THE STORY OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN
In this essay on the second chapter of the Book of Genesis in the Pentateuch, a single example
will serve to demonstrate the possibility that a so-called mythological narrative can not only
anticipate that which will later be termed reality, but can itself provide knowledge equivalent
in value to that later knowledge.
It will be seen that the story of the Garden of Eden is a case - there may be others - in which
the insight into the structure of reality is so great and so important and is condensed into so small
a space of literary expression, that the intensity of the inspiration bears no comparison with anything
else in the whole field of mythological literature. Just enumerating the 'philosophical ideas' and 'answered
problems' found in the text will show that it would be hard to find another poetic creation where the so
many motifs have consciously been compressed in so simple a form. Every reader of the bible is familiar
with the fact that there are accounts with many different levels of meaning, such that a child can understand
them at one level, while philosophical minds continue their analyses and wonder to what depths they may yet be
led. In my opinion, the story of the Garden of Eden surpasses all others in this respect.