The Temptation Narrative of Genesis 3:1-6: A Prelude to the Pentateuch and the History of Israel

Abstract

The paper elucidates the theological tenets that moved the author I editor of the temptation story in giving the account its final shape. Genesis 3:1-6 furnishes a number of clues allowing us to conclude that the author/editor had the deuteronomistic history ‘in front of him’ when he carried out his task. As for the garden setting, it is indeed not difficult to see how the agrarian culture of Israel, who used to view her land as the garden of God, impacted the process of shaping. But more specifically, all the major elements and characters in the text seem to betray a deuteronomistic orientation. The study seeks to demonstrate that the idea of the two trees is heavily influenced by deuteronomistic (retribution) theology, as they function like the Mosaic blessing and the curse respectively. The intruding snake too assumes a role analogous to the false prophets of ancient Israel, whose objective was the introduction of apostate cults. Finally; the depiction of the woman's role in the temptation story is closely linked with the theme of the false prophet. For as the role of women in the deuteronomistic history is often key to Israel’s apostasy, so Eve's role in Genesis 3 is key to the fall.