Something else that Joseph Smith pulled out of his imagination.
I don’t know why, but they teach it was where Independence, MO now stands.
Here’s a link to the LDS website, you can copy and paste it into your browser:
The why is because Mormonism is an America-centric religion, born in America out of a sort of twisted 19th-century American patriotism. Jesus appeared in America, the “other sheep” were in America, the Garden of Eden was in America, Christ’s 2nd coming will be in America, etc.
It also says that a river came out of Eden wihich divided into four streams, one of which circuited the land of Ethiopeia.
Sure, my translation doesn’t say Ethiopia. It says the second river winds all through the land of Cush. The land of Cush here and in Genesis 10:8 is not Ethiopia (Nubia), as elsewhere in the bible, but the region of the Kassites east of Mesopotamia. Now tell me how America figures into all of this.
So it is your translation versus mine, right? Who says your translation is better than mine?
I think it’s well known that the KJV translation is an inferior translation in comparison to other modern bibles. As to that specific verse, it certainly makes more sense than Ethiopia. Just like you said, I don’t see how a river in Mesopotamia could wind through Ethiopia either. And let’s get back to the original topic, why don’t we? Given that the Tigris and the Euphrates are in Iraq, and that the most ancient civilizations are in the same area, and that the entire Old Testament takes place in the Middle East and the upper corner of Africa, I think the evidence is heavily weighed in the favor of both my translation and the idea that the Garden of Eden has nothing whatsover to do with America. So instead of asking open ended questions in order to confuse the matter even more, why don’t you just answer the original question as to why Mormons believe the Garden of Eden was in America?
Not so well known. We think that the KJV is a better translation.
Perhaps the river didn’t originate in Mesopotamia. That is your assumption. Just because the river Euphratese is mentioned, it does not mean that it originated in Mesopoatmia. Most of the geographical landmarks mentioned in the Genesis account can no longer be identified. It is your assumption that it was in Mesopotamia. The Bible doesn’t say that it was there.
The Tigris is not mentioned as being one of the rivers.
Those civilizations were after the Flood. We don’t know what the geography and topography and demographic landscape of the world looked like before the Flood. We don’t know who lived where. The river that is currently called Euphratese may not even be the same river that originated in Eden. It may be a river that the people after the Flood decided to call Euphratese, after the name of the one that existed before the Flood. But it need not be the some one.
I think that you are making way too many assumptions. Another way of putting it is that you don’t know what you are talking about. You are making too many definitive assertions about something for which there are too many unknowns.
We believe that because the Lord has revealed to us that that is the case. We know that the geography of the world has undergone considerable changes since the Flood. The Bible tells us that “in the days of Peleg the earth was divided” (Genesis 10:25; 1 Chronicles 1:19). Geologists also believe that the surface of the earth was at one time one land mass, before the continents broke off and drifted apart. The Bible agrees with this. The only difference is that geologists believe that it happened over many million years of evolution, while the Bible says that it happened by divine decree over a much shorter period of time. Nobody can tell by reading the Bible alone where the original Garden of Eden was.
There are 12 parallel translations at bible.cc/genesis/2-14.htm, 5 of which specify “Tigris” and 7 of which specify “Hiddekel”.
Thank you. Assuming that you are right, it is a minor point in the discussion. In that case, what I said about Euphrates is equally applicable to Tigris. The two rivers need not be the same ones.
Verse 14 absolutely does mention the Tigris.
Simple as that.
Paul
I did answer it in post #11 of this thread. Read it to the end and you will get your answer.
Having lived there… I can say I do NOT belive Independence, MO was once or ever will be the Garden of Eden!
You’re right. My apologies