Author: Celene Lillie, Westar Academy

Abstract: »The little-known story of Eve' rape by the rulers and authorities of the world is found in three elaborations of the Genesis creation narrative: On the Origin of the World, the Reality of the Rulers, and the Secret Revelation of John. The three texts are part of the Nag Hammadi collection and are generally dated by scholars to the second through fifth centuries CE. In this chapter, Celene Lillie explores the myths recounted in these three texts, considering what is at stake in their interpretive possibilities. First, she presents the story of Eve's rape based on the three versions found in these cosmogonies. Next, she addresses some of the interpretational trajectories of the three narratives in the history of scholarship, highlighting some of the major Roman intertexts that are crucial for understanding them. Finally, Lillie focuses on key plot points within the three narratives and compares the texts according to confluences and divergences in plot for a fuller picture of their respective contents.« (Source: Taylor & Francis Online)

Contents:

	Introduction (p. 60)
	Summary of the rape of Eve (p. 61)
	Interpretational trajectories (p. 61)
	The rape of Eve (p. 66)
		The divine realm and its rupture (p. 66)
		The rulers (p. 67)
		The creation of Adam and Eve (p. 68)
		The rape of Eve (p. 69)
		The garden (p. 69)
	Common themes and conclusion (p. 70)
	Notes (p. 72)
	References (p. 72)

Wikipedia: Ancient history: History of ancient Israel and Judah | Bible: Book of Genesis / Eve | Gnosticism: Nag Hammadi library / Hypostasis of the Archons, On the Origin of the World, Apocryphon of John | Sex and the law: Rape / Rape in the Hebrew Bible