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September 10, 2008
It's A Legend, So Pass It On To The Kids
AP is running the story of a legend concerning a cemetery marked by signs reading "The Graveyard of our mother Eve." Some pilgrims and locals apparently believe that the tomb of Eve was once there. The legend goes back to at least the 9th century CE and is likely much older. The cemetery is in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, west of Mecca. Jim West says, "You can file this one under ‘bunk’ or ‘bogus archaeological claims’ or whatever you like so long as it indicates the ridiculousness of the claim." In one way, I agree with him. But if you read the article, you'll find that contemporary archaeologists, quoted in the article, also think the story is bunk, bogus. It's a legend and not an archaeological claim at all. I didn't find the legend of Eve's tomb or her cemetery all that offensive. Legends, when understood as legends, are abnormally interesting.
What I do find potentially offensive was this,
Ahmed Bakoudij, a 32-year-old mechanic, said he called his garage "Hawwa's [Eve's] Garage" despite his skepticism."I've been hearing about Hawwa's grave since I was a kid," said Bakoudij. "But no one believes it. I have to see it with my own eyes to believe it."
"But," he added. "if I ever have kids, I'll pass on the legend to them."
If Mr. Bakoudij tells his kids that it's a fun local legend about a legendary figure, I have not problem. It is. But if he pretends that he believes this legend or if he uses it to reinforce a belief in another legend, then I despair. The perpetuation of much religious lore depends on telling kids stories that contain obvious falsehoods. Let's remember the wise words of Mark Twain's fictional schoolboy, "Faith is believing what you know ain't so." To which I would only add, "and passing it on to our kids as if it were true." Please notice I said "fictional schoolboy."
Posted by Duane Smith at September 10, 2008 7:32 PM | Read more on Religion |
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Comments
"William Dever, a professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies at the University of Arizona and a prominent U.S. archaeologist, said there just isn't any archaeological evidence going back far enough to back up the claims."
I would like to know what Dever really meant by that if he really said that. Archaeological evidence for what? That there was a marked tomb attributed to Eve in that particular cemetery? That the legend is not recent but several thousand years old? That there indeed was an "Eve"?
Posted by: Aydin at September 11, 2008 6:59 AM
I have known Dever sense the 1970s. I even see him every ten years of so. I was a little baffled by his comment also. But his public comments often baffle me. What possible archaeologically evidence could there be? The tomb is gone, but even if a marked tomb still existed, there is absolutely no reason to think such a marking authentic by any meaning of the word "authentic." Being old doesn't make it true. My guess is that he did say something like ". . . the story could go back two or three thousand years . . ." And he pulled this out of his ear. On the other hand, the tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, was likely identified with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives by Hellenistic times. In any case, Herod the Great built a major shrine there. Perhaps it was something like this of which Dever was thinking. I know him well enough to know that he didn't mean there was an Eve. Depending on when he is asked, Dever self identifies as an agnostic or an atheist.
An fun side note: Scott F. Gilbert, a biologist and Ziony Zevit, a Biblical Scholar, jointly suggest that Eve is a legendary something that God made by removing Adam's baculum for which the Hebrew Bible uses a word with the common meaning "rib." This is little more than a guess, but it is a fun guess.
Posted by: Duane at September 11, 2008 9:14 AM
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