Eve

Biblical woman, written as the first woman, wife of Adam, and the ancestor of the human race. Name variations: (Hebrew) hawwâ (life). Created by God from Adam to be his companion in the Garden of Eden (Book of Genesis); children: Cain, Abel, and Seth, among others.

The Book of Genesis (Chapters 2 and 3) relates the story of the creation of Adam from "the dust of the ground," and Eve from the rib of Adam, so that they might live together in closeness and permanency forever. ("Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.") Placed in the Garden of Eden, the first couple were sanctioned by God to eat of the fruit from any trees in the garden except that from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The couple lived in innocent contentment until Eve was lured by the serpent (Satan) to partake of the forbidden fruit, which she ate, then tempted Adam to do the same. Immediately upon this transgression, they became aware and ashamed of their nakedness. For their disobedience, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden; Eve was

made to suffer the pain of childbirth and her husband's dominion over her, and Adam was made to toil for a living by the sweat of his brow. Their greatest punishment was eventual death.

After the expulsion, Adam and Eve lived many years and gave birth to both sons and daughters, although the Bible calls only three by name: sons Cain, Abel, and Seth. There are only hints about Eve's life after leaving Eden. It is written that her first son Cain grew into "a sullen, self-willed, haughty, vindictive man" (Genesis 4), who, in an act of jealously, murdered his brother Abel. For his crime, God exiled Cain to a life of wandering and placed upon him "the mark of Cain." Eve named her third son Seth, meaning appointed or a substitute, saying "for God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew" (Genesis 4:25; 5:3).

Biblical scholars now view the story of Genesis as an expression of the sacred authors' beliefs concerning the relationship of humans with God and the universe, and the human journey is fore-shadowed in the experience of Adam and Eve.