The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-11-15
From the New York Herald.
The Site of Paradise.
Professor Delitzsch on the Garden of
Eden
The Bible Account INDICATED.

In an age like the present. when de-
structive criticisms reign supreme, and
when to secure title to learning, origi-
nality or genius it would almost seem to
be a necessity to assume an attitude of
hostility to sacred things-to the Church
and to the records on which the faith of
the Church is built-it is gratifying to
find that there are some able and gifted
nen who are still willing to stand in the
old way, and to contend for the truth as
the truth was once understood A strik-
ing example Of this latter class is to be
found in the person of DR.. Friedrich
Delitzsch, professor of Assyriology in the
University OF Leipzig, who has given his
time and labor, not unsuccessfully, to the
identification of the region in which was
situated the Garden Of Eden. In the
October number of the Nineteenth Gen.
tat2y the results of DR.. Delitzsch's inves-
ugatlon have been briefly summarized by
the Rev. Charles Fl. II. Wright, D. D.
AS certain amount Of interest must
ever attach to the first home of the first
members of the human family it is pro-
posed to reproduce for the benefit of the
readers of the Herald some of the argu-
ments on which the Leipzig professor
sustains the geographical correctness Of
the account given by the author of the
Book of Genesis.
CONFLICTING OPINIONS.
Before proceeding to state the views of
Professor Delitzsch it may be well to
mention the different, and in some cases,
conflicting opinions which have been held
and which are still held in regard to the
eli re Of tho 90 90 Joo
is well known, the whole story of the
Garden and of the Fall is regarded as
allegorical. Generally, however, scholars
have professed to understand the story
literally and to take it for granted that
the writer or writer's meant it so to be
understood; but they have never agreed
as to the historical reality or even the
geographical position of Eden. Josephus
saw nothing absurd in the opinion that
the Pishon was the Ganges and the
Gihon the Nile, and that Eden lay be-
tween. With slight differences of detail
a large number of scholars have con-
Guided in favor of Kornah, in Babylonia,
a place near the Persian Cult; others,
again, are in favor of Armenia, near the
sources of the Tigris and the Euphrates
others, again, would locate the Garden OF
Eden near Damascus while others-and
among this last many German scholars
have sought the cradle of the human
race in Bactria or Cashmere, or in the
region lying Immediately to the north,
part of which to this day bears the name
of Audyan, or Garden. There are many
who hold that the Deluge must have com
pletely altered the physical character of
"a hot -
ever it was, and that any attempt to fix
the locality must end in failure or, what
is little better, mere conjecture. Then,
again, by some of the most advanced
scholars of the day the universally of
dsluge at so late period as the time of
Noah is greatly doubted; and, according
to this school, the physical changes on
the planet have been comparatively trif-
ling since the date of mans appearance
1t IS thus made plain that the views en-
tertained regarding the site of Eden or
Paradise are indeed very many and very
far from being easily reconcilable.
THE BIBLE ACCOUNT.
The second chapter of Genesis states
that the Lord God (Jahaveh Eohim)
planted a garden eastward in Eden" and
bLlSl . LLO pldOGO Gu6 uldu WuOm he udQ
formed in order ito dress (till) it and to
keep it. And out of the ground made
the Lord God (Jahaveh Elohim) to grow
every tree that is pleasant to the sight
and good for food the tree of life also
in the midst Of the garden and the tree
of the knowledge Of good and evil (Gen-
esis ii: 8, 9, 15). The Garden OF Eden
Is accordingly referred to in later chap
ter Of the same book Genesis xiii 10)I
as the Garden of the Lord" (of Jaha-
veh), and the same expression is used
concerning it in the second part Of Isaiah
(i 81. 1t is similarly described as "the
garden Of God (Elohim) in three places
in the book Ezekiel (xxviii 10; XXI
8, and XXI: 9); in the last quoted pas
sage the article occurs before the name
of God (Elohim). The language of Eze-
kiel conveys the impression that the gar
den in question was in existence in his
day, for he represents the Almighty as
saying, / have made him (Asshur OF
Assyria) fair by the multitude of his
branches, so that all the trees of Eden
that were in the garden Of God envied
him ezekiel XXI 81. The translators
of our authorized version have, indeed
introduced a gloss into their translation
Of this passage by the insertion Of the
word were, printed, however, in italics
to denote that it is not TO be found In tbe