Minute Paper

Today in class we analyzed the different interpretations of Genesis 2. We recognized that Speiser’s final assessment of Genesis 1-3 reveals more about his personal opinions than conventionally presented in scholarly writing. We also discussed the implications of interpreting Eve as the protagonist in Genesis 2 and what this interpretation says about gender rolls and the relationship between man, woman, and God. In Sarna, we analyzed his justification of God’s explosion of man from Eden, versus simple removing or blocking the tree of life. We also talked about how the snakes plural language during his conversation with Eve speaks to Adam’s presence in the garden when the snake was convincing Eve to eat from the tree and the implications of his being there.