Garden of Eden, and Eden itself

[ninurta2008]

Where was the Garden of Eden? Where was Eden? Is it supposed to be Northern Mesopotamia?

[Cloaked Raven]

That's a good question...

I'm not sure exactly where it is/was... I kind of have the idea it was either in the Holy Land or somewhere in Africa. I don't know why I feel like that, I just do.

[Cunae]

In what is now, ironically, Iraq.

[Bix]

In what is now, ironically, Iraq.

Could you provide sources to back that up?

[Toby Stimpson]

Could you provide sources to back that up?

It is commonly taught within Christian and Catholic circles based on some old Jewish texts of geography, I believe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden

[Agaliha]

Iraq and Iran are where I've heard most people place it's possible location.

In Islam, if I remember correctly it was more a spiritual place than a physical one, so I'm not totally sure where it's viewed to be, if anywhere. I'll check, though.

[ninurta2008]

Could you provide sources to back that up?
The place where it is mentioned in Genesis only gives places that can only be in either Iraq, Turkey or what is now the Persian Gulf.

Amazing, such a small area to look, and not a clue where it is yet.


Iraq and Iran are where I've heard most people place it's possible location.

In Islam, if I remember correctly it was more a spiritual place than a physical one, so I'm not totally sure where it's viewed to be, if anywhere. I'll check, though.
The one I am talking about, the biblical one, is definitely a physical place that was still accessible in the bronze age:

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com

just a note, Ethiopia is Kush, which included parts of Arabia, that seems to confuse alot of people. But much of south Arabia was considered part of Kush.

Genesis 2:2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 2:11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 2:12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel (Tigris)
: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is EuphratesNevermind the fact they are skeptics, its just the first thing that came up in my search, they have the verses so i took the chapters the garden is mentioned in. I don't own a bible, I own a tanakh, and i don't know where it is.
Joel 2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Ezekiel 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.
Ezekiel 31:9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.


To me, the Garden of Eden must be a desolate place in mesopotamia with alot of trees. Hmmm.......or one of the two.