Genesis -- mythic parallelism

The Fall of Man is an interesting story. Cut through the whole 'did-this-really-happen' debate and you arrive at a story that is, at its core, a moral tale about the folly of trying to achieve greatness ('knowledge', or to be as gods) through easy, tangible routes via devices in this world (Eve and the apple).

Interestingly, the theme is very closely paralleled in the tale of Cain who realizes folly in achieving greatness by eliminating the competition, Abel (Cain is then banished from the crummy land his parents were banished to).

The 'Fall' is echoed again in the Fall of the Tower of Babylon (wherein Man attempts greatness through physical feats and is of course cast down), and yet again in the successfull temptation of Judas by an earthly device as simple and base as money, followed by his own death.

By contrast, the Bible is also filled with the very inverse of the Fall -- a story of ascension or salvation which is repeated over & over. A story of baptism, leaving one's corrupt self behind, enduring trials of faith or deprivation of earthly things, and arriving at the other side a new person, saved.

There is the Deluge -- The Flood serves as the baptismal rite of passage, the building and boarding of the Ark leaves the corrupt world (self, old life, earthly 'things') behind. A trial is endured (40 days of rain) followed by relief/enlightenment (renewed sunshine) and reaching the other side, in the 'promised land' (new purified world, the rainbow, etc.).

This mythical allegory is repeated in the story of Moses. The Red Sea serves as the baptismal rite leaving behind the old, corrupted life (bondage in Egypt), enduring a trial (40 years of wandering in the wilderness), finally arriving at the 'promised land' (salvation/ascension).

The story is again echoed in the story of Jesus --baptism by John, trial by 40 days' fasting in the wilderness (abstinence of earthly things again, in stark contrast to the 'Fall' stories generally precipitated by preoccupation of earthly things), arriving at the 'other side', the ministry by an enlightned Jesus, the theme is *AGAIN* repeated in the washing of Pilate's hands (baptism) 40 lashes by the whip (trial -- actually 39 but close enough), crucifixion & resurrection (salvation/ascension).

The Bible is a wholly remarkable book, a literary hall of mirrors that casts internal reflections back and forth in different stories, showing many of them to be the same story.