Texts in Conversation
Genesis describes humanity barred from the tree of life after gaining knowledge, depicting it as a lost source of immortality. Proverbs later uses the image of the tree of life as a metaphor for wisdom, presenting her as a life-giving figure.
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Genesis 3:22
Hebrew Bible
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made garments from skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken. 24 When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Proverbs 3:18
Hebrew Bible
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are very pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful. 18 She is like a tree of life to those who grasp onto her, and everyone who takes hold of her will be blessed. 19 By wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth; he established the heavens by understanding. 20 By his knowledge the primordial sea was broken open, so that the clouds drip down dew.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Another example of mythic material used by specific sectors of society for monotheistic purposes may involve the imagery of Wisdom personified. Proverbs 1–9 presents a divine invitation from the female personification of Wisdom. In the past, a number of scholars compared the figure of Wisdom to the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The “tree of life,” which recalls the tree of the asherah, appears in Israelite tradition as a metaphorical expression for Wisdom (Proverbs 3:18; compare 11:30, 15:4; Genesis 3:22; Revelation 2:7). Like the symbol of the asherah, Wisdom is a female figure, providing life and nurturing. Proverbs 3:18 may be especially pertinent ..."
Smith, Mark S.
The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts
(p. 172) Oxford University Press, 2001
* 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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