really happened inside and outside of the Garden of Eden, why it happened that way, and how the departure affected us all - from the perspective of Eve herself! She yearns for knowledge and wisdom but finds that it often conflicts with love and faith. Her lifelong quest is to find a reconciliation of all her feelings. Can she harmonize her spiritual love of God, her physical and emotional love for Adam, and her love for understanding? What's at stake is nothing short of the future of all humanity, our quest for life, and our relationship with God. 

   

Immerse yourself in the thoughts and feelings of Eve, considered by many to be the progenitor of us all. What was she really thinking? How did it all really happen? Then, putting away the effect of hindsight for the moment, you'll be able to ask yourself, "Would I have acted like Eve did, if I had been in the same situation? Or would I have done otherwise? Just what would I have done?"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edward N Brown
• Release date: May 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988408918

Edward N Brown

Edward N Brown is a storyteller with a background in science, philosophy, ancient history, and theology. His technique is to blend the interesting nuggets of myth, saga, historical record, biography, romance, scientific fact, poetry, spirituality, and personal drama – all mixed together into an informative, but easy-reading, faith-based tale of wonder and awe. An educational background of three advanced degrees (PhD + two MS) has contributed to his insights on Christianity, Religion, Antiquity, Morality, and Human Nature. Classified as ancient religious history, his works represent a speculative fusion of style – facts and events in riveting story form – drama and delight that will inform, entertain, and inspire readers of all ages.

Book preview

Introduction

Maybe you’re curious about what science and religion have to say about the beginning of the universe, the beginning and development of life in all its forms, and in particular, the beginning of human beings. Or maybe you’re not – it’s just too complicated. You know that the debates concerning Creation vs. Evolution and Science vs. the Bible have been raging on for years. You understand that the arguments have moved from the academic intellectual arena into the educational, legal, and political arenas. But now, all of a sudden, you realize there is a concern. What will your kids be taught in school? What will be the worldview of the next generation? There’s a strange feeling that science, evolution, and atheistic (or agnostic) thinking are winning out. Is that right? Is that good? Is that how you see the future? You’re justifiably distraught and confused. Will the next generation end up believing something completely at odds with what you personally believe – the worldview that you and your family have always shared and held close? Will your kids become distanced or estranged from you? Will your friends and colleagues shun you? Is it possible that they might be right and you’ve just been deluded all these years? Or are they being brainwashed systematically by a ruthless societal power structure?

Most parents and most young people are looking for a comfort factor – a measure that says I want to find common ground so that I don’t lose loving personal relationships that have intrinsic value to my happiness. This is true regardless of worldview – because it is written in the human heart.

So, what should you do? Endlessly debate it? Argue? Join an agenda-based constituency? Give up? Cave in? Pretend that it doesn’t exist? Ignore it all and hope that it will go away? What is one to do? You’re not a lawyer, an activist, a statesman, a philosopher, a scholar, or a theologian. How can you hope to hold your own in a meaningful debate or discussion? You could spend many years reading all the pertinent literature, editorials, and blogs, and still be a neophyte. What’s the answer?

The answer is to go back to the beginning. That is where the answers are (Jesus himself said to look to the beginning for answers – see Mark 10:2-9). The account of the Beginning in Genesis can be harmonized with physical beginnings that we have discovered through science. One way that can be done is by meticulous analysis (of which there are many good examples), which is great for thinkers and scholars. For the rest of us, however, there is another way – the story. A good well-written story, fully appreciated, can reveal important truths far more effectively to more people than intellectual rigor. The ‘take-away’ from a good story can be life-changing.

The Power of the Story

In some ways, the age-old act of listening to stories is a lot like examining the nature or operation of physical objects, looking at and perceiving images (moving or still), or contemplating and reflecting on abstract notions (such as mathematics or literature). The imagination is stimulated, the mental models are mesmerizing, and the excitement is captivating. You are immersed in an alternate reality, like a fantasy or dream.

But hey, this show is for real! You are not simply at the movies, watching TV, or immersed in interactive video. You are instead listening to someone telling a story, regardless of the media involved. Not just any old story of dry boring events and rambling words. But a story of adventure and intrigue! In this reality, you’re not safe and sound at home. Here, you’re on an away-mission! And on this mission, you’re on an astral plane, where you must be prepared for the new, the strange, and the unexpected! It’s not for the timid or the meek. Those set in their ways, or oblivious to the world around them, can remain comfortable in their humdrum living-rooms.

Your mission objective is to create, discover, and partake in new concepts and ideas – to understand new things. To design, to encounter, and to investigate are the new action catch verbs. But you must be prepared to suffer new emotions and new realizations, and to enter new realms of experience – for things will never again be quite the same. Prepare to think big and be challenged. Engage in flights of fancy, connect with spheres of magic, and dip into the orbits of the imagination. Expect a healthy dose of philosophy, history, theology, science, and human emotion. But also anticipate smaller doses of the mystic arts, such as spiritualism, the occult, angelology, and the paranormal. Along the way, the wild card is always faith and belief. Keep them close, for without them you will surely lose your way.

Yes, there are some special stories that hold special power over all of us. Ancient stories of faith and mysterious stories of hope – creation, covenant, good and evil, virtue and vice, life and death, resurrection and salvation – stories of how others before us dealt with the concepts, and coped with the dilemmas. These are the stories that affect our souls – stories that we hunger for – because there is a yearning deep within us to want to discover, to understand, and to experience.

For better or for worse, we are influenced by the stories we hear, see, read, and share. That is why the Christian liturgy, rich in scripture and stories of faith, has a deeply formative power. Over time, as we encounter the presence of God in the liturgy, we become what we receive. As darkness settles each night and we prepare to rest for a new day, again and again we turn to stories – in our thoughts and in our dreams – to remind us of who we are, what we are, and where we should be going. It’s in our nature to want to do what is good. But the dark forces of Satan are constantly seeking to thwart that desire.

Stories have the power to shape us in ways that turn us toward the Good and away from the Bad. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. It’s a simple act, but a good story can have positive life-changing consequences – both to the individual and to the world. Sharing a story, whether by radio, TV, book, computer, or word-of-mouth, helps us understand ourselves, our world, and our proper relationship with God – a powerful tool to spurn the Devil! This, then, is the Power of the Story.

The story of Adam and Eve, and the Beginning of our relationship with God, is so innately tied to our inner being, that it’s just in our nature to want to understand it. Whether myth or history, allegorical or literal, one fact remains – it’s a darn good story – a ‘tall-tale’ like no other! And besides, ‘origin’ stories usually sell good copy. So, what you read in this book is my contribution to the tale, and all the buzz surrounding the tale. I’ve tried to fill in the gaps that many people find disconcerting, usually not by just inventing things from my imagination (although sometimes that was done), but by researching the historical literature and then synthesizing a plausible story thread that, to me, is logically and historically sound; and which many of you may find personally satisfying –– or not!!

The Genesis Story

There is a great controversy today that rages around the authenticity of the Bible, and the scientific theories of how human life began on this planet. Viewpoints range from extremely divergent to differing only slightly in the details. The issue is philosophical, but the debates employ modern techniques of all kinds (often resulting in acrimony). To that end, it is suggested that both sides pause for a moment, and consider the Genesis story of Adam and Eve. Why? Because it embodies the basic essence of personal reality and existence – the struggle of human nature between Good and Bad. And this essence, if it truly is real, must be common to all sides.

The familiar version found in the Genesis story is not the ultimate source of this fundamental worldview. It is not an account that sprang perfectly inviolate from Heaven directly into the Old Testament pages. It is simply a version (a very good one, to be sure) of a belief, handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation of humankind – through the incoherent unrecorded ages – like an inextinguishable ray of light that ties the time when human life began, to the time when the human mind developed sentience, consciousness, and awareness – when the mind could finally express itself in language, and eventually record its expressions in writing which other human beings could see, read, and understand.

That the Adam and Eve story pervaded the thoughts of ancient writers is seen in the large number of versions that exist, or whose existence can be traced, through the writings of Greeks, Hebrews, Syrians, Egyptians, Abyssinians, Africans, and other ancient peoples. The versions differ in the details but the overall theme is the same. Anyone who examines so much apparently unrelated evidence will probably reach the same conclusion – there must be something to it!!

The book in your hand right now is a story; a story based on multiple versions of accounts handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the time that the first human life was created to the time when somebody finally decided to write it down. It is a story that revolves around two primordial characters, Adam and Eve, and their experiences both in and outside of the Garden of Eden. The Biblical account has been with us for centuries. But worthy stories that interpret and expand the Genesis account are indispensable for clearing the mind and broadening our understanding. The most famous exemplary work in this regard, is the monumental epic by John Milton, Paradise Lost. But times have changed, culture has changed, and even religion has changed since then.

In this book, the emphasis is not on event detail, as in Paradise Lost, but on Adam and Eve’s perception, consideration, and assessment of the events – particularly that of Eve; the rational thought processes that preceded her decisions, her reasoning that tried to explain why things were as they were, and the prophetic insights she had that tried to predict how things might be in the future – all based on priceless ancient writings in addition to the Bible.

The result is a plausible story thread that is logically and literally sound, but naturally is somewhat interpretive. Here is what Eve may have been thinking – here is what she may have believed – and here is how she coped with the trials and tribulations surrounding her. Without family, peers, or anyone to relate to besides God and Adam − or anything that could work as a reference − Eve must live out a human life that has meaning. Sound familiar? There are lessons to be learned here – pearls of wisdom that can help us all cope with our lot in life.

Generally, it becomes easier for a person to achieve the internal balance of faith, good works, and wisdom that will lead to salvation and everlasting life, if he/she has a grasp of what happened at the ‘beginning’, how it happened, and why it happened. Christian beliefs are not totally incompatible with modern secular and naturalistic beliefs, and a clear understanding of our beginnings is fundamental to helping the curious, skeptical, or fallen-away person, to re-unite with Christian core values.

Prologue

The Story is one for the ages. With minor variations and adaptations, it has withstood the test of time. It is both enduring and profound, both historical and doctrinal. Almost every person on the planet is familiar with it to some extent, and its upshot has influenced billions of people over the millennia. In short, it has become part of the human psyche. But have you ever wondered what really happened? What is the true history? Of course, many years of retelling and translating have filtered it to the preserved versions we have today. For sure, it has been overanalyzed and over-interpreted by the brightest minds available for thousands of years. But is it accurate to the level of a video recording? Or is it just a generalized summary of what was thought to be history? Is it hypothetical poetry? Or is it just an adaptation of pagan myths? Is it a framework for various literary styles? Or is it an inspired philosophical and theological treatise into the basic truths of life and humanity, written in a metaphorical manner? Maybe a little of each? The reality is that no one truly knows – for it occurred long before writing and highly developed language; back when oral tradition was the only form of information transfer. To put it succinctly, it has become shrouded in the mists of time. One will believe what one wishes to believe.

Preface

Adam and Eve are born sometime close to 5554 BC.¹ They are healthy and intelligent members of a species called homo sapiens – and members of a tribal group known as the Obaid culture in Mesopotamia – a collection of creatures that have evolved on the planet Earth following a grand Divine design, and lengthy cosmic instantiation incorporating evolutionary processes.²

At the age of 20, they are selected by Almighty God to become the progenitors of a new race of creatures – creatures that are in the ‘image’ of the Creator and the Designer – although an imperfect image because of their finite corporeality – and susceptible to temptation by angelic spirits who have fallen from grace.³ They have the inherent capability to freely choose the path of God-centeredness, that leads to re-unification with the family of God. But they also have the capability to freely choose the path of self-centeredness, that leads to separation from the family of God.

By angelic visitation, they have been given the gift of an advanced soul, much more highly developed than the other members of their species (which is already more developed than any other animal species on Earth), and a transcendent ethereal spirit that resides in the soul. They are called ‘human beings’.⁴ These gifts from God give them a jump-start in the ways of wisdom – enabling them to make informed decisions on which path to freely follow.

God is watching their further development carefully. His beloved creation needs monitoring for possible intervention and ‘tweaking’ of the design. As such, Adam and Eve are transported to a particular place on Earth, a garden in the land of Eden, which has been specially prepared as an ‘image’ of heaven – a representative ‘heaven on earth’. For seven years they tend the garden and interact harmoniously with the animals and plants therein. Then, Satan intervenes, and everything changes.

1 Life in the Garden

You were made from the dirt of the earth, and you will become dirt of the earth again – Genesis 3:19

The Year is approximately 5305 BC.

The Place is somewhere on the Holy Mountain just to the west of the Garden of Eden.

A vibrant teenager named Seth is engaged in his usual daily playful meanderings. He has the heart of an explorer, and is motivated and excited to discover what lies over every hill, around every corner, and beyond every bend. He has been told by his parents not to wander too far, but his curiosity is insatiable. One day perchance he wanders close to the entry gate of a vast garden area, but is frightened by a brilliant eye-catching Angel of the Cherubim with a flaming flashing sword of fire in his hand,⁵ whirling in every direction, to prevent access to the Tree of Life inside the Garden. The Cherub frowns at him crossly and thunders out You are forbidden to enter here! Terrified by the overshadowing form, he runs back to Eve, who is preparing food in a rocky outcrop near the Cave of Treasures, and asks his mother what any kid would, Why can’t I enter the gate? What lies on the other side? Who is the mighty guardian?

Eve realizes that it is time to tell her son about the past, about the Garden and their banishment, about right and wrong, and about God and Satan. And so, while Adam is toiling in the rocky, sloping grounds nearby, Eve begins to relate the family story as she understands it. She starts at the beginning of what she can remember – inside the Garden of Eden:

Eve Remembers Paradise

"And so, my dear son, someday I will tell you about everything that happened before you were born; when we came to this unholy and unruly place of weeds and thorns; when your father and I suffered much and were in great distress; when we were hurt and mistreated by the Devil-angels, and when we were comforted and protected by the God-angels. But first I must address your concern about that guarded gate that you could not enter, why you could not pass, and what is on the other side of the gate. So now I will recount to you what happened in the very beginning, when we lived in peace and harmony with everything in a beautiful garden in a blissful and holy place called Eden – the land inside the gate.

"Everything in the Garden of Eden was magnificent, delightful, holistic, and linked to the universal spirituality