Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-04-15

Eden. 1t must have been a haunt of
mere animalism, and it's food would
certainly not have been fruit. Rough
| ~ speaking, therefore, there are two
schools-those who believe that man
came from a divine original, but fell
away from his first estate, to which
with infinite labor he may return, and
those who believe that he evolved from
the beast and is still evolving to the
greatness that he may ultimately at
tain. Setting aside these somewhat
discordant theories, we may we'll ask,
Where was Eden?
The soundest scientists are agreed
that mankind came from a single orr
gin-whether a distinct creation or an
evolution is beside the mark-and the
original man must have had local
habitation. The geographical manuals
and maps of the middle ages leave
good deal to be desired in the matter of
accurate detail, but they have at least
the merit Of boldness, and If we go to
them for an answer to our question we
may get something like a definite re-
ply. According to an old map of the
thirteenth century, paradise is cir
cular island lying near India. It is
surrounded by wall in which is a
gateway opening to the west. The
gate is closed and the wall quite in.
surmountable. Our later aliases do
not locate this happy island.
Other early maps would have us be-
lieve that Eden lay in central China.
We can go with these ancient geog-
raphers SO far as to place the probable
site Of mans birthplace in Asia, but
the consensus Of learned opinion does
not incline either to India or China.
Eminent authority supports the idea
that Eden lay somewhere on the great
Baby lonian plain, watered by the Tigris
and the Euphrates-the Perath and
Hiddekel Of Genesis. Other authorities
give their vote for Armenia, possibly
Influenced by the tradition which says
that the Ark rested on Mount Ararat,
but this tradition would only point to
Armenia as the probable first home Of
postdiluvian man.
Professor Delitesch and Professor
sayce favor Babylon; Heidegger favors
Palestine; Media, Arabia and the up
per Nile have all their supporters. Qua
trefages, treating the subject solely
from a scientific standpoint, concludes
that linguistic and other human types
point to central Asia, but does not de-
eide on any precise locality.
With the author Of Genesis, as DR..
Kalisch has remarked, Eden is geo
graphically described in manner
which leaves no doubt that distinct To-
cality was before the mind of the au-
thor" Even to those who think that
this author was building on uncertain
traditions it must yet be Of interest to
know what this locality was. Babylon
was the most fertile land known to the
ancient world; Its poorest fields repaid
cultivation fiftyfold, its better a hun
dredfold. Its luxuriance of fruit and
grain was SO great as to be actually
embarrassing. There is no question at
all that this district was the seat Of
Asia's earliest civilization and there
fore why not say Of the worlds?
The idea Of man created perfect and
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