Early Christian and Jewish Rituals Related to Temple Practices

Early Christian and Jewish Rituals Related to Temple Practices John A. Tvedtnes

...When Adam departed and was walking around in the garden, the serpent spoke to Eve and said, “Why do you taste of all the trees, but from this one tree which is beautiful in appearance you do not taste?” Eve said, “Because God said, ‘When you eat of that tree, you shall die.'” But the serpent said, “God has deceived you, for formerly God was man like you. When he ate of that fruit, he attained this great glory. That is why he told you not to eat, lest eating [it] you would become equal to God.” When she heard the advice of the serpent, she wanted to become divine. She promptly picked and ate of the fruit. And immediately she became stripped.49 Now Adam came and saw his wife stripped, [and] he turned and said, “What is this you have done? Why did you eat of that fruit and become stripped?” Eve said, “This fruit is extremely sweet and tasty; you take also [and] eat.” She wanted to deceive Adam. Adam said, “Shall I eat and be stripped like you?” And Eve said, “I ate too much and was stripped because of that. You eat just a little.” Adam said, “I cannot taste it and become like you.” Eve said, “Even if you eat too much, you will not become stripped, because God loves you.” When Adam heard this he took the fruit into his hand, but he was afraid to eat. But Eve cried and begged him and said, “Eat and do not separate me from you. If we live, let us live together, and if we die, let us die together.” Now Adam thoroughly examined the fruit in his hand for three hours. Now he would want to eat it, and then he would not. But when he looked at the woman’s begging and [her] tears, he felt pity in his heart. When he saw her nakedness, he was afraid to eat. When he saw her beauty, he became foolish. Even though she was stripped, she was nevertheless beautiful because she was newly created and she glistened like a white pearl. But Adam, because of his love for the women, could not restrain himself and he ate of the fruit and stripped himself of the light. (Emphasis added.)50...