Adam's Apple: Origin Story

Sleeping under the Forbidden Tree, Adam woke up from the hissing sounds. He half-opened his eyes and saw the Serpent trying to strike a conversation with Eve sitting not too far from Adam under the Tree.

The Serpent was coiling around the Tree's mighty trunk, speaking quietly and slowly, with a hiss. Not hiding. Not rushing, but deliberate.

“Did God really ssssay,” he asked, “that you musssst not eat from any tree in the garden?”

Eve looked up at him, surprised, but not afraid. “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” she responded. “But God said, ‘You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, or you will die.' We are not even allowed to touch it.”

The Serpent did not argue immediately. He let the words settle, making the silence into his weapon.

“You will not sssssurely die,” he hissed calmly.

Eve frowned, trying to understand.

“For God knowsssss,” the Serpent continued, “that when you eat from it, your eyesssss will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Eve looked at the Tree again. It was strong and beautiful. Its fruit was red and ripe, looking indescribably good for food.

“You say God knows this?” she asked.

“Yessssss,” the Serpent said. “He knowsssss what will happen if you eat the fruit. He knowssss you will undersssstand thingssss you do not undersssstand now.”

“But He said we would die.”

The Serpent lowered his voice even more and Adam stirred, trying to listen more intently, almost giving out that he was awake.

“You will not die the way you think," the Serpent whispered. "But you will change.”

“We were given everything,” Eve said hesitantly, looking at Adam. “The garden, the animals, each other. Why would He keep this from us?”

The Serpent answered gently, “Becausssse knowledge changessss thossse who receive it.”

She touched the fruit. Nothing happened.

“Ssssee,” the Serpent said. “It has not harmed you.”

“If I eat it,” she said slowly, “I will know what I do not know now.”

“Yesssss,” the Serpent confirmed enthusiastically.

“And then I cannot return to not knowing.”

“That issssss true.”

Eve was silent for a long moment. Then she finally took her hand away from the fruit. "I should not touch it or eat it. God said so. Go away, I will be with my husband!"

She lied down next to Adam and almost immediately fell asleep. Adam heard the rustling of the Tree leaves as the Serpent left.

The Serpent's words sat heavily with Adam. What if God just doesn't want them to be His equals? What if the fruit really had the power of godly knowledge?

Adam got up and tore an apple from the Tree. Nothing happened. The apple looked too good not to at least try it. He took a bite and felt it at once - not pain, not death - but awareness. "Eve is naked!"

He looked at himself and saw that he was naked, too. He looked at the world. He saw difference, exposure, judgment. His eyes widened as he looked at everything in awe, forgetting to chew the apple.

The Serpent watched from a tree nearby, happy to see the man's inevitable demise.

Suddenly, Adam heard God's thundering voice, "Who dared to eat the apple?"

Scared, Adam hurriedly put the apple into Eve's hand as she stirred and woke. Trying to push down the bite that was stuck in his throat, choking, Adam groaned, "Eve!"

The Serpent chuckled at the man's ingenuity. Or was it just the fear of God's wrath? God was enraged indeed. He expelled them both from Eden.

Shocked, Eve said through the tears to Adam, "Let that apple be stuck in your throat forever!"