The forbidden fruit grew as a real fruit on a real tree God called the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” It stood as one of many beautiful trees God created on earth in an extensive Garden located in Eden.
“And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9).
The forbidden fruit served as a test of Adam and Eve’s willingness to live within God’s will. The forbidden fruit meant that God expected humanity to live without the knowledge of good and evil. Adam didn’t need such knowledge to live eternally, but only to obey God. Continuing to eat from the “tree of life” would have extended his life increasing the awareness of righteousness and the virtue of obedience.
In recent years, some researchers are supporting the fact that the forbidden fruit is actually a pomegranate, from the supposed location of the Garden of Eden. Most scholars have said that the type of fruit is not forbidden, only the fruit from the tree God had warned about.
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to between five and eight meters tall.
The pomegranate originated in Persia and has been cultivated in Georgia, Armenia and the Mediterranean region which are FILLED with pomegranate trees ( not apple trees).
in Armenia (where pomegranates are mostly consumed), the pomegranate represents an everlasting life.
it is also said to have affects of birth control!!
this might be why it was considered forbidden
…interesting…
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Also one of the reasons it was probably a pomegranate and not an apple is because in the Bible it says that the fruit stained their hands red and, obviously, and apple isn’t going to stain anyone’s hands red. A pomegranate, as we all know, will definitely stain your hands red for days if they aren’t peeled correctly.
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archshrk Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
While I haven’t looked into this, I think the “forbidden fruit” isn’t something we find in creation today. From Genesis, the tree seems to be described as a unique tree in the midst of the garden. After the fall, the garden was closed off by cherubim (lest we also eat of the tree of Life, too}. If the Tree of Life could be isolated, seems the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil could also be isolated (or cut off).
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tracy daughtry Reply:
November 20th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
where exactly in the Holy bible does it say that the fruit stained their hands red ?
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