What Did Paradise Look Like? | Jonathan Pageau
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the symbolic significance of trees in the biblical narrative, particularly in Genesis. It explains the tree as a symbol of order and hierarchy, with the Tree of Life representing unity at the summit of a cosmic mountain. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolizes the division of order into opposites, acting as a barrier to the Tree of Life. The fig tree at the garden's base signifies humanity's fall and covering of their nakedness. A fourth, thorny tree represents the world's hostility beyond the garden. The script suggests a hierarchical structure from unity to multiplicity, reflecting the transformation from fresh to salt water, encapsulating the biblical cosmology.
Takeaways
- 🌳 The tree is a symbol of order and hierarchy in biblical symbolism, representing how everything is interconnected.
- 🌿 The trunk of a tree symbolizes the axis of the world, with branches showing the repeating pattern of unity and separation.
- 🍂 In the Garden of Eden story, there are not two but three trees: the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the fig tree.
- 🏔️ The Garden of Eden is often imagined as a mountain, with the Tree of Life at the summit, representing the source of all life.
- 🚫 The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil served as a barrier to the Tree of Life, symbolizing the division of order into two opposites.
- 🍇 According to Saint Ephrem, Adam and Eve were destined to eat from the Tree of Life after obeying God's command not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge.
- 👕 The fig tree is associated with Adam and Eve's creation of clothing from its leaves, symbolizing their covering of their higher mystery as they moved away from the Tree of Life.
- 🔪 The fourth tree mentioned is a thorn tree or bush, representing the world's hostility and the protection needed for the Tree of Life.
- 🌊 The fresh water from the Garden of Eden is seen as flowing from the Tree of Life, moving downwards and transforming into the salt waters of chaos.
- 🌐 Saint Ephrem describes the Garden of Eden as existing outside normal time and space, with its base extending beyond the known world.
- ⛰️ The entire world is contained within the hierarchical structure of the Garden of Eden, from the gate to the Tree of Life, reflecting a cosmic connection.
Q & A
What is the primary image of a tree in biblical symbolism according to the script?
-The tree in biblical symbolism represents order and hierarchy, acting as an axis that brings everything together towards oneness.
How does the script describe the structure of a tree in relation to its branches?
-The script describes the trunk of a tree as an axis and the branches as repeating patterns of the tree's structure, with each branch having the same structure as the main tree, signifying cosmic connection.
How many trees are mentioned in the script in relation to the Garden of Eden?
-The script mentions four trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the fig tree, and the thorn tree or bush.
What is the significance of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden according to the script?
-The Tree of Life is at the summit of the mountain in the Garden of Eden, symbolizing the axis of the world and the place where all life comes together, offering eternal life.
What role does the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil play in the script's narrative?
-The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is seen as a barrier or test, where Adam and Eve's obedience or disobedience determines their access to the higher mystery of the Tree of Life.
How does Saint Ephrem interpret the relationship between the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?
-Saint Ephrem suggests that if Adam and Eve had obeyed God's commandment, they would eventually have been given the fruit of the Tree of Life, allowing them to ascend towards eternal life.
What is the significance of the fig tree in the script's interpretation of the Garden of Eden?
-The fig tree is at the bottom of the mountain in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve use its leaves to cover their nakedness after the fall, symbolizing the covering of their higher mystery.
What does the script suggest about the location of Paradise in relation to the Garden of Eden?
-The script suggests that Paradise is a mountain, with the Garden of Eden at its peak, from which four rivers flow out to water the world.
How does the script describe the relationship between the hierarchical structure of the Garden of Eden and the cosmos?
-The script describes the Garden of Eden as a hierarchical structure that brings order to the potentiality of the world, with fresh water flowing from the Tree of Life towards the outer waters of chaos.
What is the script's interpretation of the thorn tree or bush in the Garden of Eden?
-The thorn tree or bush is seen as a protective element outside the Garden of Eden, symbolizing the world of hostility and conflict that exists beyond the garden.
How does Saint Ephrem describe the mountain of Paradise in relation to normal time and space?
-Saint Ephrem describes the mountain of Paradise as existing outside of normal time and space, with its base extending beyond the known world and the physical ocean.
Outlines
🌳 Biblical Symbolism of Trees in Genesis
This paragraph explores the symbolic meaning of trees in the biblical narrative, starting with the creation story in Genesis. The tree is depicted as a symbol of order and hierarchy, with the trunk representing an axis and the branches symbolizing the repeating pattern of life's structure. The narrative moves to the Garden of Eden, where traditionally two trees are mentioned, but the script corrects this by stating there are actually three: the Tree of Life, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Fig Tree. The Tree of Life is positioned at the summit, symbolizing the source of all life, while the Tree of Knowledge represents the division of order into opposing concepts. The Fig Tree is associated with Adam and Eve's fall, where they use its leaves for clothing. The paragraph also introduces the concept of paradise as a mountain, with the Tree of Life at its peak, and four rivers flowing from it, watering the world.
🏞️ The Hierarchical Structure of Paradise
The second paragraph delves deeper into the hierarchical symbolism of the Garden of Eden, likening it to a mountain with the Tree of Life at its peak, the Tree of Knowledge at a lower level, and the Fig Tree at the base, near the garden's wall. This paragraph discusses the idea of the garden's wall as a limit and the fig leaves as a symbol of covering or hiding the 'higher mystery' of the nakedness of Adam and Eve. It also introduces a fourth tree, a thorn tree, which represents the world's hostility and the need for protection. The paragraph further elaborates on the concept of the garden as a microcosm of the cosmos, with the mountain representing paradise and the hierarchical structure extending from the summit to the base, symbolizing the transition from unity to multiplicity and from order to chaos.
💧 The Cosmological Significance of Water
In the final paragraph, the focus shifts to the cosmological implications of water in the biblical narrative. It discusses the natural flow of fresh water from higher elevations to lower ones, likening this to the rivers originating from the Garden of Eden and flowing into the world. The paragraph suggests a transformation from salt water to fresh water, symbolizing a divine order being brought into chaos. The fresh water is seen as a life-giving force that moves away from the hierarchical mountain, contrasting with the 'waters of chaos' or salt waters. This paragraph ties together the themes of hierarchy, life, and the transformative power of water in the context of the biblical creation story.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Biblical Symbolism
💡Genesis
💡Tree of Life
💡Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
💡Fig Tree
💡Mountain of Paradise
💡Hierarchy
💡Saint Ephrem
💡Thorn Tree/Bush
💡Fresh Water and Salt Water
💡Cosmos
Highlights
Understanding Biblical symbolism begins with Genesis and the creation story.
A tree symbolizes order, hierarchy, and the cosmic connection of everything.
The trunk represents the axis, and branches symbolize the repeating pattern of the tree.
The Garden of Eden originally contained three trees: the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the fig tree.
Paradise can be envisioned as a mountain with the Garden of Eden at its peak.
Four rivers flow from the Garden, suggesting its location at a high point.
The Tree of Life is at the summit, symbolizing where all life converges.
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represents the separation into opposites.
Saint Ephrem describes the Tree of Knowledge as a barrier to the Tree of Life.
Adam and Eve's obedience would have led to access to the Tree of Life.
The fig tree at the garden's wall symbolizes covering and hiding of higher mysteries.
The thorn tree or bush represents protection from the world's hostility.
The four trees can be seen as one tree with different levels of spiritual significance.
The mountain of Paradise is described as being outside normal time and space.
The hierarchical structure of the Garden of Eden contains the entire known world.
Fresh water from the Garden represents the transformation from salt to fresh, symbolizing order.
The relationship between the tree, hierarchy, and fresh water signifies the cosmos's order.
Transcripts
as usual if you really want to
understand biblical symbolism you have
to start in Genesis and ideally you have
to start in the creation story now a
tree is an image of order it's an image
of hierarchy okay it's an image of how
things come together towards one so you
can imagine the trunk of a tree as a
kind of axis and then you can imagine
the branches of the tree as the
repeating pattern of the tree so a tree
is a the branch of a tree has the same
structure of a tree and as the branch
separates into smaller into smaller
branches the same structure appears on
the tree as the basic tree in itself
okay and so it is an image of this
cosmic connection of everything together
okay so it is an image of order now the
idea of the tree can be order as it
comes towards one but it can also be
order as it separates into the many okay
now to understand the basic idea of the
tree we look at the story in Genesis now
we're used to thinking that in the
Garden of Eden
there was a tree but in fact there were
two trees in the Garden of Eden okay
there was the Tree of Life and the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil but
that's actually wrong there in the
creation in the story of Adam in the
Garden of Eden
there isn't two trees there are three
trees okay and the third tree is the fig
tree okay because when Adam and Eve fall
they make clothing out of the fig leaves
imagine paradise as a mountain okay so
we're some people aren't used to
imagining paradise as a mountain but it
makes absolute sense even in the Bible
it is suggested as
that the Paradise is a mountain though
it's not said explicitly in tradition it
is said explicitly that paradise is a
mountain and the way it's suggested in
the Bible is that it says that four
rivers flow out of the garden and go out
in two different directions and so just
naturally in terms of phenomenology you
have to imagine the four rivers being
from starting at a higher point and then
moving out towards the world so a way to
imagine it is that the Garden of Eden is
actually the highest place in the world
it is the highest mountain and from the
top of the highest mountain comes this
these four streams that then come down
and water the entire world okay so you
have to imagine at the middle of at the
top of the mountain there is a tree and
it's the Tree of Life
it's the axis of the world it's the the
the place where all life comes together
and this notion that if you eat the tree
of life then you have eternal life so
you have the tree at the summit and then
at a lower level on the mountain there's
another tree which is the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil okay and so
the the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil you could see it as the place
where order begins to separate in two
opposites right you saw a way to imagine
it would be that you have the The Tree
of Life up there and then the tree of
knowledge of good and evil and according
to Saint Ephrem the way it works is that
Adam and Eve were placed in the garden
they were told not to eat of the fruit
of the tree of knowledge and good and
evil but the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil actually acted as a kind
of barrier like in the temple a barrier
towards the most holy place the highest
place the place where everything totally
comes together which is the Tree of Life
and so what Saint Ephrem says and this
is not just in Saint Ephrem but it's
actually repeated in st. Irenaeus for
example and and in in some of the
Cappadocia father's and in Jewish
tradition that in fact if Adam and Eve
had obeyed
the commandment of God to not eat the
tree God would have eventually given
them the fruit so that they could then
ascend towards the the Tree of Life and
so you can imagine this tree of good and
evil as a test for whether or not Adam
II will do it we'll do it by disobeying
out of their own volition or by
submitting to the higher authority by
submitting to the transcendent rule
would then have access to the higher
mystery okay so imagine now the tree of
the Tree of Life in the center as this
one axis then the tree of the good and
evil as the place where things start to
separate and I imagine the mountain is
getting wider and then at the bottom of
the mountain you have the wall of the
garden which acts as the limit of the
garden and there you have the fig tree
and so there the Adam and Eve take the
leaves of the fig tree and cover
themselves with them so you can see how
as they move down the mountain from the
tree of knowledge of good and evil they
also coming near the wall which covers
the garden then they have to cover
themselves to hide there let's say their
nakedness they hide the higher part the
hide their mystery let's say okay and be
covered in mystery just as they move
away from the higher tree they can know
they can see less and less the higher
tree just as they you can imagine for
example in the temple you have these
series of veils and as you move out from
the Holy of Holies each veil becomes
more and more opaque as you move towards
the covering that is outside the veil
okay outside the temple so these three
trees now so you can imagine them almost
like one tree as the entrance a second
tree as the second let's say place where
everything is divided and then the top
tree which is the place where everything
comes together
but then there there actually isn't
three trees in the story of Adam and Eve
in the garden there are actually four
trees in the story of Adam and Eve and
the fourth tree is a thorn tree or a
thorn bush it's the idea that trees will
produce thorns okay and so you can
imagine now on the outside of the wall
of the garden outside of the inner holy
place you have these thorns which are to
protect the tree from attack so you have
a world of hostility which is outside
the garden and so the thorns need to be
protected okay so that's let's say the
way that it's presented in Saint Ephrem
the Syrian so you can see it as these
four trees but you could also see it as
one tree you could see this notion that
there's that there is one tree the axis
of the tree is the Tree of Life
you could see the branches of the tree
as the the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil the leaves of the tree as the
fig tree and then the thorns on the tree
are the last protection of the tree as
being the thorn bush and you could also
see the tree as the mountain itself as
paradise itself as you move from the
oneness of the summit on the mountain
and you come down to find multiplicity
and as you come down towards the
wilderness that is down at the bottom
and you you come finally to the the
world of hostility of war of conflict
and then even further than that you
would have the flood you would have the
waters the ocean which surround the the
mountain of paradise surround the
mountain of the world that is the the
image of the cosmos really and so you'll
see if you read Zen Ephraim you're all
you'll also find that this mountain as
it's described by Saint Ephrem he seems
to on purpose gives
descriptions of it which which place it
outside of normal time and space and so
he'll say things like the base of the
mountain of Paradise goes beyond the the
physical ocean view beyond Oceanus which
which surrounds the the known world and
so you have this idea that actually the
entire world as we know it is contained
within this hierarchical structure of
the Garden of Eden you know from the
gate to the Tree of Knowledge to the
Tree of Life okay now this notion of
this hierarchy the tree as this
hierarchy as bringing order to the
potentiality which is further down let's
say in the waters of the of the of the
ocean and now imagine at the top of the
tree you have you can you can kind of
see it let's say the source which is
coming from under the tree if you
imagine the tree really at the top of
the mountain and these four sources like
the four directions which move out from
the the central tree and then go out
into the world and then go all the way
into meeting with the ocean and so just
in terms of understanding normal
cosmology you can understand that fresh
water comes from above fresh water
always moves down okay and so even if
there's a source in the ground you know
that that source is higher than the
ocean okay and so the the fresh water
just like rain falls on the mountain
fresh water moves away from this
hierarchical mountain then moves out
towards the towards the the outer waters
the waters of chaos the salt waters now
and so in that way there's a
relationship between the tree the
hierarchy and this bringing of fresh
water towards or this transforming of of
let's say salt water into fresh water
you
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