Rivers of Paradise

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Four rivers of Paradise in the 12th century manuscript

Rivers of Paradise,

Genesis 2:10–14,[5] where an unnamed stream flowing out of the Garden of Eden splits into four branches: Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (Tigris), and Phrath (Euphrates). These four rivers form a feature of the Garden that is popular in the Abrahamic religions.[6]

Geography

Although some commentators dismiss the geographic attribution for the Garden of Eden entirely,[7][8] a considerable amount of research was done on matching the rivers in the Genesis to the real ones, on the premise that the Garden was "obviously a geographic reality" to a writer of the Genesis verse (as well as his source), and thus dismissing the physical placement of the rivers is the contribution of the interpreters.[9] To the second group of scholars, attribution of Euphrates is without a doubt, most of them agree on the Tigris (Hiddekel), but the identification of Pishon and Gihon is ambiguous.[6]

For religious scholars, a natural question arises: "How did the heavenly rivers come to the Earth?" Various answers were provided in the past.[10]

Christianity

Rivers of Paradise flowing underneath the feet of Lamb of God (mosaic in Santi Cosma e Damiano, ca. 530 AD)

Following

four elements and cardinal virtues.[13]

The four rivers or Paradise were frequently used in

Carolingian period[11]) in multiple allegorical meanings.[1]

In visual arts the rivers usually flow underneath Christ's feet or from His throne (cf.

Cathedral of Chartres the rivers are depicted as young men carrying vessels with outflowing water.[2]

Judaism

The

rabbinic tradition does not interpret rivers literally, instead, they are believed to represent honey, milk, balsam, and wine.[15] Genesis Rabbah identifies the rivers as four corners of the world: Pishon as Babylonia, Gihon as Media, Hiddekel as Greece, Euphrates as Rome. It also states that all waters in the world flow from the foot of the Tree of Life.[16]

Islam

Similarly to Judaism,[17] Islam treats the rivers of Paradise (anhār al-janna) as carrying the honey, milk, water, and wine (cf. Q 47:15[18]).[19] However, Hosseinizadeh[20] remarks that these are not the same rivers as in the Bible, since there are four types of rivers, not four rivers in this verse. Furthermore, there are more types discussed elsewhere in Quran (cf. Q 76:5-6[21] and Salsabil in Q 76:17-18[22]), so there is no significant relationship between the biblical rivers of Paradise and the ones in Quran.[23]

Quran uses an expression "underneath them" that had been explained as rivers flowing underneath the trees in the gardens and the chambers of paradise dwellers.[19]

Layout of the Charbagh at the Tomb of Jahangir in Lahore

The four rivers similar to the ones in Genesis can be found in

Amu Daria).[23] In a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas Tigris is also included into the rivers of Paradise, Sayhān is identified as Hinds, Jayhān as Balkh.[23]

In the hadith of

Mi'raj Muhammad witnesses four rivers of water, milk, wine and honey flowing from the base of the Sidrat al-Muntaha tree.[24]

Hunt[25] draws parallels between the rivers of Paradise and the Persian Charbagh garden design.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kazhdan 1991.
  2. ^ a b c Murray & Murray 1998.
  3. ^ Hosseinizadeh 2012.
  4. ^ Grant 1992, p. 109.
  5. ^ Gen 2:10–14
  6. ^ a b Hosseinizadeh 2012, p. 36.
  7. ^ Speiser 1967, p. 25, "It does no good to argue, as has often been done, that the ancients had weird notions of geography".
  8. ^ Hosseinizadeh 2012, p. 34.
  9. ^ Speiser 1967, p. 23.
  10. ^ Hosseinizadeh 2012, pp. 38–39.
  11. ^ a b c d Cohen 2000, p. 105.
  12. ^ Cohen 2000, p. 106.
  13. ^ Cohen 2000, p. 107.
  14. ^ Ps 42:1
  15. ^ Speiser 1967, p. 27.
  16. ^ Hosseinizadeh 2012, p. 38.
  17. ^ Speiser 1967, p. 27, Note 10.
  18. ^ Quran 47:15
  19. ^ a b El-Zein 2012.
  20. ^ Hosseinizadeh 2012, p. 41.
  21. ^ Quran 76:5-6
  22. ^ Quran 76:17-18
  23. ^ a b c Hosseinizadeh 2012, p. 42.
  24. ^ Hosseinizadeh 2012, p. 43.
  25. ^ Hunt, Patrick (July 29, 2011). "Persian Paradise Gardens: Eden and Beyond as Chahar Bagh". Electrum Magazine.

Sources

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