It’s been several weeks since my last update, but it’s not out of laziness or disregard. I have to be honest, though, I did hit a bump in the road. The very idea behind the title of my blog was questioned by a friend of mine. And not just any friend, but one who is a respected Christian teacher and author.
It comes down to this: when someone says in a book or on the web, “Well you see, the Jews of Jesus’ time believed that <some interesting tidbit>,” how can you know it’s true? For instance, the title of my blog is based on the statement: “The Jews of Jesus’ time believed that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (TKGE) was most probably a fig tree and therefore every-day fig trees symbolize the TKGE.”
Where did I get this from? Initially from an audio program on Aaron Budjen’s website, choosing_the_disciples. Aaron is a Messianic Jew who had previously studied to be a rabbi. He gives many Jewish cultural references on his website, which is full of intriguing audio programs. Occasionally a reference is given but not often. He is very knowledgeable and there was (and still is) no reason to doubt him. So when he says the Jews believed or taught something, I saw no reason to doubt it. When I asked Aaron where he got the information about the fig tree and its relation to the TKGE, he answered, “from one of his past rabbis.” I don’t find this suspicious in any way—it’s just not acceptable proof.
Are there references and evidence elsewhere? A search of the web reveals there are many sites either devoted to or containing significant context about 1st century Jewish culture and history. Many of these have discussions about the TKGE and references to the Jewish belief of it being a fig tree among other things. Here are a few of the more pertinent ones:
- http://www.hope-of-israel.org/symbolfigtree.html and http://www.hope-of-israel.org/figtree.htm — Hope of Israel is an excellent website with many Jewish cultural and historical articles. It is also referenced and sourced very well.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_fruit — This is a great article with references that show in addition to fig trees, some rabbis thought the TKGE might be grape vine-tree or even, oddly enough, wheat.
- http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/983693/jewish/What-Sort-of-Fruit-Tree-was-the-Tree-of-Knowledge.htm
- https://3amthoughts.com/article/bible-study/fig-tree-cursed
As mentioned above, some but not all of the sites above give references. A common reference is to the Bible in Gen 3:7, which says that Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover themselves after they ate from the TKGE, which is indirect evidence that the TKGE was a fig tree since it was at least in proximity to it. This is precisely the connection some Jewish rabbis made as the following quotes from the Jewish texts the Mishnah, the Midrash of Bereshith, and the Book of Adam and Eve:
Mishnah, Berakhot 40a: (Gen. ix. 21) Rabbi Nehemiah says: It was the fig-tree, for by the very thing that they were disgraced they were restored; as it is said, “And they sewed fig-leaves together”.
Midrash, Bereshith Rabbah, tractate 15, verse 7: “And the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”: What was the tree whereof Adam and Eve ate? … Rabbi Jose said: They were figs. He learns the obscure from the explicit, and [the meaning of] a statement from its context.
Midrash, Bereshith Rabbah, tractate 19, verse 6: “And they sewed the leaves of the fig together”: Rabbi Simeon b. Yohai said: That is the leaf which brought the occasion for death—into the world.
The Book of Adam and Eve, Chapters 36-38: This is a pseudepigraphal book written around 200 BC. It encapsulates the Jews’ thoughts about the fig tree. In the story, God gave them figs from the Garden. The story says the fruit was from one of the two special trees. Since God wouldn’t give them any fruit from the Tree of Life, it had to have come from TKGE.
These references clearly indicate some rabbis believed the TKGE was a fig tree. We can safely say that many Jews of the time at least had heard of this idea, since only rabbis with serious authority and clout were included the Mishnah and the Midrash and were teachers of teachers.
The problem with the Mishnah and the Midrash is that they were composed 200 and 600 years, respectively, after Christ. Note the word “composed”. That’s because both of these books are compilations of teachings passed down from as early as 500 BC. While it’s clear none of the teachings were brand new when the books were composed, it’s impossible to tell precisely when each of the thousands teachings and sayings originated.
I love certainty, but we live in an uncertain world. I would love to say with certainty that the Jews of Jesus’ time believed the fig tree symbolized the TKGE and that Jesus took advantage of this belief in several of his parables and metaphors—but I can’t. I can say that I personally believe this based on my own investigations into ancient Jewish writings and based on the harmony and clarity the concept brings to certain passages.