Browsing by Subject "Genesis interpretations"

This study focuses on the character of Eve in four Early Christian texts from the Nag Hammadi Codices, the Apocryphon of John, the Nature of the Rulers, On the Origin of the World and the Testimony of Truth. The study has two aims. First to study what traditions about Eve these texts use and how they use the traditons? Second, what purposes the use of these traditions serve? The study proceeds in a thematic way focusing on Eve’s creation, Eve’s rape, Eve’s children and the relationship between Eve and the serpent. Not all themes are present in every text. All texts are studied separately focusing on traditions behind the texts and reason for presenting Eve in a certain way. After this the images of Eve in every text are compared with each other. The creation of Eve separates the two characters of Eve, Heavenly and Earthly one. This dichotomy passes through the texts classified as Genesis interpretations and is used as a hermeneutical tool for studying Eve. Heavenly Eve escapes from the rape attempt of the evil creator god, who is identified as the god of the Old Testament. Her escape produces Earthly Eve, material woman. The rape attempt of the creator god underlines the hostility and licentiousness of the Old Testament god. Eve’s children derive from the rape of Earthly Eve and from Adam’s knowing his divine counterpart, whose name differs from the texts but it can be linked to the character of Heavenly Eve. Eve’s children stand for the division between different human classes. Eve's rape underlines the hostility of the Old Testament god and explains the origin of the human need for the procreation. The serpent is either a teacher of sexual lust or when interpreted positively, is connected to Heavenly Eve or Christ and the correct instruction and enlightenment of the humans. The texts use Early Jewish, Christian and rabbinical material dealing with the events of Genesis. They rework these traditions in order to present the character of the creator god negatively and to promote ascetic lifestyle. Through Earthly Eve the negativity of the creator god and origin of the passions in human life are demonstrated. Heavenly Eve stands for virginity, spirituality and renunciation of the bodily needs thus serving as a support for the ascetic lifestyle and the social conventions of the readers of texts.