101 Myths of the Bible: how ancient scribes - Conscious Evolution TV

56
yth #24:
Adam gained wisdom without immortality.
The Myth: And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to
know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live for ever: (Gen. 3:22)
The Reality: The story of Adam’s loss of immortality and mankind’s punishment
borrows from the Mesopotamian myth of Adapa.
When God expelled Adam from Eden, the man had wisdom but not immortality
and his descendants had to suffer for his sin. This aspect of the story borrowed
elements from a Mesopotamian myth about someone named Adapa.
According to this story, the god Ea created Adapa to be a leader among humanity
and gave him wisdom but not eternal life. Adapa served well in his role but one day,
while out sailing, the South Wind overturned his boat and plunged him into the water.
Angrily, Adapa cursed the wind and broke its wings. Anu, the chief deity, learned of
this deed and demanded that Adapa be produced before him.
Ea, one of the chief Mesopotamian deities, befriended Adapa and prepared him
for the meeting. Among his instructions, he said:
They will offer thee the food of death;
Do not eat (it). The water of death they will offer thee;
Do not drink (it). A garment they will offer thee;
Do not clothe thyself (with it). Oil they will offer thee; anoint thyself (with it) .
In these instructions, Ea referred to the offerings as “the food of death” and “the
water of death” but when Adapa appeared before Anu’s court, the deity described the
offerings as“the food of life” and“the water of life.” In obedience to Ea, Adapa declined
Anu’s hospitality and in doing so won the god’s favor. As a reward, Anu freed Adapa
from compulsory servitude, but because his sin had to be punished, Anu caused
humanity to suffer disease and illness.