Lilith: The Original Feminist

Alphabet of Ben Sira: pg. 204

When God created man and woman together, he created both Adam and Lilith from the dust of the soil. According to the story, they immediately began to fight. It seemed as if Lilith, who was made from the same material was man, was arguably more equivalent to Adam than Eve. In other words, Lilith was an example of a woman with the same status as a man. Thus, she had the power and nature to fight him, or equal him. Many have argued that because Eve was created from Adam, she was inferior to him. Lilith, although a woman like Eve, was made from the same material as man, and thus, equal to Adam. She consistently demonstrated this, by saying, "You shall lie below, for we are equal and both of us were created from the earth." As such, Lilith was the original feminist. The two did not listen to each other, and she actually flew away from Adam. Adam prayed to God to retrieve her, and He sent three angels after her. They seized her and told her she could either come with them or they would drown her. She merely answered them by saying, "Darlings, I know myself that God created me only to afflict babies with fatal disease when they are eight days old; I shall have permission to harm them from their birth to the eighth day and no longer; when it is a male baby; but when it is a female baby, I shall have permission for twelve days."

The fact that Lilith, a feminist, had the ability to harm young babies. She was a symbol of death and illness. Why would a feminist be given the ability to harm young babies. Perhaps this was an allegory for abortion, since feminists tend to believe in "pro-choice," since they generally believe it is the choice of the mother's to decided whether the embryo should survive in the womb. Since Lilith had the ability to harm babies, she had the ability to abort them. Thus, Lilith demonstrated her abilities associated with death and illness. Her ability to control her life according to her will exemplified her feminist qualities. However, Lilith being a symbol of death could merely be a way for the author to discourage women from being like Lilith, since she brought illness and disease into the world. Because she was equal and rebellious towards Adam, Lilith represented a threat to Adam, and thus, he would try to make Lilith seem evil in order to prevent her from gaining more power over him.

"The Coming of Lilith: Toward a Feminist Theology": Judith Plaskow

In Plaskow's story of Lilith, the Alphabet of Ben Sira was used as a basic infrastructure. Much like before, Lilith and Adam were created together, they fought, and Lilith fled, because she could not tolerate Adam. According to rabbinic legend, Adam's first wife was Lilith. Adam ordered Lilith to do certain things, and she refused to be pushed around by Adam, her equal. The equality between Adam and Lilith was an original demonstration of feminism in theological legend. However, Plaskow explained, that the feminism did not lie within the rebellion and equality between the man and the woman, but the sisterhood between Lilith and Eve.

When she fled, because she could not live with him, possibly because of her equality to him, Adam needed another mate, so God created Eve, much like in Genesis 2, when God caused a great slumber to fall over Adam, and he created Eve from his rib. Adam and Eve got along great, but Eve was disturbed by the closeness between God and Adam. She realized that Adam and God were very much alike, while she was not like him. God also became disturbed because he realized how much power Adam had gotten, considering he told God to banish Lilith and it had been so.

Then, Lilith repeatedly tried to penetrate the walls of Eden. Adam had Eve help him make the walls stronger, and told Eve that Lilith inflicted disease and death among children and those bearing children. When Lilith finally broke through the gates, she was finally defeated by Adam. However, Eve recognized that Lilith and her were very similar. Eve became very interested in Lilith, admiring her beauty and strength. Because of this, Eve began to question her limits within the Garden. She realized that Lilith, a woman like herself, had taken control of her own destiny, and was able to break the limits of the walls of Eden. This cause Eve to climb over the walls of Eden, and seek out Lilith. The two immediately bonded and shared their stories and secrets together, much like women do today. This, Plaskow argued, was the beginning of feminism, in which a sisterhood was established between two women who recognized they were equal to men. Because of this growing sisterhood between the two, both God and Adam feared the possibilities that the two had together.

Could Lilith be the "snake" in the garden? Perhaps, this would make sense. Eve and Lilith (the theoretical snake) could have formed a great deal of trust and faith in one another. If Lilith told Eve that the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was not harmful, and contained the means of acquiring knowledge, Eve would trust her. Furthermore, Lilith and Eve would want to acquire knowledge, because it would therefore establish dominance over Adam. This would explain why Adam would eat the fruit, so that the two would not surpass him in knowledge. Or, perhaps, Eve and Lilith decided to bring down Adam with them, since they knew the possible consequences of their actions. Either way, it could be considered that Lilith was a figurative snake in Genesis 2-3. Lilith would also tie together the two Genesis stories. Since man and woman were created together in Genesis 1, this would imply that both Lilith and Adam were created together. Then, since Adam was lonely, since Lilith fled, God decided to create Eve from Adam's rib, much like the story goes. Furthermore, the story of Lilith and Eve would explain why Eve desired to eat from the tree of knowledge, since she became uneasy about the close relationship and resemblance between God and Adam. Her loyalty and sisterhood to Lilith would be a very potential motif in her wanting to acquire knowledge from the fruit.

Knowledge of Good and Evil

pg. 213-214

Commentary on the Torah: Nahmanides

Genesis 2:9

Nahmanides did not believe that the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge caused man to possess sexual desire. The idea that sexual desire originated from the Tree of Knowledge originated from the part in Genesis 2-3, when the humans clothed themselves because of their shame of their nudity. He believed that before eating from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam did what was "fitting to do according to nature." In other words, he did not choose between two opposite things, but rather he did what he was supposed to do. He was faithful to God and merely completed his task. But through the Tree of Knowledge, Adam was given the ability to choose between "a thing and its opposite, whether for good or for evil." As such, man was given a free will, to do as they wanted to do. This, of course, had consequences, but it was what differentiated humans from all other creatures. Mankind was given a free will, something that could overcome natural instincts, and overshadow reason. Man had the right to choose between good and evil, whether it was beneficial or not. It was both a benefit and a curse to humanity. Of course, sex was apart of this choice, as Nahmanides pointed out. Before betraying God, humans only had sex merely because it was apart of their biological behavior, a natural instinct. After betraying God, sex became more than just a means of reproduction, but a way to "gratify desire." Lastly, Nahmanides pointed out that, before the fall of man, all organs, including the sexual organs, were merely seen as they were, "like the face and the hands and they were not ashamed of them." But after they ate from the Tree, man was given a choice, which depended on his own will, to choose between good and evil. So, man chose to hide his organs because it was apart of his will.

The Guide for the Perplexed: Maimonides

On Genesis 3:5, part 1, chap. 2:

Maimonides began with an idea that he himself did not believe in. He dicussed the use of the term "Elohim," which was a homonym, denoting "God, angels, judges and the rulers of countries." This term was used in Gen 3:5, "And ye shall be like Elohim," meaning, according to this idea, that man was initially equal to the rest of the animals. In other words, man did not posess intelligence, reasoning, or a conscience. Rather, it was not until after Adam disobeyed God that he acquired the ability to distinguish between good and evil, making him perfect, since it was the "essential characteristic of the human race." In other words, this related to Darwinism, in which man was originally like animals. Since humans evolved from animals, they were originally like animals. It was not until he ate the fruit that he evolved into a human, distinguishing himself from the other creatures of the world. Mankind, through Adam, acquired characteristics of the human race, much like Darwin believed animals evolved over time. Humans, like the rest of nature, were able to adapt and change, and thus, humans had to distinguish themselves from animals at one point in time, since they possess emotions, conscience, greater intelligence, and reasoning. It was through Adam's disobedience that this evolution from beast to human took place.

However, Maimonides elucidated that this notion was false. He said that this was "equivalent to saying that a certain man was rebellious and extremely wicked, and wherefore his nature was changed for the better." He explained that, if one looked closer, they would see that intellect was bestowed on Adam before he ate from the Tree of Knowledge. He referenced Genesis, which stated that "man was created in the form and likeness of God." Thus, man was originally created superior to the animals. He also argued that God could not command humans without humans having intellect, since "no commandments are given to the brute creation or to those who are devoid of understanding." Then, Malmonides distinguished between apparent and necessary truths. He believed that Adam possessed necessary truths, being able to distinguish between true and false, before he disobeyed God. He explained that with man's intellect originally allowed him to have the ability of necessary truths. However, before eating from the Tree, Adam was not able to understand the principles of apparent truths, or morals. In other words, before the fall, Adam did not acknowledge the fact that he was naked, because "he could not comprehend why it should be so." However, after Adam's fall, in which he gave way to his "desires which had their source in his imagination and to the gratification of his bodily desires, as it is said, 'And the wife saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to the eyes.' (Gen 3:6), Adam was punished by losing this intellectual aspect. By obtaining the knowledge of apparent truths, he lost this intellectual aspect, and rather acknowledging what was true or false, Adam distinguished between what was "proper and improper." Then, Malmonides explained that because Adam and Eve "knew they were naked," this implied that their had realized they were naked before, but they believed it was wrong after eating from the Tree. In other words, Adam and Eve always saw their nakedness, but they believed it was morally wrong to be naked in front of one another. It was not as if they had not seen their bodies before, but rather they thought nothing of it before the fall of Adam.

Malmonides suggested that, before the fall, Adam was both pleasured and happy. In the Garden, pleasure, happiness, and security made Eden a grand paradise. But when Adam's "appetite grew stronger" and gave into his bodily desires, he was punished by depriving him of everything, forcing him to work for his food, by the sweat of his brow. Malmonides, then, pointed out that Adam was essentially brought back down to the level of animals after the fall, since he was banished from Eden, and forced to live on "the ground whence he was taken." God reminded Adam that he was merely dust of the soil, and he would eventually return to that soil because of it. In other words, Malmonides believed that man started out with an intelligence that surpassed all animals of the earth. But after eating from the Tree of Knowledge, mankind lost this intellect, gained a knowledge of apparent truths (of good and evil, of morally right and wrong, or essentially a conscience), but were brought back to the level of animals. Because mankind was made from the same material as animals, they too would have to work for their food and live a life of suffering. Furthermore, mankind demonstrated that he too would give into bodily desires and natural instincts, much like an animal. This further established the notion that the punishment given to them by God was fitting. Humans may have acquired a new kind of knowledge, but they demonstrated their animalistic attributes by giving into bodily pleasures and desires. Thus, they were "brought to the level of the dumb beast." (Ps. 49:13)

Personal Thoughts about the Knowledge of Good and Evil:

Knowledge of good and evil was referring to a conscience of some sort, a way of distinguishing between what was morally right and wrong, much like Malmonides elucidated. However, I believe that the banishment from Paradise did not bring down humans to the level of animals, much like he explained. Rather, humans were superior to animals both before and after the fall. Mankind originally possessed greater knowledge and intellect than animals, but when they ate from the tree, they were given the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. As such, man did not lose one form of intellect over the other. Rather, mankind was given the choice between thinking intellectually and thinking morally. They possessed both an inner conscience and intellect that separated them from the rest of the animal kingdom. God clearly stated that mankind was originally created in God's image, and thus, were distinguished from the beasts.

One distinct clue that established the notion of this "knowledge of good and evil" was Genesis 3:6, right after Eve ate from the Tree, in which she realized that the "tree was good for eating/ and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to contemplate." Before eating from the tree, Adam and Eve could recognize the tree and decided that they should not eat from it because it would kill them. But when Eve discovered that she would not die from eating from the fruit, since the snake told her so, she did not see any wrong in eating from the tree. She gave into her bodily desires and ate the fruit, and immediately she recognized that she was nude. There was nothing wrong with the human body, but revealing one's nude self, today, was viewed as morally wrong. As such, the author of this text attempted to describe how this idea that nudity was morally wrong in public originated. After eating from the tree, both Adam and Eve hid themselves, because they knew what they did was wrong. Before, they saw nothing wrong with eating from the tree, since they discovered it was not fatal to eat from. After eating the fruit, they realized they had disobeyed God, and hid themselves. Thus, the Tree of Knowledge caused them to acquire a knowledge of what was wrong and what was right.

Thomas Aquinas

Summa Theologica: Thomas Aquinas

Question 92 of Part I: The Production of Woman

First Article: Whether the Woman Should Have Been Made in the First Production of Things?

Aquinas began by stating 4 questions: "(1) Whether the woman should have been made in that first production of things? (2) Whether the woman should have been made from man? (3) Whether of man's rib? (4) Whether the woman was made immediately by God?" The first article dealt with answering the first question.

Each article had contained objections in response to the question. The first objection referred to Aristotle, who stated that "female is a begotten male." Thus, because the female was begotten, she should not have been made in the "first production of things." The second objection referred to Gregory of Nyssa, who elucidated, "Where there is no sin, there is no inequality." In other words, before sin, there should have been no inequality. But because woman (according to Augustine, who said "the agent is always more honorable than the patient")naturally had "less strength and dignity than man," this statement would be invalid if women were created at the first production of things, since inequality would exist before sin. Thus, women could not exist before sin. The third objection explained that because woman was the cause of sin, God should not have created women, since "sin should be cut off."

Aquinas replied with his own arguments against these objections. He began with a direct quote from Genesis 2:18, "It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a helper like to himself." Aquinas argued that it was absolutely necessary for woman to be created for the purpose of reproduction. He did not believe that the word "helper" meant "helpmate" as some had interpreted, but rather as "a helper in the work of generation." Then, he used both scientific and philosophic observations to support this argument. He observed that some plants and animals could reproduce without a helper, but humans in particular could not do this. Plants could do this because their principle means of survival was reproduction. But because "perfect animals" had a "nobler vital function" than reproduction, males and females had to unite in order for reproduction to take place. Males would possess the "active power of generation" and females the "passive power of generation." One plant posessed both of these powers, and therefore, did not need a helper in reproduction. As such, in perfect animals, male and female had to become one in order for offspring to be produced. Their union during sexual intercourse represented the duality of active and passive powers of generation, and thus, reproduction was possible through man and woman becoming one flesh. Thus, Aquinas once again used Genesis 2 as a reference, which stated that men and women "shall be two in one flesh" (Gen 2:24) right after the formation of women. Thus, women's purpose was for this union of two fleshes to form one, which would lead to the production of offspring.

In his reply to the first objection, Aquinas pointed out that, arguably, the masculine sex's active force provided the attributes characteristic of Adam, who was of "perfect likeness," while the feminine sex originated from defects in the active force or "some material disposition." In other words, the male's active force created the human, but females would only be produced if the male's force had a defect. However, Aquinas argued against this, saying that woman was "not misbegotten, but is included in nature's intention as directed to the work of generation." In other words, the variations in nature were necessary for the survival of man, and thus, the defects in the male seed would produce more and more females which would increase survival rates, since more females meant more births. Aquinas further elucidated that God formed the male and female in order for this "intention" of nature to exist. In other words, Aquinas acknowledged the notion of genetic variability that existed in nature in order to support his argument. He recognized that each living thing on earth was unique, even if it was very subtle. This variation was apart of nature, and thus, because God created nature to be this way, man and woman would provide their offspring with variation. Instead of having many Adam clones, God intended that each human being would be distinct and unique, and thus, he created man and woman.

In his reply to the second objection, Aquinas listed the two versions of subjection, one more "servile" and the other more "civil." He explained that the latter subjection existed before sin. This subjection, in which "the superior makes use of his subjects for their own benefit and good," was the relationship between Adam and Eve before they were punished. Naturally, Aquinas explained, men were superior in intellect, and thus, had natural subject over women. He argued that the more servile type of subjection, in which the husband would rule over their wife, began after sin. Thus, subjection existed before sin, but a more intense version of this subjection originated from God's punishments in response to their sins. In response to Aquinas' argument, it seemed that once again, his anti-feminist beliefs still overshadowed his reasoning. Eve was the only one who pursued and acquired knowledge from the forbidden tree on her own, without the input of Adam. Thus, Eve seemed to be the more knowledgeable human. Adam only ate the fruit after Eve gave him it. Thus, there was inequality between the sexes before sin, and thus, was the cause of this sin, but it was not in the same nature as Aquinas explained. Despite this, Aquinas elucidated that, after sin, the inequality between man and woman was increased because of God's punishments, who had the husband rule over the wife.

In his reply to the third objection, Aquinas explained that things that were occasions of sins made the universe complete, and thus, dearth of these things would make the universe imperfect. He also elucidated that it was not rational to destroy the imperfections of the world in order to make it perfect, considering the notion that God had the divine power of directing evil toward good. For instance, if God took away sex, a sometimes sinful action, there would be no life, since sex is essential to reproduction, which is vital to survival. Thus, sex, a practice that can occasionally be sinful, is absolutely vital to the survival of mankind. If it was destroyed with all other occasions of sin, life would not exist.

Demonization of Women: Witchcraft, Eve, and Sexuality

Malleus Maleficarum

Part I: Question VI: Concerning Witches Who Copulate with Devils

Why It Is that Women Are Chiefly Addicted to Evil Superstitions:

The author attempted to answer several questions concerning witches that fornicated with devils. He wondered how the devil was physically able to have sex with a woman. He pondered what element his body was made of, whether semen was exchanged during sex, whether this sexual act was a frequent event, and whether this act was actually visible to others. Also, he wondered if women conceived by the devil were the only ones who had sex with the devil frequently, or whether women "were offered to devils by midwives at the time of their birth. He also wondered if the sexual pleasure of the woman's was lesser or equal to the "venereal delectation" of the devil. What seemed unfair in this selection was that the author did not question whether the act of sex between a woman and a devil actually took place. The author automatically assumed that the woman had sex with the devil and there was no question as to whether the devil raped her or not. Thus, the author was extremely unfair and had little faith in women. The author also wondered why "this kind of perfidy" was found more in women, the more "fragile" gender. The author again demonstrated his unfairness and dearth of faith in woman. Rather than calling the woman a victim of a horrific act, he used the word perfidy, suggesting that the woman was once again deceived, much like Eve in the Garden of Eden. The author also wanted to discover what conditions were typical of woman who participate in witchcraft. He also, once again, specifically referenced midwives and wondered if they were the ones who "surpass all others in wickness." Here, the author seemed to make another assumption. His superficiality was clear, since he was judging women based on their age and physical appearance. To him, since midwives were not youthful and not as lucky in physical appearance, they were potential witches. He created a stereotype of witches, an older, ugly appearance that reflected their inner wickedness.

Why Superstition is Chiefly Found in Women:

Here, the author questioned "why a greater number of witches [are] found in the fragile feminine sex than among men." He began by pointing out that it was "accredited by actual experience, apart from the verbal testimony of credible witnesses." In other words, the author immediately proved that his evidence for witchcraft was invalid. The women were the only ones who were claiming they were having sex with the devil, who were most likely only saying they were to save themselves, considering that they would be sentenced to death if they did not admit what had happened. If women said they had sex with the devil and said it was forced upon them, the women would live. If they spoke the truth, and said they were not witches, they would be sentenced to death. Again, the author's irrationality was his first flaw. He went further and said that the instances in which men claimed they were possessed by the devil were invalid, so that he would not detract "from a sex in which God has always taken great glory that His might should be spread abroad." Here, it was obvious the major reason for the author's inclination to accuse women of witchcraft was based on his interpretation and belief in the story presented in Genesis, in which women could be interpreted as inferior and more gullible then men. Also, the interpretation that women brought evil into the world because of Eve's deceitfulness in the Garden of Eden was another reason why the author was inclined to point his finger at women.

Then, the author quoted Ecclesiasticus XXV, which stated that "there is no wrath above the wrath of a woman. I had rather dwell with a lion and a dragon than to keep house with a wicked woman... All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman." He went further, stating that it was not good to marry, claiming that women were nothing but a "fore to friendship, an unescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger, a delectable detriment, an evil of nature, painted with fair colours!" In other words, the author believed that a women's physical attractiveness was her greatest threat to mankind. Despite this however, women were essential to the survival of all humanity, which was why he stated that women were a "necessary evil." He consistently stated that women were "desirable," "delectable," and "painted with fair colours." Thus, to him, woman's only positive quality (beauty) was nothing but a disease to the existence of man. The author's inability to recognize the many other positive qualities of women was the proof of his incredibility. He seemed extremely frustrated that men were forced to live with them, considering it was a sin to divorce and necessary for women to exist for mankind to survive. The author then stated that first reason why women were more inclined to be witches: their gullibility. This was a direct reference to the Garden of Eden story, in which Eve was "tricked" by the snake, and not Adam. Once again, the author proved his anti-feminist beliefs, which seemed to be based on his interpretation of Gen 2-3.

Next, the author tried to "save himself" by stating that women should be praised as much as possible, considering the "benediction of Mary." Thus, despite the fact that Eve was the first human to commit evil, the notion that a woman, Mary, would be an extremely important figure in the Christian Church, was glorified by God was a reason to praise women. As such, the author needed to note that not all women were bad, but merely that they were more inclined to be witches because not all women were like Mary. He also noted that because women were "feebler both in mind and body," they were more often found to be witches. His anti-feminist and ignorant views were once again clear. It seemed that the author was basing his attitudes towards women more on personal experience rather than interpretation of Genesis. Despite the fact that men have a clear physical advantage over women, woman have not in any way proven that they lack the mental abilities that men possess. It was merely the fact that society, at the time, restricted the education of women that cause any person to believe that woman lacked intellect. He further argued that women had the mental capacity of children. He said, "As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion." In other words, if a women lacked physical attractiveness, she may have intelligence, but if a woman had beauty, it was extremely rare that she possessed knowledge greater than a child. In response to this, women possess the potential to acquire knowledge, much like Eve demonstrated. In fact, it seemed that the notion that Eve acquire knowledge first was an argument that women were in fact smarter than men. Eve was the first human being to desire and acquire knowledge. Adam did not acquire knowledge until Eve instructed him to do so. Thus, Eve was equally if not smarter of than her male companion. The author never mentioned this aspect of the Gen 2-3 story.

The author then went into a deep discussion about the physical nature of women, explaining that women were more physically sexual than men, but they were also deformed, considering that Eve was created from Adam's breast rib, which was bent differently than men. First of all, there was no physical deformity in women. Second, comparing the physical appearance of women with a man was unreasonable, considering that men and women were so much different than one another. It was like comparing two different fruits: a banana and a pear. A banana had many physical differences with a pear, but one person may favor the banana, and another may favor the pear. Thus, the author proved that his reasoning behind his argument was based more on opinion than factual details. The author went on, describing women as an imperfect animal (because she was formed from Adam's rib), and thus, an imperfect women, which caused her to deceive. In fact, the author noted that women used their tears to deceive men. Thus, it was clear that the author was basing his arguments off of personal experience rather than factual details. He also concluded that women were "weaker to hold and preserve the faith." As such, he believed that a woman's lack of intelligence He once again attempted to save himself by noting that it was in woman's nature to possess this negative traits, and that women, such as the Blessed Virgin Mary, did in fact have faith and were important figures in Christianity. However, it was obvious that the author's anti-feminist opinions effected the arguments he made.

The author then goes on to explain the various times in history in which "the world [had] been overthrown by women. He explained that Troy was destroyed by Helen's rape, Jews were destroyed through Jezebel, and Cleopatra brought evil upon the Romans. He referred to Cleopatra as "the worst of women." He then said that this was an obvious reason that women brought suffering into the world through their evils. He then quoted Valerius, who compared women to Chimaera, a mythical beast with the face of a lion, the "filthy belly of a goat" and a viper for a tail. Thus, he concluded that women were "beautiful to look upon, contaminating to the touch, and deadly to keep." He then went on to describe the voice of a woman, saying that women were inclined to lie, and could infect men with it while delighting them with it, like the Sirens, mythical creatures who sing to their prey, entice them, and kill them. He said that women "kill" men by spending their money, "consuming their strength," and cause them to forsake God. He also believed that a women's "gait, posture, habit," had similar intoxicating effects on men. In other words, every physical trait of a women intoxicated men, making them forsake knowledge and religion for bodily desires. He believed that women used their beauty and sexuality to get what they wanted from men. As such, the author demonstrated his interpretation of Eve. In other words, the author believed that Eve enticed Adam, much like the Sirens, into eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Once again, his dearth of faith in women was accurate, and represented opinion rather than fact. Much of his references applied to Greek mythology, stories that were not necessarily true. Thus, the author's had lack of credibility.

The author then went on to explain why woman was the devil's helper so to speak. In the Garden of Eden, the snake (the devil) tempted Eve to sin, and yet the author could not help but point out that Eve then brought Adam down with her. If Eve had not "seduced" Adam, all of mankind would not have to suffer from Eve's sin. Adam was tempted by Eve, not the Devil, and so women were worse than the devil. By doing so, Eve destroyed the inner soul of men and caused suffering of the physical body. He then pointed out that men were caught by women through their own carnal desires, their sexuality. Women, thus, use their sexuality and men's attraction for them as an advantage to "cast their spells on men."

He concluded this section by stating all witchcraft "comes from carnal lust, which is in women insatiable." Thus, the author believed that women were the basis and origin of all bodily desires. He then stated that it was good that God protected men from possession by devils, since they were the more powerful and obedient than women. He believed God protected men and not women, and also thought that Christ died for the sins of Adam, not Eve, and thus for men and not women.

What Sort of Women Are Found to Be Above All Others Superstitious and Witches:

The author stated that three "vices" that were signs of a witch were "infidelity, ambition, and lust." All of these traits pointed back to Eve. Eve was not faithful to God, or perhaps not faithful to Adam, according to the Vita, which claimed that Eve had sex with demons. Others believed that Eve had sex with the snake in the garden. Furthermore, Eve demonstrated ambition. Rather than obey God and not eat from the Tree of Knowledge, Eve desired knowledge and thus went with her own free will. She was the first human being to demonstrate that one could determine their own destiny. She acquired knowledge before Adam, which was a direct manifestation of her ambition. Lust of course was referring to the author's belief that Eve seduced Adam to eat the fruit. Then, the author listed seven methods, or powers of witches: controlling minds of men, obstructing men's force, removing their penises, by changing men into beasts, making women infertile, abortion, and offering children to devils. Controlling minds of men, clearly, was a power that originated from the Garden of Eden story.

The author then went to an extended discussion about the first sin, in which the devil, through the snake, tempted Eve and thus, caused the fall of men by having Eve seduce Adam to eat the fruit as well. He pointed out that matrimony was ruined through the work of the devil, through women, who "satisfy their filthy lusts not only in themselves, but even in the mighty ones of the age, of whatever state and condition; causing by all sorts of witchcraft the death of their souls through excessive infatuation of carnal love, in such a way that for no shame or persuasion can they desist from such acts." Thus, the author portrayed witches as these sex-craving nymphomaniacs that lost their souls through their sexuality. As such, the author clearly obscured his view of women, and this was evident in his arguments. He was completely irrational. Like all humans, and men, women made mistakes.

Part I, Question VIII: Whether Witches Can Hebetate the Powers of Generation or Obstruct the Venereal Act:

The author stated that the powers of witchcraft were not only in men's imaginations, but they physically could be generated. The witches of course channel the devil's power through their bodies. He then pointed out that women whose husbands could not copulate with them was simply the devil's fault. The devil also had the power to both arouse and discourage men from copulating with women. The devil also could make a man infatuated with a women, since the devil had powers that effected the imagination. He could also prevent erections. Thus, erectile dysfunction, arousal, infatuation, and other sexual disorders were considered works of the devil, when, in reality, they were problems and sensations that arose from men's bodies. The author clearly had lack of scientific knowledge, especially considering the time at which the text was written. The author then explained the reason why men were bewitched by women, rather than women being bewitched. The answer, he pointed out, was because women were attracted to men, and vice versa. Once again, the author referred to a women's sexuality. Because women had a particular effect on men, he believed that women were at fault. But in reality, it was men's high levels of testosterone that drove them to pursue women. Men, physiologically, were much more sexual creations. Thus, it was men's sexuality, not just women's, that caused men to cheat on their wives. Like Adam, men decided to blame women for their faults, when they could have just refused to do what a women wanted. Adam could have told Eve he did not want to eat the fruit, but he listened to Eve anyway. Thus, it was not just Eve's fault, but also Adam's. The author acted like Adam, blaming women for his sins and flaws, where in reality, he was the ultimate controller of his destiny.

"On the Apparel of Women": Tertullian

The author's audience was all women, in which he attempted to persuade them a certain way but constantly referring to Eve's sin. He made a connection with Eve to all women, saying that because Eve was the devil's gateway, all women were. They destroyed Adam, God's image. He even blamed Eve, and thus all women, for the notion that even Christ had to die. He then went on to describe that women's concern for appearance and beauty were flaw in themselves. He believed that women should adopt a more conservative style of dress in order to repent much like Eve did in mourning when she was expelled from paradise. In other words, a women's dress should reflect a state of mourning, for a women's life should be spent repenting for Eve's sin. Thus, the author's interpretation of Gen 2-3 clearly were based on anti-feminist views. Women, to Tertullian, should live their lives trying to make up for Eve's sin. This idea was irrational.

Testament of Reuben:

In this text, the author clearly attempted to demonstrate the evil of women. He believed, much like the previous authors, that a women's beauty was her greatest weapon, capable of destroy the lives of men, much like Eve. He believed that despite women's lack of power over men, women had the ability and strategy capable of tricking men and using them to against their will for her own advantage. He also believed that women were more promiscuous than men. Once again, the author's credibility in this statement was implausible since it is now a scientific fact that men crave sex much more than women because of their physiological differences, such as levels of testosterone. The author went on stating that women used their lust to control the minds of men, and charmed them. It was men's desire for men that caused them to be controlled. In other words, the author stated the real reason why men commit certain sins. It was the men's flaws, not just the woman's, that caused sin. Women's minds were just as filled with lust, if not less, than men's, much as science has demonstrated in the present day. Thus, much like the rest of the readings, the author's beliefs seemed attributable to the time period, since many mysteries in science were not solved. The author's based their beliefs on stories such as the Garden of Eden, in which women were tricked and were the seductresses. But, in reality, men also brought about their own downfalls by lusting after women. It was engraved within their physical and emotional bodies. As such, it was a combination of the lust of men and women that caused the downfall of mankind.

Augustine, Original Sin

The Literal Meaning of Genesis: Augustine

Book III, Chapter 22: "Woman, in so far as she has a rational mind, is made to the image and likeness of God."

Here, Augustine explained and argued against certain beliefs regarding the creation of man and woman. He argued against the notion that both sexes appeared in one single human being. He supported his argument with the text. In the text, the author said "He made them... and He blessed them." Thus, the plurality was a direct indicator that two creatures were created rather than a single one.

Also, Augustine elucidated that notion that man's spiritual body was created initially and later, as in a separate event, God gave man a physical body. He supported this by saying that man was "formed" from the slime of the earth, or dust, and before this, God created man, referring to the spirit of man. But what he also explained was that this mind of man contained two entities, masculine and feminine, since man and woman were created together. Thus, the feminine and masculine spiritual entities made up the entire spirit of a human being. The masculine, he explained represented the "contemplation of eternal truth" and the feminine established "administration of temporal things," respectively. Here, he acknowledged that the truth was related to God, and thus, man was the image and likeness of God. However, the feminine part, he argued, was the "glory of man." In other words, the feminine side should obey the masculine, or truth, quality of the human spirit. In other words, the masculine part of the spirit, the part that decides what is rightful and truthful must rule over the feminine part, the more emotional aspect of the human spirit. Thus, Augustine explained that human actions were controlled by this duality of opposing spirits, and it was up to humans to decide what part of their spirit to live by.

Book VI, Chapter 5: "Second hypothesis: In the creation of the six days, God created all living things, including Adam and Eve, potentially and in their causes. From these causes God later created them in their visible forms."

Augustine immediately argued against this statement, considering it was a complete contradiction of the text, since male and female were created together in the first Genesis story. Male and female were created together, and thus were not separately created. However, this referred to the spiritual aspects of men and women, rather than the physical. After their spirits were created, God formed the physical bodies of men from dust and woman from man's rib.

Book IX, Chapter 3: "The woman as a helper. God's plan for procreation."

Augustine agreed that woman's main purpose was for the procreation of children, since the first Genesis story explicitly stated that God commanded humans to reproduce. However, Augustine also believed that, despite the fact that Scripture stated that Eve and Adam did not have sexual intercourse until after they were expelled, the pair had sex in Paradise, when sex had no negative consequences, such as the painful pregnancies. God gave them this blessing the moment they were created, and thus, it was almost certain that the two had sexual intercourse before they were expelled. In fact, it was only after they were punished that sex had negative repercussions. Thus, it was apart of human nature, according to Augustine, for the two to have sex, since it caused pleasure, had no negative consequences, and God allowed them to do so.

Book IX, Chapter 5: "In what sense Eve was made as a helper for Adam."

Here, Augustine discussed why he believed that woman had no other purpose besides procreation. He argued that woman could not help man in work and labor, since men were physically dominant over woman. Also, he explained that if God wanted to give Adam a friend or companion that would merely converse with Adam and share a life with him, why would God choose a woman and not a man, who, Augustine argued, would make a much better choice, considering man's physical dominance and closer resemblance to Adam. Though Augustine had valid arguements, he forgot one reason that men would rather have a woman, and that was the desire for sex. Because it was apart of human nature to desire sexual pleasure, and since Eve was the answer to this, the creation of women could have been for both procreation and a means of satisfying the desires of Adam.

Book XI, Chapter 30: The exchange between the serpent and the woman."

Augustine argued that Eve was not tricked, but willingly committed sin when she decided to believe the snake. He argued that because she reiterated God's command, and thus, knew what God had said, this made her sin more serious. Thus, this revealed yet another aspect of human nature, the ability to make choices, and humans were able to disobey. He also argued that the reason why woman decided to eat it was not because the snake said it was okay to do so, but because she thought the tree looked "good for food and a delight to behold." Thus, this revealed another aspect of human nature, superficiality. Humans tend to only see what is on the outside, rather than analyzing the inner workings of life. Because the tree looked good, the woman decided to eat from it, and because she did not die, Adam agreed to eat it as well. Thus, the only thing keeping the humans from eating from the tree was not God's command, but because God said that they would die. Since the snake convinced them they would not die, they decided to eat from it. They did not care about obeying God's orders.

Book XI, Chapter 34: "Adam, hiding himself in shame, is called forth by God."

Augustine argued that the reason God asked Adam first was because God already knew what had happened. He asked the most innocent of the three sinners, Adam. If one had to rank the three based on innocence, it would be Adam as the most innocent, then Eve, and then the snake, considering that the snake caused Eve to sin, who caused Adam to sin.

Book XI, Chapter 35: "The excuses of Adam and Eve."

Here, Augustine revealed that both Adam and Eve did not own up to their sins. Rather than telling God directly that they had disobeyed him, they pointed fingers at others, making excuses. Thus, Augustine believed that this passage exemplified another aspect of human nature, the tendency for mankind to make up excuses rather than owning up to their mistakes. Augustine also noted that because Adam and Eve made up excuses, it revealed that they knew they had sinned and disobeyed.

Book XI, Chapter 37: "The sentenced pronounced on the woman."

Augustine argued that the text demonstrated that Eve had not had children before she had been punished, and thus, all humans who Eve would have borne (had she not eaten from the Tree of Knowledge) would live a life without suffering and death. Thus, Augustine believed that Eve was the direct cause of the mortality of man. However, one should note, that nothing indicated that mankind was immortal when created. Furthermore, why would God force humans to multiply if they were immortal, considering that procreation was a process nature had in order for species to survive? In other words, if God told humans to multiply and all humans were immortal, an overpopulation of humans would flourish, causing problems. Thus, reproduction would not be necessary if humans were immortal.

Book XI, Chapter 41: "Theories about the nature of the sin of Adam and Eve."

Here, Augustine explained that the aspect of human nature that caused the pair to sin was their desire to acquire knowledge. Furthermore, Augustine also discussed the theory that argued the Tree of Knowledge represented sexual intercourse, and thus, God punished Adam and Eve for having sex before they were ready. However, this seemed inplausible considering that God had ordered males and females to reproduce, and sexual intercourse was the means of doing so.

Book XI, Chapter 42: "Did Adam believe the words spoken through the serpent? How was he tempted to sin?"

Augustine argued that the snake could not have convinced Adam to disobey God. Rather it was the spiritual aspect of man, the "female" aspect, that caused Adam to disobey. Because he had emotional attachment towards Eve, Adam chose to believe Eve, not wanting to upset her and thus, be rejected by her. Augustine believed that this part of men caused Adam to sin, because he believed that the emotional and sexual aspects of man can overshadow their knowledge. Adam did not want to become alienated from Eve, so he decided to eat like she instructed him to do. Augustine also considered the possibility that Adam ate the fruit because he realized Eve did not die, and thus, did not want Eve to have knowledge that he did not know.

pg. 80 Midrash: Berakoth 61a

Here, the rabbi reflected on what was meant by the text when it said God "formed" man. He proposed that, because the Hebrew word for form had two "yods", one good and one evil, this meant God created two inclinations one good and one evil. This may be an extreme interpretation, considering that many believe that man consisted of both masculine and feminine spiritual aspects. Thus, one could interpret that God decided one spiritual part of the man was good and the other, whether male or female, was evil.

pg. 98 Midrash: Gen Rab 23: 5

This passage implied that Adam had not experienced desire until his wife was created. Thus, woman was the sole source of sexual desire. This notion that sexual desire, whether positive or negative, originated entirely from the creation of women seemed far-fetched. However, it does make sense, since Adam did not have desire to have sex until Eve's creation. Despite this, this sexual desire seemed engraved within Adam's instinctual nature, and thus, immediately when he saw Eve, he was attracted to her. Thus, Eve was not the cause of his sexual desire, but rather Adam's human nature.

Original Sin and Human Nature: Reaction to Jesus as Rescuer

Original Sin was the Catholic belief that all humans were born sinners and with this "original sin" of Adam and Eve within them. It was also the belief that humans would suffer and eventually die as a result of the sins of Adam and Eve. It assumed that, because all humans were born with sin, it was human nature in itself to sin and only care about one's one well-being rather than how one's actions would effect others. In other words, all humans were like Adam and Eve, who were inclined to disobey when they did not think their actions would have any consequences. When Eve realized the fruit would not kill her, she saw that the fruit was desirable and pleasing to the eye. Despite the orders given to Adam by God, Eve could not resist eating the fruit. And Adam, seeing that Eve had not died from eating the fruit, could not resist either. Thus, the instincts of Adam and Eve to sin were passed on to all generations of humans. As such, human nature, according to the author, was intrinsically evil.

It was believed that through Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the cross, humans were given the opportunity to shed their sins, including this original sin they were born with, and thus, achieve eternal life in Heaven. In other words, if one followed the teachings of Jesus Christ, one would live forever in paradise. The author argued that this was an outdated and dangerous concept. Because of this original sin, humans were guilty, selfish, jealous, the list goes on. In other words, Christians believed that through Jesus they were cleansed of this original sin, and thus were no longer subject to the evils of human nature. This was obviously not true, considering that plenty of righteous people are not Christians and plenty of evil individuals were brought up as Christians.

I believe that human nature is intrinsically both good and bad. I believe there are multifarious common qualities human beings possess that have both negative and positive connotations. All human beings have experienced temptation, and all human beings must learn from experiences in order to determine what is right and wrong. It is not naturally engraved within one's spiritual and physical entity to automatically know what is right and wrong. Rather, humans learn from their mistakes and adapt to various environments.

Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis: Aristotle, Philo, Origen

Aristotle, Politics Book 1, 1254b

Here Aristotle explained the importance of superiority in nature. He began by pointing out that the soul had natural control over the body, as well as the "rational element over the passionate." However, he believed that equality or rule of the inferiority was detrimental. If the body always went with its instincts, men would sin, and passion overshadowing reason can lead to deleterious repercussions. Aristotle went on relating this to animals and men. Because tame animals have "better nature" than wild animals, he believed that men ruling over animals was a beneficial practice. He then took out the animals and replaced them with women, stating that men being superior over their female counterparts was "of necesssity" and thus essential to the survival of mankind altogether.

On Creation of the Cosmos:

According to Philo, the creation of woman was the origin of Adam's suffering. Before Eve was created, Adam resembled God has much as possible for a mortal. But when God created woman from man, God took a piece of Adam's body away from him. Philo argued that, because they both were separate halves, the two beings would have desire to unite with one another in order to be complete, and more "similar to themselves." Philo then went on to say that this gave rise to bodily desire, a physical longing that led to "wicked deeds and violations of the Law." Because woman was created from man, Philo argued, Adam had to give up a life of immortality for a "life of mortality and misfortune." As such, Philo believed that God's choice to create man from woman was the origin of human suffering. Because men and woman were incomplete persons, they would constantly have a desire to find the missing piece to their flesh and soul. In essence, loneliness became a human condition that would lead to other forms of suffering and "wicked deeds." Men and women would go to great lengths to satisfy this desire that became apart of their emotional infrastructure. Thus, it was clear Philo had negative feelings toward woman and blamed them for all forms of human suffering.

Quaestiones et Solutiones in Genesin:

Here, Philo once again discussed his feelings about woman and their place in society. First, he answered the question, "Why does Scripture call the likeness of the woman "a building"?" Because female vocation involved "affairs of the home," this comparison was very appropriate. It was even more appropriate because without a house, and therefore without a woman, men are homeless and incomplete. The next question Philo answered why woman were created from man rather than "from earth?" He explained that woman were inferior to men and thus, this was appropriate. But how can woman be inferior to men if they are incomplete without them? He goes on further to say that woman are meant to serve men as a whole and because of this, woman should play the role of a daughter to their husbands, who are their father. Thus, Philo attempted to answer this question by elucidating the inequality between men and women. Because women was created from man in the Garden of Eden, men would rule over woman, but would be completely dependent on their services.

The next question Philo answered was, "Why does (Scripture) say, "Wherefore man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh?" He explained that this had to do with the nature of man. Men were naturally more bold than woman, and thus, were more driven to leave their parents and to fufill their desires to find their wives. Thus, men would have a much closer partnership with their wives, which would be even greater than their parents. This was important so that the woman would be obedient to her master, her husband. He went further and referred to the Scripture in which the man and woman are two in one flesh. He elucidated that this meant that together man and woman would feel the same emotions, whether it be pain, pleasure, or happiness. Thus, Philo believed that because woman was created from man, the two would feel the same things when they were reunited to become one flesh. He also believed that it was necessary for a man to leave his parents for the woman, so that the woman would be able to leave her parents. Thus, men have the strength to leave their parents, but women acquire this strength from her husband.

The next question Philo answered was, "Why does the serpent speak to the woman and not to the man?". Philo explained that the snake knew that a woman was much more easily deceived than man. Thus, Philo used stereotypical behavior of woman to answer this question. He believed that because stereotypical woman were softer than man, and thus, more gullible, the snake thought it would be easier to trick Eve rather than Adam. Philo obviously believed in the superiority of man over woman. The next question he answered was similar, asking, "Why does the woman first touch the tree and eat of its fruit, and afterwards the man also take of it?" He explained that because the two were "sense-perceptible," the woman was "a symbol of sense and man, of mind." Thus, the woman's choice became the man's choice as well. Phil also introduced the allegory of men and women, in which men symbolized immortality and good, woman represented death and everything vile. Philo's belief that men were superior to women was once again clear, here. He believed that, in the Garden of Eden, women, not the snake, tainted men with the evil that they represented. Before the influence of women, men were this godlike, great creature, but with the creation and sin of Eve became tainted and imperfect.

The next question Philo answered was, "Why, when they hid themselves from the face of God, was not the woman, who first ate of the forbidden fruit, first mentioned, but the man, for (Scripture) says, "Adam and his wife hid themselves"? He explained that it was because men were superior to women that this happened. Once again, Phil revealed his anti-feminist beliefs. Once again, Philo answered another question, "Why does He, who knows all things, ask Adam, "Where art thou?" and why does He not also ask the woman?" He believed that this question directed towards Adam was not necessarily dealing with geographical location, but rather a "threat," asking why Adam had chosen a life of "death and unhappiness." Thus, Philo explained, the question would not be fitting for Eve, since she represented death and unhappiness. Philo's anti-feminist views were clearly exemplified once again.

Finally, Philo answered the question of why woman were curse with painful childbirths and being ruled by husbands. He believed that these "curses" were a necessity, just as men's painful labor was a necessity. Without pain and suffering, their can be no senses, and thus, our senses of smell, touch, hearing, taste, and sight have both negative and positive outcomes. Things may be sensibly good, but without the bad, something cannot be good, since one cannot distinguish the two. Perhaps, Philo was trying to use this analogy to emphasize the creation of man and woman. Why would God create man, an allegory of perfection and righteousness, and woman, a symbol of imperfection and evil? Philo reasoned that this was because without woman, men could not be considered perfect and good, since he had nothing to be compared with.

Homilies on Genesis: Origen

In Homily 1, Origen addressed the various meanings behind the following passage:

"Male and female he made them, and God blessed them saying: 'Increase and multiply and fill the earth and have dominion over it."

Origen first pointed out that because God preceded to say that male and female were created together, and followed this statement with a command to reproduce, God was giving his blessing to humans to have sex in order to multiply. From this, one could conclude that God created man and woman together in order for them to reproduce and survive. He also indicated that God created things in pairs, such as the moon and the sun, heaven adn earth, and sea and land. Thus, God was following this pattern when he created humans in opposing pairs, male and female.

After this, Origen decided to look at the passage from an allegorical standpoint. He explained that men consist of a spirit (male) and soul (female). The relationship of a spirit and a soul related to the relationship between a man and a woman. The spirit has dominion over flesh, but soul, if united with the spirit, could turn the spirit away based on bodily desires. Thus, the soul can lead the body and the spirit to becoming sinners, and thus turning away from God. However, the soul, despite the fact that it causes the soul to yield into bodily desires, is still absolutely essential in order for a spirit to persist. Like men and women, a soul is nothing without a spirit, and a spirit is nothing without a soul. In other words, men have control over their lives, but when a women comes into their life, even though women are essential to the survival of man, men typically turn to bodily desires and sin.

In Homily 6, Origen goes further into the relationship between a man and a women by using Sara and Abraham as examples. He described Sara as the virtue of the soul. God told Abraham to "hearken" Sara's voice. Even though God has instructed husbands to rule over their wives, he also teached men to respect and listen to their wives. For without them, they will have no counsel. Thus, a healthy marriage is all about the husband ruling over the wife, but the husband also "Hearkening to the voice" of his wife, the virtue of his soul. As such, the wife contributes virtue to the marriage.

Adam and Eve in the New Testament

1.) In Corinthians 15:21-22, the author saw similarities between the stories of Adam and Jesus Christ. He argued that because "all die in Adam," all will live in Christ. Thus, Adam brought death to humans, while Christ brought life. As such, the author interpreted Genesis 2 based on the context of the time period, a time after Christ died, in which many people were trying to find answers to questions left by him.
2.) In Galatians 3:27-28, there were two references to Genesis. One that might not be so obvious was the mentioning of Christians "cloth(ing) yourselves with Christ." Much like Adam and Eve clothed themselves with leaves, Christians were told to cloth themselves with Christ. Also, the reference to "male and female" had much greater significance. The author was referencing to the differences in the sexes that Genesis had left. Genesis had influenced many cultures to have the women be inferior to the men because of the punishments God gave Eve. However, the author believed that because of Christ, this inequality was balanced out, and all were equal under Christ. Thus, despite the story of Adam and Eve, men and women were equal.
3.) In Colossians 3:9-11, a clothing motif was mentioned once again. However, this time the image was much more powerful. "seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator," was a clear reference to the book of Genesis, in which Adam and Eve clothed themselves first with fig leaves, and then God gave them knew clothes. Thus, this image used in Genesis was also used to symbolize an acquiring of new knowledge and also redemption for ones "old self." The author called Christians to strip themselves of the old clothes God had given them (the knowledge Adam and Eve had), and to take on the teachings of Jesus Christ, "the new clothes." The authors proposal clearly reflected the changing times that this text was written.
4.) In I Corinthians II: 3-12, Genesis was referenced once again in order to validate a new teaching or belief. It was believed that men should not wear hats, but women should. The author argued that this was because women was made for the sake of man, and thus, deserved a symbol of authority on her head. Also, the author attempted to use a reference from Genesis to make men and women seem less divided. "For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman, but all things come from God." (I Corinthians II: 11) Thus, because all things come from God, it does not matter who comes from what. In the end, woman and man are equal. As such, this passage clearly reflected the time period, in which the gender gap was slowly closing. Despite making women inferior, the author pointed out that women had authority over men in some aspects of life.
5.) In 2 Corinthians II: 2-6, the author specifically referenced the book of Genesis. "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere devotion to Christ." Thus, the author used the symbolism of a cunning snake to represent the non-believers, those who preached religions and beliefs other than those by Christ. Just as the snake told Eve to disobey, there would always be people tempting Christians to sin. Thus, the author once again referenced Genesis in order to deal with an issue that was prevalent at the present time.
6.) In Ephesians 5:21-6:9, the author made a very clear concept of family by using Christ's relationship with the Church as a metaphor. Wives were to love their husbands and respect their husbands as they respected God (Much like the church loved God.) This was clearly a reference to Genesis. Also, husbands were to love their wives, as Christ loved the church. Christ died in order to save the church, and thus, husbands were expected to equally love their wives. Another reference to Genesis was, "husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies." Since women were created from men's bodies, men were expected to love women just like they loved their bodies. Christ also loved his body, and his body was the church. Genesis was exactly quoted, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." Thus, just as the Christ became one flesh with the Church, men and woman would become one flesh. As such, the author clearly referenced Genesis (a Jewish scripture) to emphasize a Christian teaching, since most Christians were originally Jews. The author goes further to establish a child's relationship with their parents. They were to respect their father and mother, and the parents were expected to teach and discipline their children.
7.) In Timothy 2:8-15, the author explained what women were supposed to wear. This reference to clothing was very important to establish the distinction of sexes. Women were to dress modestly. Women were not allowed to teach or have authority over a man, "For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor." Thus, the author believed their was a definite line between man and woman, but she would be "saved" by having children and teaching them love, faith, holiness, but with modesty. Thus, women were to contain themselves. As such, the author clearly believed that men were superior to woman according to the book of Genesis, when woman was created second and deceived.
In Matthew 19: 3-12, the author referred to the second book of Genesis in order to answer a more modern question. Divorce and marriage were not specifically established back in the beginning of mankind, but because the question of divorce was such an issue at the time the New Testament was written, many had to refer back to Genesis or Exodus to argue for or against divorce.The Pharisees asked Jesus if divorce was lawful, and Jesus answered with the text, "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh' [Gen 2:24]?" (Matthew 19: 5) Here, Jesus believed that "becoming one flesh" meant marriage. He also interpreted this verse as a message that explained the sacredness of marriage. "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matthew 19:6) Thus, the New Testament attempted to solve the mysteries of the Genesis text. The author clearly believed that the Genesis story suggested that man and woman should be married and this marriage should never be broken. The second part of this text included a rebuttal from the Pharisees. They believed divorce was lawful because Moses said it was lawful. But Jesus explained that Moses did this against his will, and "from the beginning it was not so." (Matthew 19:8) He elucidated further that "whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." (Matthew 19:9) Here, Jesus explained that because Genesis came before Exodus (the book that included the life of Moses), Genesis was the dominant scripture. This idea that "coming first" gave one person, text, or event superiority over the others has been prevalent in multifarious parts of Christian/Jewish tradition. For instance, in the Vita, Lucifer believed that he had superiority over Adam because he had been created beforehand. In Matthew, Jesus pointed out that because Genesis came before Exodus, contradictions between the two would favor Genesis. In other words, according to Jesus and Satan, seniority rules. However, one must be careful with this interpretation, considering Adam was created before Eve in the second Genesis story.
In I Corinthians 6:13b-17, the author interpreted Gen 2:24, which stated "The two (man and woman) become one flesh." They argued that becoming one flesh meant the physical act of sexual intercourse. As such, they believed that "the body was not meant for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." (I Corinthians 6:13b) Their interpretation of Genesis 2:24 led them to the conclusion that sex was an act that united the bodies of man and woman. Because the author believed that humans were physically "members of Christ," it was important to make sure that one would unite their bodies with someone who was not sinful. Thus, sex with a sinner (prostitute) was unlawful since the Lord was not meant to be united with a sinner. Prostitutes did not exist back in the time of the Garden of Eden, but because it was an established vocation in the time of Jesus Christ, scholars argued against it by referring to the book of Genesis. As such, becoming one flesh did not involved every woman, but a single woman, as the author of I Corinthians 15 would believe.The author also concluded that anyone united with the Lord would be spiritually connected with God. All of the explanations posed by this author were interpreted from a single phrase in the second book of Genesis! The story of creation drastically effected the beliefs of Christians and Jews. Because the text said "become one flesh," fornication was seen as unlawful and marriage was a sacred union that was only breakable by a sinful act of divorce.
In I Corinthians 15: 35,39,42,44-49, the author interpreted Genesis 2 based on a question asking, "How are the dead raised?" This was an issue at the time Corinthians was written because Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. Since many believed that Genesis described the origin of death, the New Testament authors decided to find answers within its text. The author noticed many similarities between Adam and Jesus Christ, since they both were made in God's image. God had close relationships with both these men, and thus, the last Adam, as the author called him, was Jesus. Jesus Christ, known in Christian tradition as the son of God, was crucified, died, and rose from the dead. The author interpreted this Christian belief as not the physical body coming to life, but the spiritual entity within humans that came to life. From this, the author elucidated that the sources of these two men indicated much about human beings. Because Adam, the first Adam, was made from dust, all humans start out as dust, living with the dust (Earth). And since the final Adam, Jesus, came from heaven and had a spiritual body , humans will also be apart of heaven and bear the image of the final Adam (a spiritual body). From this, the author decided that humans have both a physical and spiritual body, the spiritual being the one that lives in heaven when the physical body of humans "returns to the dust from which it was created." Thus, in the end, humans may return to dust, but their spirits will return to heaven.