Gen. 2:9 The wider garden imagery in the ancient Near East helps in understanding the tree of life. The tree of life refers to two concepts: one earthly and the other symbolic of divine life and cosmological wellness. The tree is described as being located in Eden, which is a garden with abundant water and lush vegetation, paradise for those living in agrarian or pastoral settings.
In the ancient Near East, garden imagery was used to describe the abodes of deities, representing luxury and abundance. The divine abode also represented the place where heaven and earth met. The ot often connects trees with divine encounters and sacred geography (Gen 21:33;Gen 35:4; Josh 24:26; Judg 4:5; 6:11, 19). The temple of Israel exemplifies this as it was decorated in the fashion of a lush garden (1 Kgs 6:1-38 1Kgs 7:1-51).
The idea of a divine tree was commemorated structurally through the ancient Near East, such as in the building of ziggurats in Mesopotamia. The ziggurat was believed to be the temple where gods and humans met. Idolatrous worship was associated with trees for the same reasons (Exod 34:13; Deut 12:3; Judg 3:7). It was even common to bury the dead at or near a sacred tree (Gen 35:8; 1 Chr 10:12).
Cosmic Garden and Mountain Imagery in the Old Testament
Sacred Trees in Israelite Religion
The Tree of Life LRC:G111
Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life AYBD
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ge 2:9.
month of October 2023 Logos Bible Software Discount code MINISTRYTHANKS GET 10% Off 50 12% Off 200 15% OFF 500 |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please only leave comment If you are interested in the topic discussed above. No spam will be tolerated so don't even try to spam my readers.