Eden, Garden of

Eden, Garden of, in the Bible, first home to humankind. In it were the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil. Having eaten the forbidden fruit of the latter tree, Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and God's presence. Eden, often called Paradise, is symbolic of eschatological fertility and bounty. It is also mentioned in the Qur'an.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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