OLD TESTAMENT 11
In the opening passages of Genesis, God creates a man
from the dust of the earth. As he blows into the man’s nos-
trils, the man comes alive. The breath is initself a remark-
able image: The Hebrew word for breath,ruach,can also
mean life, spirit, or soul; and some scholars interpret this
moment as God’s infusing man with his own eternal es-
sence. The breath of God distinguishes humans from all
other creatures as the only ones to receive this gift from God.
But breath isn’t the only thing God bestows on Adam
in Genesis. He also creates a garden for him, Eden. In
the center are two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of
Knowledge. Adam is instructed never to touch the Tree
of Knowledge, but why would he want to? The garden has
everything he could possibly require: food and water, gold
and lapis lazuli, and every kind of animal and plant.
Near the end of his burst of creativity, God realizes
there is something missing. Although he has created a
multitude of creatures to keep Adam company, none of
them is a “fitting helper.” So he puts Adam to sleep and
uses one of his ribs to create a new being. He brings her to
Adam, who says:This one at last
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called Woman,
For out of Man this one was taken.The end of the story is well-known: The devil, taking
the form of the serpent, tempts the woman, called Eve,
to eat the forbidden fruit, and although she can have any
fruit throughout the garden, Eve can’t resist. Not only does
she eat the fruit herself, but she shares it with Adam. Fear-
ing God’s wrath, the pair try to hide.
Angry, God asks, “Have you eaten from the tree of
which I had commanded you not to eat?” He casts his two
disobedient human creations from Eden. But God shows
a glimmer of compassion. Before he banishes Adam and
Eve, he clothes them, offering them some protection from
the cold world beyond. ▪Although he has created a multitude
of creatures to keep Adam company,
none of them is a “fitting helper.” So he
puts Adam to sleep and uses one of his
ribs to create a new being.A FITTING HELPER
The Earthly Paradise and the Fall
of Adam and Eveby Jan Brueghel
and Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1615).
Seven days’ worth of creation
sprawled across the earth, the
foundation for all of life.