"The Fall of Man"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that "The Fall of Man," with its mythological plot and character-driven story, written in a powerful literary style and with complex religious themes, is characteristic of the Yahwist source, one of the "four-source" theory authors. The author points out that this chapter of Genesis, which demonstrates the clear influence of the Mesopotamian and Palestinian cultures on the thematic level, highlights man's relationship with God and the ever-present temptation to become his own god. The paper relates that, possibly, the most important aspect of Genesis Chapter Three for scriptural study is the way it conveys the transcendent and immanent nature of God in relation to humanity, while also describing the unique status God holds as the only true god.

From the Paper:

"The Yahwist source begins in Genesis chapter two where God created man from clay, and placed him in the Garden of Eden, which in Mesopotamian culture describes a fertile region near the head of the Persian Gulf. Man was allowed to roam free in the garden and eat from any of the trees, with the exception of "the tree of knowledge of good and bad". Woman was then created to serve as man's partner and their "conjugal union" was willed by God. Chapter two concludes with a description of man and woman as naked but without shame, a foreshadowing of "The Fall of Man" in Genesis chapter three."

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• Cause and Effect Essay # 103530 : "The Fall and Man's Ability to Perceive God"

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