The Breath of Life: Speech, Gender, and Authority in the Garden of Eden
Abstract
In the garden of Eden, the man alone receives the direct infusion of the divine breath, a ritual act that not only renders him capable of speech but signifies also his commissioning as one who will speak with and for YHWH to the subsequently formed creatures. The man's failure to speak up during the woman's conversation with the serpent represents his failure to guard the garden and explains why YHWH finds him guilty of the crime of "listening to the voice of your woman".
Repository Citation
Chapman, Cynthia. 2019. "The Breath of Life: Speech, Gender, and Authority in the Garden of Eden." Journal of Biblical Literature 138(2): 241-262.
Publisher
Society of Biblical Literature
Publication Date
6-1-2019
Publication Title
Journal of Biblical Literature
Department
Religion
Additional Department
Jewish Studies
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jbl.2019.0013
Keywords
Eden, Women's conduct of life, Christianity, Decision making, Religion, Speeches
Language
English
Format
text
