By Victor M Fontane
What’s the difference between the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life in Eden mentioned in the Christian Bible?
By eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, one gains knowledge. Superficially, this is knowledge of good and knowledge of evil, which is close enough for most people. The ancients believed that everything was either good or evil, so to know both good and evil is to know everything. This is why God said the man became like the gods after eating from the tree (Genesis 3:22): “the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.”
By eating of the Tree of Life, one becomes immortal. So that Adam and Eve do not become even more godlike, both having the knowledge of the gods and being immortal, God had no choice but to banish him from the Garden and place cherubim and a flaming sword on to the path back to the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24).
The Tree of Life is certainly the most significant object in the Garden of Eden. However, its presence has always been somewhat of a puzzle to students of the Bible because it is only briefly mentioned in Genesis: once at the beginning of the story in connection with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,1 and once at the end when cherubim and a flaming sword are placed before it to prevent Adam and Eve from partaking of its fruit.2
Though neither the nature nor the function of the Trees of Life and Knowledge are given explicitly in scripture, an understanding of temple teachings and layout can greatly illuminate this subject. This Essay will provide some background on the symbolism of these two trees.
Symbolism of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Hebrew expression “knowledge of good and evil” can mean knowledge of what is good and bad, or of happiness and misery—or, most arguably, of “everything,” if “good and evil” can be taken to mean the totality of all that is, was, or is yet to be.3 The variegated light and darkness in the photograph of the fig tree shown above suggests the ambivalent nature of this symbolism.
Perhaps the most relevant hint on the meaning of the phrase comes from Deuteronomy 1:39, which speaks of little children “who… have no knowledge of good and evil,” suggesting “that they are not legally responsible for their actions.”4 In this sense, the term refers not to abstract conceptual knowledge but rather to the kind of “knowledge which infancy lacks and experience acquires.”5 Thus, sensing his inexperience, the young King Solomon prayed for the ability “to discern between good and evil” so that he would be able to function in his royal role.
Ultimately, the prohibition to eat from both trees is a clear act of control over creation that cannot be attributed to a creator or God who emanates his own energy so that cosmic matter evolves and becomes a manifestation of himself. Thus, the passage of the Bible grants the human representative of God the power to control everything created. In reality, after many centuries, the church continues to exercise that control over its followers, forcing the concept of faith into the inability to obtain a logical or proven explanation of the scriptures.
Deep explanation about the tree of life can be obtained in the study of Kabbalah.
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