The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-05
THE FRUIT EVE ate.
Modern Research Seems to Place
1t as the CaSSia.
HOW TIE APPLE GOT BLAMED
Some Translator Used the Latin Word
"Pomum," Which Means Either
"Fruit" or Apple instead of "Fruc'
tum," Meaning Simply Fruit

"Pcmum," Which Means Either
"Fruit" or Apple Instead of "Frue'
tum," Meaning Simply fruit
4 correspondent asks now the apple
came to be named as the fruit Of the
temptation in the garden of Eden
when the original Hebrew text and ali
of the TRANSACTIONS speak only of the
fruit of the tree OF the knowledge OF
good and evil 1t seemed that none of
the Biblical authorities had offered
any answer so far as be was able to
earn.
There is an answer. however and
that a very simple one. which will
probably satisfy this inquirer and many
others who might ask the same ques-
uon
1t is true that in the Hebrew the
words are ''etz peri" the fruit of the
tree, and the Greek and Latin versions
SO translate them The vulgate uses
the word "fructum" for fruit, and this
could not in any way be mistaken for
the specific fruit apple. 1t is further
admitted by scholars who hold that
The paradise Of the Bible, which Is also
described upon clay tablets of Baby.
oman literature was located near the
Euphrates and the Tigris, or in trop-
zeal country. where no apples could
possibly grow. so that the fruit of this
rec could not have been an apple.
In tablet lately translated. which
originated in Nippur and is now In the
museum Of the University of PennsyE
vania in Philadelphia. the fruit is de
scribed as the fruit OF the cassia plant,
according to DR.. Landon. This is pos.
sible. for that plant is well known In
the region.
But the question of how the apple
came into the story is still unanswered
and no tablet will answer il. for none
could mention fruit unknown to
the Baby.onians, not growing in Their
country.
We have TO 20 far aheid to ascertain
the origin OF the error for the use of
the word apple is an error. 1t came
about from the confusion of two words
in the Latin Fructum" means fruit
and so does "pomum." But "pomum"
also means apple. and some ancient
scholar filed with Latin words wrote
'pomum" instead os "fruetun" In
transating this passage, and it was
Interpreted as specific mandy. apple
instead of general-that IS. fruit.
There 81. howver,q arother reason
for this .eoafusion, and The persistence
OF the. 1dea is sho#hq Tia many OF the
paintings by the old masters. wit
sometimes deph.t tree laden with
apples from which Eve has Just picked
one and Is handing 1t TO Adam. Af
The apple plays a great part in the
mythology Of the Greeks and Romans
where we find the apples OF Hespcrides
and the golden apple offered 10 The
most beautiful IF the coddesses. which
started all that famous trouble for
Paris. ending in the siege and destruc.
ton of Troy.
The confusion of ideas probably
arose from the association of the ap-
pie with critical turns in the affairs OF
men and suggested at least the sne-
cific Interpretation or translation of
'fructum" or 'pomum' by 'apple"
The fact IL that. SO far as the Bible
Itself goes. no specific fruit Is men
toned. ard il is spoken Of only rs the
tree OF the knowledge of good and evil
But there is another fruit tree mer
toned, and this IS the fig tree, for IN
Genesis Iii, I, it is said. And they
sewed fg leaves together and made
themselves aprons" Possibly on this
account 1t is Hebrew tradition that
Eve ate Of the FIX tree, but that has
lever been introduced into Biblical
text.
The fig tree plays very important
Fart in the myths OF many ancient ma
tons In legend the holy family rest
ed under fig tree on their Journey
to Egypt. The frGlt,ess fig tree Of
Jesus is one of the important elements
In that parable.
The Eicus religiosa, or religious fg
tree Of 'ndia, IS sacred, and none Is al
lowed 90 fell il. 1t is consulted as al
racle, and it Is believed that when
Brahms assumed human form bios.
som % the fig tree was dropped from
heaven 10 tempt him.
The idea os the tree of the knowledge
of goo3 and evil, or wisdom tree as
1t has been called, has been termed
moon myth by some scholars. Accord
ing 10 the Scandinavian mythology, the
great esh tree Ygdrasil runs down to
the We, OF wisdom and knowledge. On
this wisdom tree the pillar of the new
moon, old Odin chief god of the Scan
iinayiars. hung head downward TO ex.
tract .he words Of wisdom,
III India the DO tree of knowledge was
the sseiter OF Buddha for twenty-eight
lays tho length Of the lunar month,
until hc received his illumination OF
wisdom
1t Is therefore plain that the tree of
knowledge az good and evil has many
parallels in The luiths Of all ancient
nations and that It was an error ever
to think that it could have been an ap-
pie tree or hat the fruit of the tempta-