Publisher's Synopsis
The story of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis is perhaps one of the best known stories in circulation, even today, and yet nobody really knows where this tale came from or what it means. But even a cursory glance at the text will demonstrate the origins of this tale, for the river of Eden is described as having four branches. There is only one river in this part of the world that fits this description, and that is the Nile; with the four branches forming the Nile Delta. Here, then, is the true crucible for the Genesis story -- Egypt. We already know that Judaism was based upon the reign of the pharaoh Akhenaton, because the solitary Judaic god was known as Adhon while this pharaoh's solitary god was called Aton or Adjon. But on reading the early chapters of Genesis with a more critical eye, it became apparent that this story was simply a retelling of Pharaoh Akhenaton's 'Hymn to the Aton'. Again we know that the early Israelites knew of the Hymn to the Aton because a section is also included in Psalms. But what of the identities of Adam and Eve? The pathway towards enlightenment was illuminated by the discovery that Hebrew was based upon the ancient Egyptian language. This would actually make a great deal of common-sense, as the Israelites were once the leaders of Egypt and would originally have spoken Egyptian. (Joseph, according to the Bible, was prime minister of all Egypt). It seems certain that Adam and Eve were actually Pharaoh Akhenaton and his famous wife Queen Nefertiti. The nickname of Adam was used because Adam means 'red', and Akhenaton was the king of Lower Egypt and wore the Red Crown. In a similar fashion, Khavah (Eve) received her pseudonym because the name means 'naked' and 'swollen' in the Egyptian. Adam and Eve were famed for their innocent nakedness, and yet it is known that Akhenaton and Nefertiti also lived in an idyllic state of near nakedness and were curiously depicted with swollen limbs. The story of the downfall of Adam and Eve is a reflection of the downfall of this Egyptian royal couple, for Akhenaton and Nefertiti were deposed. Their fate is not precisely known, but it would seem likely from the various accounts that they went into exile in the north of Egypt and thus their fall from grace was every bit as dramatic and humiliating as that of Adam and Eve. And yes, when forced from their idyllic existence in the palace at Amarna, Akhenaton and Nefertiti would have been faced with the gaping throngs of the common people, and would have been forced to clothe themselves. Here then, is the story of Adam and Eve. It was not a tale about the beginning of the Universe, instead it was the traditional celebration of a new day, which brought new life. It was not a story about the first couple on Earth, it was a history of the life of the 'first couple', just as the US president's wife is known as the 'first lady'.
