blastula

Barring a prohibitively dated interpolation, why should it matter whether it's an interpolation in arguing people held that belief?

spin

Pipple vis umlauten in inklish haf rilly ferry silly names. It's no vunder you gotta stick togezzer: hoo els vonts to tok vis pipple vis rilly ferry silly names?

stephan huller

I am quite proud of my umlauten. Especially rare among Jews

Chili

That you may take it with you to the grave and let's just hope it does not burn.

Bernard Muller

I want to recapitulate:
In Life of Adam (Greek version):
1) "Paradise" is the garden of Eden (i 1, vii 1, etc.).
2) Adam lives on earth with Eve, Seth and descendants (v 1-4, etc.).
3) Seth, Eve & Adam go near Paradise, alive and by themselves (x 1, xxx 1, xiv 1).
4) The body of dead Adam lays on the earth, in Paradise, as visited by God coming from heaven (xxxviii 3-5).
5) Later Abel is buried near Adam's tomb, which is where God created Adam (xl 6).
6) Still later, Eve is buried by Seth near Abel & Adam (xliii). Afterwards, after helping Seth for the burial, angel Michael ascends to heaven.

The picture is consistent about Paradise=garden of Eden being on earth.

However, right before 4), at xxxvii 4, the body of Adam is said to be transported by angels to Paradise (so far no problem), which is specified to be in third heaven (clashing with xxxviii 2-5, etc.)

Also, right after 4), the body of Adam is said laid in Paradise (again no problem here), specified to be in third heaven (clashing with xxxviii 2-5, etc.)

So, in my view,
Either "earth" (with the garden of Eden (Paradise)) is in third heaven, where Adam, Abel, Eve lived and are buried, where Seth has his many descendants, where God created Adam, etc.
OR
the two "third heaven" were added later as an interpolation.

Cordially, Bernard

stephan huller

the Samaritans think that paradise is mount Gerizim but that according to some legends the top of the mountain is missing. it went up in the sky and will come back later

Bernard Muller

Looking at this website: http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/lifeadameve.html, it seems there is a consensus about the original version as written in a Semitic language before 70 CE.
Therefore the Greek version came later. When? I do not know.
Was "Paradise in third heaven" a belief? If it was when the Greek version was written, it would have been well integrated into the text. Instead it looks like interpolations.

The Georgian version (which also has two occurrences of Paradise in third heaven) seems to have come much later than the Greek version: it is better written and avoid some of the problems of the Greek version (GV). It has also Christian elements.
In it, Adam & Eve live on earth, with two of its rivers named (Tigris & Jordan).
In the first verse, Adam & Eve go out of Paradise (garden of Eden) by themselves (not with angels). But,
Problems solved:
- After the angel Michael bring Adam's body in third heaven, God finds Adam on earth, because the corpse had fallen in. Then the body is brought back by Michael to third heaven (no mention of any fall in the GV).
- No mention Adam was buried where God created him from dust (but it is in the GV).
- Eve's body is carried by angels to be buried close to Adam (no mention of angels doing that in the GV).
http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/anders....geo.html#per2

Cordially, Bernard

Bernard Muller

According to the Wikipedia entry for Life of Adam and Eve, the versions from the disappeared Semitic original would be dated from the early 3rd to the 5th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Adam_and_Eve

Cordially, Bernard

Bernard Muller

To Stephan,
What does "umlauten" mean?
Cordially, Bernard

andrewcriddle

Although the different versions may differ as to where Adam was buried they agree that his death occurred upon this earth.

Andrew Criddle