The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-01-27
THE LOST PARADISE
THEORIES AS TO THE LOCATION OF
THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

nau the claim made on its behalf that
1t Is the site Of vanished Eden. Most
persons seem agreed on the fact that
paradise has disappeared from our
midst, The question is, Where was IL
situated! 10 those who deny the Bib.
heal story Of mans genesis the oues.
uoh takes another form, and they per-
pick themselves as to the spot in which
ulah hrSt appeared OH this earth.
Some evade the difficulty by saving
that man appeared in many different
spots-that he did not spring from
one original.
If we accept the doctrine of the Oar.
winians we nre forced to confess that
Tue pace where man first evolved must
nave been anything but garden of
Eden. 1t must have been haunt of
mere animallsm. and it's food would
certainly not have been fruit. Rough
" speaking. therefore. there are two
schools-those who believe TINT man
came from Il 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 Mt
taln Setting aside these somewhat
discordant theories. we may we'll ask.
Where was Eden2
The soundest scientists are agreed
that mankind came from single orl.
Siu-Whcther distinct creation or an
evolution is beside the mark--and the
original man must have had local
haoitation. The geographical manuals
and maps OF the middle ages leave q
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
thcm for an answer to our question we
may get something like definite re-
ply. According to On old map Of the
thirteenth century, paradise is a cir
cuiar island lying near India 1t is
surrounded by Il wall in which is q
gateway opening to the west. The
gate is closed and the wall quite in
surmountablc. 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 OH the great
babyionian plain. watered by the Tigris
and the Euphra tes-the Perath and
Hiddekel of Genesis. Other authorities
give their vote for Armenia, possibly
influenced by the tradition which saws
that the Ark rested ON Mount Ararat.
but this tradition would only point to
hrmeiifs,- us the probable first home Of
poSSiiluvian' man,
Professor Delitzseb and Professor
sayce favor Baby'sn; Feidegger favors
Palestine: Media. Arabia and the up
per Nile have all their supporters. Qua
trefages. treating the subject solely
from 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, rs 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 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
living in garden Of fruitful loveliness
has always had fascination for poor
humanity. recognizing its present i'm
perfections and the frequent distress.
ing dismalness of its present surround
ings. Even those who knew nothing Of
the Bible story pictured such spot for
themselves. Every early mythology
has its fortunate isles. it's Atlantis, its
Hesperides. its Arcadia and it's Golden
Age.
Some persons even conjectured that
paradise had not been on the earth at
all. but was an island floating in the
air. something like the island visited
by CULVER. They did not wish to
think that the sacred spot could be
submerged by the waters of the del
uge. and by this device they raised it
above any such calamity. On this is
land dwelt the sacred phenix; the
well of life flowed there. the elixir of
Immortality; leaves never fell from the
trees; the sun shone always on a per-
petual summer. Men declined to be-
lieve that Eden had been destroyed
forever They preferred to imagine
that its gates were closed to them for
a season. To deem that such a spot