| In
the center of the Garden, there was a tree of life. Only the Hebrew and
the Assyrian/Babylonian literature share the legend of the tree of life.
|
Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put
the man whom he had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow
every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of
life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil. |
|
There are some references to the tree of life outside
the Old Testament. For example, the Ethiopic Book of Enoch (xxiv. 4) states
that the tree of life has a fragrance and its fruit resembles the palm
dates. (Jewish Encyclopedia)
However, Assyrians and Babylonians share the common legend
of the tree of life and a Utopian land called the island of dilmun, which
is now located in Bahrain. Why? Assyrians used to live in the north and
the Babylonians in the south of the region trapped between Euphrates and
Tigris. It is most likely that the Jews incorporated the legend of the
tree of life, creation, and deluge during their Babylonian captivity |