Jewish Traditions
Even in ancient times, the presence of two distinct accounts of the creation of the first man (or couple) was noted. The first account says "male and female created them", implying simultaneous creation, whereas the second account states that God created Eve subsequent to the creation of Adam. The Midrash Rabbah - Genesis VIII:1 reconciled the two by stating that Genesis 1, "male and female He created them", indicates that God originally created Adam as a hermaphrodite, bodily and spiritually both male and female, before creating the separate beings of Adam and Eve. Other rabbis suggested that Eve and the woman of the first account were two separate individuals, the first being identified as Lilith, a figure elsewhere described as a night demon.
Genesis does not tell how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, but the 2nd century BC Book of Jubilees provides more specific information. It states (ch3 v17) that the serpent convinced Eve to eat the fruit on the 17th day of the 2nd month in the 8th year after Adam's creation. It also states that they were removed from the Garden on the new moon of the fourth month of that year (ch3 v33).
According to traditional Jewish belief Adam and Eve are buried in the Cave of Machpelah, in Hebron.
Read more about this topic: Adam And Eve, Abrahamic Traditions
Famous quotes containing the words jewish and/or traditions:
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