Before Adam and Eve: Myths and American consciousness

Post date: Apr 25, 2018 11:51:1 PM

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201704/adam-and-eve

The story of Adam and Eve was not the first story of the first humans, as many Americans falsely think. There were many stories about many people long before Adam and Eve. And furthermore, it is obvious that whoever wrote the story of Adam and Eve was influenced by – or ripped off – some key details from the pre-existing Middle Eastern story of Inanna and Dumuzi. That’s how myths work: people invent stories, and in doing so, they often incorporate aspects of pre-existing stories. This is clearly evident in the story of Adam and Eve, which is not a literal depiction of historical events, but a myth – and one that was steeped in the soup of mythological traditions of the ancient Levant.