The Forbidden Fruit

What if I told you that everything you thought you knew about the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3 may be wrong? Though modern day depictions and references suggest Eve partook of an apple, Genesis never stated the specific fruit. That association derived from tradition, art, and a twist of language. While the exact origin is unknown, it is speculated to have evolved from the Latin word “malum.” It all comes down to language symbols. In some languages, textual symbols are used to differentiate between words to aid in pronunciation and determine meaning. The Latin word “malum” stemming from the Proto-Italic language with no diacritical mark indicates a short “a” pronunciation meaning “evil.” The Latin word mālum borrowed from Ancient Greek with a diacritical mark for a long "a" pronunciation meaning “tree fruit” or “apple.” These two words look identical in most texts because vowel length was often not distinguished in writing.  Despite the original Hebrew text using the generic term “peri” for fruit, this Latin linguistic coincidence could have led to a misguided commentary when the biblical text was originally translated into Latin. One little nuance seemingly cemented the apple as the forbidden fruit that Eve ate to fall prey to evil. Thus, the apple became the standard visual symbol for temptation and original sin in Western culture.

It is highly unlikely that the forbidden fruit was an apple. Apples are not native to the Ancient Near East. So what was the forbidden fruit? Biblical scholars have proposed other candidates such as the fig, grape, pomegranate, citron, and even a few more obscure ones. Truth be told, no one knows for sure as the biblical text only refers to it as “the fruit” of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But if there’s one fruit that stands above the rest, it is the fig. Why? Because figs fit the ancient Near Eastern world. They were among the oldest cultivated plants and widely present in the region. In the account of The Fall, it was specifically stated that Adam and Eve covered themselves immediately with fig leaves once their eyes were opened, suggesting fig trees were present at the time of Eve’s transgression.

So the iconic apple? Famous. Memorable. But likely Wrong.