(Heb. Gan Eden). The garden where, according to Genesis 2, God placed Adam immediately after creating him. Eden contained "every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food," as well as "the Tree of Life" and "the tree of knowledge of good and evil." From Eden sprang forth a river dividing into four branches: the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. After Adam and Eve ate from the "tree of knowledge," they were banned from Eden, so they would not eat from the "tree of life" and live eternally. Angels with flaming swords barred their return.
The word Eden is either derived from the Hebrew root meaning "to be fruitful, plentiful," or from the Sumerian word meaning "steppe, flatland." Many scholars believe that in the light of the geographic information in Genesis 2:10-14, Eden is located near the Persian Gulf, possibly in Bahrain.
Throughout Jewish literature, Eden is considered to be the paradigm of perfection. Thus Ezekiel writes of "Eden, the garden of God," with every type of precious stone within it (Ezek. 28:13), and of the wondrous trees growing within the garden (Ezek. 31:8-10). Eden is also used to describe the reclamation of the land which had been laid waste and which will eventually become like the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 36:35). Later rabbinic literature distinguishes between two different Gardens of Eden: the earthly one below and the heavenly one above. The heavenly Garden of Eden is Paradise ("paradise" is derived from the Greek word for garden). Thus Avot 5:20 says, "The brazen is doomed to Gehinnom while the modest will go to the Garden of Eden." The heavenly Garden of Eden is described in the most lyrical terms in Yalkut Shimoni on Genesis as a place where four rivers flow: of milk, wine, balsam, and honey. In it 800,000 kinds of trees grow, the least of which is more fragrant than any tree found on earth. In each corner stand 600,000 angels singing in praise of God in the sweetest of voices. God Himself sits in the Garden of Eden, explaining the Torah to the righteous of all the ages.
