Posted on January 3, 2022

Bill Robbins, whose recent essay The Walls was published in November 2021 issue of Fig Tree Lit has raised an intriguing question on a line in Genesis, which he proposes that any of us provide some words that we believe would fit within a conversation between Adam and Eve. 

Bill writes, “Here’s a proposal for doing some Biblically-based creative writing, falling under the category of filling in a Biblical silence. The Adam and Eve story in parshat B’reishit includes the following passages: ‘When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating snd a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.’ (3:6)

“For me, something is left out. Presumably, there was some dialogue between Eve and Adam on the subject of eating the fruit — either after she had spoken with the snake, immediately before she herself eats of the fruit or when she hands it to him.

“So, I propose that non-bible scholars write that dialogue, as we imagine it. It can take any form that you like: literal, historical, literary, religious, etc. It’s even okay if it’s written as current dialogue. And if you think that Eve and Adam had a relationship such that vocalization of thoughts and spoken interaction was unnecessary at critical times, then write something conveying that sentiment.”

Appropriate responses will be published in Fig Tree Lit.