Again, as regards the “forbidden tree,” it will not seem impossible, that as a simple test of obedience in a very primitive state, the rule of abstinence from a particular fruit may have been literally enjoined, and that the consequence of the moral act of disobedience (rather than the physical effect of the fruit eaten) should have been the knowledge of evil, the first sensation of shame, terror, angry dissension, and, worst of all, the alienation from God the source of all good, which followed.

All such considerations of the reality of the history must gain greatly in strength, if we can demonstrate that the Garden of Eden, the scene of the temptation, the place where the trees that were the vehicles of such consequences to the occupants of the garden, stood, had a real existence and geographical site.  Now I need hardly remark that the Mosaic narrative unquestionably professes a geographical exactness and a literal existence of the garden, as no fabled locality—­no Utopia or garden of the Hesperides.  I need only refer to the data afforded to us by Gen. ii. 8-14.

The Lord, it is said, planted a garden in Eden:  it was “eastward;” but that does not directly indicate its site.  From Gen. iv. 16, we also learn that the land of Nod where Cain dwelt (after the murder of Abel) was on the east of Eden.

A river went out and watered the garden.  After passing the limits of Eden, the river is said to have divided itself, or parted, into four heads, i.e., arms or branches.  The first branch was called Pison.  This branch “compasseth,” i.e., forms the boundary along the whole length of, “the Havilah.”  This country is spoken of as being a tract wherein was produced good gold, “b’dolach” (translated “bdellium”) and “shoham” (translated “onyx.”) The second branch was Gihon, which is described as similarly compassing the district of K[=u]sh.  Here our A.V., by substituting “Ethiopia” for the original “C[=u]sh,” has made a gloss rather than a translation; and this gloss has given rise to several errors of commentators in identifying the site of Eden.  The Revised Version has corrected the error.

The third branch was Hiddekel, the Diklatu of the Arabs, the Tigra of the old Persians, and the Tigris of later writers.  This is said to run eastward towards Assyria.[1] The fourth river was the Frat or Euphrates.  Observe, in passing, that the author gives no detail about the great river Euphrates, as being well known; while he adds particulars about the Tigris, and describes the Gihon and the Pison in some detail.

[Footnote 1:  So the margin of the A. and R. Versions more correctly.]

Now it will at once strike the reader that two of these rivers are well known to the present day.  The others are not.