Texts in Conversation
The Sibylline Oracles and Rabbinic tradition in Genesis Rabbah both describe Eve as exceptionally beautiful, a detail not mentioned in Genesis. This was likely intended to provide additional importance to her role in the narrative.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Sibylline Oracles 1:37
Pseudepigrapha
34 He longed for conversation, being alone, 35 And prayed that he might see another form 36 Such as he had. And forthwith, from man’s side 37 Taking a bone, God himself made fair Eve, 38 A wedded spouse, and in that Paradise 39 Gave her to dwell with him. And, when he gazed 40 Upon her, all of a sudden filled with joy
Genesis Rabbah 40:5
Aggadah
Rabbinic
“It was upon Abram’s arrival in Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful” (Genesis 12:14). “It was upon Abram’s arrival in Egypt, the Egyptians saw” – and where was Sarah? He had placed her in a chest and locked her in it. When they arrived at customs, they said to him: ‘Pay the duty.’ He said: ‘I will pay the duty.’ They said to him: ‘[Perhaps] you are transporting garments?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for garments.’ They said to him: ‘[Perhaps] you are transporting gold?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for gold.’ They said to him:’ Perhaps you are transporting silk garments?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for silk garments.’ ‘[Perhaps] you are transporting gems?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for gems.’ [Nevertheless,] they said to him: ‘It is not possible [for you to pass] unless you open [the chest] and show us what is inside it.’ When he opened it, the entire land of Egypt shone with her radiance. Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan bar Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: An image of Eve was passed down to the leaders of [all] the generations. Elsewhere it is written: “The young woman [Avishag] was very [ad meod] beautiful” (I Kings 1:4) – she approximated the image of Eve. However, here it says: “That she was very [meod] beautiful” – meod is the image of Eve. “Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house” (Genesis 12:15). “Pharaoh’s officials saw her […and the woman was taken [vatukaḥ] to Pharaoh’s house]” – she was continuously increasing in price. One said: ‘I will give one hundred dinars and I will enter with her.’ Another said: ‘I will give two hundred and enter with her.’ I know that this is so [regarding the righteous] only when they are ascendant. From where do I derive that it is so [even] when they are descendant? “They pulled Jeremiah with the ropes and raised [vayaalu] him from the pit” (Jeremiah 38:13). I know this only regarding this world, regarding the World to Come, from where is it derived? The verse states: “The peoples will take them [ulkaḥum] and bring them to their place” (Isaiah 14:2).
Date: 500 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... On the whole, Eve is seen just the same as Adam, created in the image of God, endowed with the divine blessings of procreation and dominion over other creatures on earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Tobit 8:6-7; Sibylline Oracles 1:54-58; Numbers Rabbah 12:4; Targum Onkelos Genesis 1:26-28; 12:4; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 1:26-28; Apocalypse of Moses 15:2-4). She is advocated as the ancestor of humanity as Adam (1 Enoch 32:3-6; 2 Enoch 41:1). Her existence is to make Adam complete (Genesis 2:18; Tobit 8:6; Jubilees 3:4; Genesis Rabbah 8:9; 17:1-2; 22:2; b. Yevamot 62b). The above study indicates that Eve is recognized to be Adam’s helper (Gen 2:18; Tobit 8:6; Jubilees 3:4; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 2:18), supporter (Tobit 8:6-7; Targum Onkelos Genesis 2:18), adviser (Genesis Rabbah 20:11), guardian (b. Yevamot 62b-63a), companion and wife and co-partaker (Tobit 8:6; Jubilees 3:6, 8, 16). Eve is applauded to be wonderful and beautiful (Sibylline Oracles 1:30; Genesis Rabbah 40:5), endowed with more understanding than Adam ..."
Chan, Sariah Yau-wah
1 Timothy 2.13-15 in the Light of Views Concerning Eve and Childbirth in Early Judaism
(pp. 189-195) Dallas Thelogical Seminary, 2006
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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