This page was last updated on 19 August, 2021.



1. Outline
1a. Conclusion

The information used in this study comes from several sources. Organizing it in a logical order is (almost) impossible. It get’s needlessly complex when working toward a conclusion.
Starting with the conclusion and then filling in the details later turns out to be a less chaotic method.

Conclusions:

1b. Introduction
The first thing to notice is that the nameless Genesis-River splits into four rivers. That's not impossible but doesn't happen that often. Most rivers are a merging of several smaller rivers. Those smaller rivers are often fed by many tiny streams. And only at the delta just before the dump into an ocean they split up into many smaller rivers.
As said not an impossibility but not so common.


Water doesn't run uphill. While that's an extremely obvious statement it should be kept in mind when searching for  a location because it rules out locations of the that are downstream of the four suggested rivers.

The names of the rivers may give us some clues too.
Pishon:                 Increase, free-flowing.
Gihon:                  Gushing fountain, bursting forth.
Tigris/Hiddekel:   Rapid.
Euphrates:           The good and abounding river, the great river, the River.


The Bible gives the location of the rivers by stating the countries they were located in. Unfortunately those countries no longer exist and it scholars disagree on where those lands were located.

Not a single source will give a straightforward answer to any of the questions we (may) have. It's mainly collecting small bits of information and trying to organize them so a greater picture emerges.

One example of that is:

Gen 2:11-12 The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there as well.

We need to figure out what bdellium is, where it's found. In that region should be also (a lot of) gold and onyx. There are many regions with gold but far less with all of those things. A mine that was opened in the year 2000 doesn't count. It should be open and famous in the time of Moses when he wrote Genesis.

1c. The cedars of Eden and Lebanon

Ezek 31:1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Ezek 31:2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes, ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? Ezek 31:3 ‘Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high, And its top was among the clouds. Ezek 31:4 ‘The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place, And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field. Ezek 31:5 ‘Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field And its boughs became many and its branches long Because of many waters as it spread them out. Ezek 31:6 ‘All the birds of the sky nested in its twigs, And under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth, And all great nations lived under its shade. Ezek 31:7 ‘So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; For its roots extended to many waters. Ezek 31:8 ‘The cedars in God’s garden could not match it; The junipers could not compare with its branches, And the plane trees could not match its branches. No tree in God’s garden could compare with it in its beauty. Ezek 31:9 ‘I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches, And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it.


The verses above are a bit cryptic. It must be understood that cedars are symbolic for leaders. Cedars grew (mainly) in Lebanon during the time of the Temple. I want, but can't, present this as hard proof, but it seems to hint toward the Lebanon area. The most beautiful cedar (v3) was more beautiful than all the cedars in the Garden. So the Garden wasn't in Lebanon. That would align with my conclusion because I think it was near/in Jerusalem. But that information isn't in those verses.


References to Lebanon can be found in Judges 9:15, Psalms 29:5 & 104:16, Song of Solomon 5:15, Isaiah 2:13, Jeremiah 22:23. The Temple or HoH was also called Lebanon but most certainly was in Jerusalem.

Ezek 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.Ezek 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so : thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Ezek 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Ezek 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

A mountain in the Garden of Eden. Temple mount and mt. Olives?


2. Between Egypt and Jericho

Eden was possibly derived from the Akkadian word edinu based on the Sumerian word eden, meaning "plain, steppe." Akkadian Bīt Adini refers to the region on both sides of the Euphrates. It was then secondarily associated with the homonymous but unrelated Hebrew root 'ādan meaning enjoyment. However the LXX seems to derive this word directly from the Hebrew root 'ādan by translating it "garden of delight."
So Eden means plain/steppe or delight.

Genesis 2:8 And LORD God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

The Garden was inside a land called Eden, and that land was east from a certain reference point.
Moses wrote Genesis just after he left Egypt. That means that (the Garden of) Eden was east from where Moses was standing .Viewed from the Egypt, the Garden of Eden was in the east.
It must be mentioned that scholars don’t agree that Moses actually wrote Genesis. The location of writing isn’t very sure. In theory a chapter could have been written during every stop they made.


The Jewish view is that Jerusalem being the center of the world, means east is as viewed from Jerusalem, the Temple

Isa 11:14 But they shall fly onto the shoulder of the Philistines to the west; together they shall plunder the sons of the east, the stretching of the hand on Edom and Moab and the sons of Ammon; they will obey them. .

Sons of the east live in the land of the east. Israel.

Isaiah is referring to the enemies of Israel. The Philistines lived in the western coastal plain of Canaan (Israel). Edom was located south of the Dead Sea, Moab and Ammon east of the Dead Sea. These are areas located within and to the south and east of what is today Israel


Genesis 4:16 And Cain went out from the presence of LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Genesis 4:17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and bore Enoch. And [Cain] built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Nod is east of  Eden and a city is build there. The location of  Nod is unknown but (one of) the oldest cities is Jericho; dated as old as 9000BC. Jericho was located just north of the Dead Sea.

Viewed from the Jericho, the Garden of Eden Jericho was in the west.

The Garden was somewhere between Egypt or Temple and Jericho.
Egypt  ----   Garden  ----  Jericho
Temple  ----   Garden  ----  Jericho

If the above is correct it would rule out a lot of possible locations because the distance between Egypt and Jericho isn't that big. It rules out the often assumed location somewhere in Iraq.
Was the holy Garden really located in the Holy Land? Let’s continue our search.


The Garden of Eden is located somewhere between the red lines.




3e. Eden is a mountain at the seas

Ezek 28:13 You have been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared in you in the day that you were created.

Ezek 28:14 You are the anointed cherub that covers; and I have set you so: you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the middle of the stones of fire.

There are two great candidates for that location.
The Temple mount , where the Temple stood, or Mt. Olives, where Jesus was crucified.
God lived in the Temple so strictly speaking that’s was what Ezekiel wrote about.

Ezek 28:2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyrus, Thus said the Lord GOD; Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the middle of the seas; yet you are a man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God:

Jerusalem is near seas. Mediterranean sea, Dead Sea, Sea of Tiberias.But I must admit the last 2 quite likely were formed by seismic activity after Adam was expelled from Eden; during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But otoh, Eze 28:13 clearly states satan walked on the Holy Mountain of God. The Temple mount was a holy mountain, so that would classify as the location. That said mt Sinai was far away from that location and also was a holy mountain when Moses climbed it. The present day “Jebel al Lawz” a little east of the Gulf of Aqaba in Saudi Arabia


3f. All that solves?

I have a personal feeling that the Temple/Jerusalem is the source of all water. Water is often equaled to life in the Bible. Several prophesies speak about water flowing out of the Temple and restoring life in the desert. Yeah, I'm fully aware that spiritual. I think it's also literal.

That leaves only option #1. And with that the definition: Head = source.

But ignoring that feeling, 2 options remain. Well…
There's a important clue in that Eze 28:13-14. Rivers only flow downwards from a mountain. That would make 'Option #2' from section 3a impossible; leaving only option #1.

Unless... the river flowed through the valley of the mountain and for example emptied in the Mediterranean sea.



4. Folklore & Tradition
4a. The Book of Adam and Eve
Stories about Adam and Eve were handed down for thousands of years before they were written down. Far from inspired writings. But in my search for proof  I'll just write down the relevant bits of the books.
Click here for the full text of  “The Book of Adam and Eve”.

This book is simply a version of an account handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the time that the first human life was created to the time when somebody finally decided to write it down. This particular version is the work of unknown Egyptians. The lack of historical allusion makes it difficult to precisely date the writing, however, using other pseudepigraphical works as a reference, it was probably written a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. Parts of this version are found in the Jewish Talmud, and the Islamic Koran, showing what a vital role it played in the original literature of human wisdom.

Chapter I:9 And God commanded him to live there in a cave in a rock—the Cave of Treasures below the garden.

Chapter XLII:7 And, again, in regards to the Water of Life you seek, it will not be granted you this day; but on the day that I shall shed My blood on your head in the land of Golgotha

Chapter XLVII:5 Adam and Eve then came under the top of hill by the garden to sleep, as they were accustomed.

Gen 22,2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

The above story seems to say:

The cave itself was not part of the Garden as they still had access to it after they were expelled from the Garden.

If that's true the second/last Adam (Christ) who came to reverse the curse brought upon us by the first Adam, dwelled in the same cave the first Adam dwelt. And reversed the curse with His crucifixion on the top of that cave.

That reminds me of a story of a (not so reliable) Biblical archeologist who claimed that the Ark of the Covenant which was lost during the Babylonian captivity was in that cave and Christ's blood dripped on it.


According to Hebrew tradition:

Chapter IX
1 Then Adam and Eve came out of the Cave of Treasures, and went near to the garden gate, and there they stood to look at it, and cried for having come away from it.
2 And Adam and Eve went from before the gate of the garden to the southern side of it, and found there the water that watered the garden, from the root of the Tree of Life, and that split itself from there into four rivers over the earth.
3 Then they came and went near to that water, and looked at it; and saw that it was the water that came forth from under the root of the Tree of Life in the garden.

The above verses from the Book of Adam and Eve informs us that a river originated from under the Tree of Life.

It’s very unlikely a river literally starts from the root of a tree, because that would wash away all soil in a very short time. It could for example mean that the tree stood on a hill. Deep inside that hill was limestone, which is very common in Israel, and from there  water flowed out. Like water flowing from a rock? (Exodus)


4b. The burial place of Adam and Eve
Few quotes:

The second quote is very problematic for those who believe in a global all destroying flood because the cave in which Adam an Eve were buried was destroyed 600 years before Jacob was buried.

OTOH, the fact Adam and Eve were buried near Jerusalem gives more credibility to the idea the Garden was there/nearby, instead of in Iraq. But yeah, they just could have traveled from Iraq to Hebron.

Archaeologist Dr. Jodi Magness believes based on a record found in a church: When Jesus was crucified on top of the rock (of Golgotha), His blood flowed down through a crack in the rock. And Adam, the first man, lay buried underneath, but when Jesus’ blood flowed onto him, he was resurrected. Click

That contradicts the Jewish view of Hebron but aligns perfectly with the quote from the “Book of Adam and Eve” in the section just above.

Summary of section 4: The Garden was mt. Olives  where Christ was crucified.




9b. The 7 springs of Tabgha
At Tabgha, the northwestern tip of the Sea of Galilee, were 7 springs in Jesus’ time. Six have been discovered. According to first century Jewish historian Josephus catfish came out of the largest spring. According to common belief at that time that African fish migrated through an underground river from the Nile to that spring.
For that to be possible there should be an underground river or lake that connects the spring with the Nile.

This is an unusual fish, the sole representative of its African family. It is the largest of the original fish in the lake [Sea of Galilee], growing to a length of 1,25 meters, and may weigh up to 10 kilogram
…
Josephus Flavius refers to the catfish by its Greek name of “Korakinos”, meaning Water Raven; he notes that it is found in the Nile. In his opinion, this fact supports the popular belief that there was an underground connection between the Nile and the lake (Sea of Galilee), and that it emerged from below the ground at the largest spring at Tabga.
Mendel Nun, The Sea of Galilee and Its Fishermen in the New Testament, p. 10

The four rives, then, are these: the Pison, which is the Danube; the Gihon, which is the Nile; and then the Tigris and the Euphrates, between which we dwell. Although the places from which they flown are known, the source of the spring is not [known]. Because Paradise is set on a great height, the rivers are swallowed up again and they go down to the sea as if rivers through a tall water duct and so they pass through the earth which is under the sea into this land. The earth then spits out each one of them; the Danube, which is the Pison, in the west; the Gihon in the south; and the Euphrates and the Tigris in the north.
Ephraem the Syrian (306-373), in his commentary on Genesis.

According to Ephraem Gihon is the Nile. Did he really write down common believes of his time? He seems to think all four rivers went underground. Even today Tigris and Euphrates are above ground; unless the rivers we know by that name aren’t the original ones.

The Czech explorer Alois Musil, in The Northern Hegaz, written in 1926, describes an extremely unusual feature of the northern seashore at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba: it contains fresh water.

He writes: “At low tide the rocky shore was laid bare for a distance of about two hundred yards, uncovering numerous springs which gushed forth with great strength.” Musil then emphasizes the excellent quality of this fresh water: “The animals [camels] did not wish to drink from the fresh water from the well, preferring to go to the sea shore where they very readily drank from the many springs which flowed there.”

What is the origin of the water in these freshwater springs at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba? It comes from rain water falling on the mountains bordering the Arabah. The water is then funneled along and under the sand of the Arabah down towards the Gulf of Aqaba, where it breaks out on the seashore as freshwater springs. The head of the Gulf of Aqaba thus has an extremely unusual physical geography. The seashore is a boundary between the salt waters of the gulf to the south and the freshwater coming down to the seashore from the north.

In addition, Edward Robinson (Biblical Researches in Palestine, 1841) describes a marsh at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba when he visited it in 1838, which would have been a fresh water marsh fed by freshwater funneled down the Arabah. This marsh still exists today, and reeds grow in it today, as they do in other places around the head of the Gulf of Aqaba
From this article by Collin Humphreys

The Gulf of Aqaba is the most northern part of the Red Sea. Humphreys writes that the fresh water springs are rain water from the mountains. Could it be the real source is a now buried river that went out of the Garden, which is perhaps also (re)filled by rainwater from the mountains? Hard to say; the river was flowing there, but there are millions of  springs on the earth that aren’t connected to that river for sure…

All contradicting info… Back to the connection between the Tabga spring and the Nile.
There are several possibilities for fish migrating from the Nile to Tabga spring.


9c. Gihon spring and Solomon

1 Kgs 1,38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, band the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon.
1 Kgs 1,39 There Zadok the priest took the horn of coil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”

1Kgs 1:45 And they anointed him, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, as king in Gihon. And they have come up from there rejoicing. And the city was roaring. It is the noise that you heard.

2Chr 32:30 And Hezekiah himself had stopped the outlet of the upper water-course of Gihon, and had directed them beneath the west of the city of David; and Hezekiah prospered in all his work.

Unlike the above quotes found in section 5b, this is inspired Scripture. That spring did, and still does, exist. Was the spring given that name in honor to the Edenic river or was it believed being still connection to the Gihon river that is (now) underground? Gihon means ‘burst forth’ which sounds like a spring but can just as well refer to emerging (springing forth) from the Garden.


9d. Fresh water flows under the Dead Sea
According to Jacob Ben Amir,  each year 140 million m3/4944ft3 fresh water flows under the northern part of the Dead Sea. (Where the Edenic river once was). That’s 3800x less than the Mississippi River, and 140x less than the Hudson River. So compared to the main rivers it’s not that much; but keep in mind if this is not the volume it once had when it ran above ground level.  click


9e. Sodom like the Garden of  God

Gen 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.
Gen 13:11 So Lot chose him all the Plain of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Gen 14:2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

Sodom:  Burning heap
Gomorrah: Submersion
Bela:  Destruction
Admah: Red earth (A word closely related to Adam)
Zeboim: Gazelles

Those 5 cities were destroyed by God. The first three were obviously renamed after the destruction because nobody calls a city they live in ‘Burning heap’.
The meaning of the names give some great insight.

Gomorrah, submersion, fits quite well what happens when the earth splits open. The city would fall into the chasm or slide into what’s now the Dead Sea.
Right now the whole area is barren wasteland, but before the destruction it looked like the Garden of Eden with fertile soil. The last two names hint toward that. That simply means there was abundant water. And that supports my view of long gone river running there. A large river, not just a trickle.
The (gu)estimated destruction of the cities is 2300 BC (archeology) or about 1845 BC (Biblical chronology).


Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isa 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of Jehovah, the excellency of our God.
…
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isa 35:7 And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water: in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

That sounds like the whole plain will be made fertile again by the use of springs. (Like before?)

For me the return of Christ is restoration of what was lost during and after the fall. The destruction of Sodom clearly was because of it’s fallen state.  No less that four prophets give detailed information about the restoration of that area. Three of them mention water from Jerusalem.
Christ is linked to restoration, restoration is linked to water, water is linked to springs, and springs are linked to the Temple.
Springs are also (literally) linked to an underground water source, which does exist under Jerusalem.
What would be more obvious; Christ just uses His divine powers to let some random spring burst forth, or He actually reopens the spring that watered the Garden of Eden?






6. Locating the four rivers - Hiddekel = Tigris

Dan 10:4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Hiddekel,

Daniel was sitting at the bank of the Tigris during the Babylonian captivity. That means the Hiddekel was somewhere in Babylon. Many scholars agree it's the present day Tigris.

Another verse states:

Gen 2:14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows towards the east of Assyria.

A way of understanding 'toward the east' is that the river comes/originates from the west. That would fit nicely with my conclusion that the four rivers find their origin near Jerusalem.


7. Locating the four rivers - Euphrates

….... Add text

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4. Locating the four rivers - Pishon

The Tigris and Euphrates can be found on every map of  the area so no need to waste time on them.
The first step to finding the other two rivers is finding the lands they encompass.

Gen 2:11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Gen 2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Literal translation: turn (around, aside, back, towards), go (about, around), encircle, surround, change direction.

A verb meaning to go around, to surround; to turn around, to turn back, to change. It indicates a curving motion or an encircling motion of something, but it is used figuratively as well: to turn, [p. 766] to change direction (1 Sam. 15:12); to encircle or flow around about, throughout (Gen. 2:11, 13); to surround something (Gen. 19:4); to gather people around a central person or object (Gen. 37:7); to travel round about (Ex. 13:18). It indicates a surrounding setting prepared by a jeweler to receive jewels, etc. (Ex. 28:11). It refers to the motion of something that turns or moves about: a door (Prov. 26:14); the wind in its circuits (Eccl. 1:6). It is used metaphorically of a person’s mind turning, its attention focusing (Eccl. 7:25); of Jerusalem opening like a door (Ezek. 26:2). It indicates the transforming of a matter, the changing of a matter (2 Sam. 14:20). It indicates the giving over, the turning over of something in its causative forms (1 Chr. 10:14); of changing a name (2 Kgs. 23:34); or of the features of a land being transformed, changed (Zech. 14:10). It describes boundaries that turn around (Num. 34:4, 5; Josh. 18:14).




And the gold of that land is good; the bdellium and onyx stone are there."
These substances were not found within the borders of Mesopotamia. The gold of this passage rest in the land of Havilah. Bdellium came only from Southern Arabia and Somaliland in antiquity. The exact nature of the onyx stone is not known, however, precious stones were being brought into Israel and Mesopotamia through Arabia during times antiquity. Though the exact location of Havilah is not agreed upon unanimously, Scripture indicates it lie in Arabia, perhaps modern day Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the most ancient gold deposit on earth rests in Saudi Arabia, at modern day Mahd adh Dhahab which was the largest, and one of the most richest, gold mines in antiquity. Many scholars believe Solomon obtained his gold from this mine. They also feel as if Mahd adh Dhahab is, more than likely, the Biblical Ophir

Thus, the Pishon may be identified as the Wadi al Batin, continuing underground, in a dried up ancient river bed, and emerging eventually around the oldest, most prolific gold mine of antiquity.


An intriguing theory by scholars has placed the Biblical Garden of Eden underneath Bubiyan Island. Interesting evidence exists underneath this island which suggests at one point the land was dry. In fact, up until 8,000 B.C.E., the entire Persian Gulf is thought to have been a dry river valley.


The now-dry Wadi al Batin was probably the Pishon River, the Gihon was probably the Karun River, and the Hiddekel (Tigris) and Euphrates Rivers flowed in approximately the same courses as they occupy today. The confluence

All four rivers flowed into the Persian Gulf in the land of Mesopotamia

All four rivers (or now-dry riverbeds) of Genesis are still there


4a. Gold, Onyx and Bdellium

Gen 2:12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.


Gold
Mahd adh Dhahab means ‘Cradle of Gold’ is the oldest and most rich goldmine from the ancient past. Likely it’s Biblical Ophir. Archeologists have found, what they think is, Solomon’s mine nearby Mahd adh Dhahab. 255km/158mile NNE of Mecca.
It can be taken as a fact that during and even before Solomon, gold was mined there.

Gold can be found in many places, but not so easily available as in Mahd adh Dhahab. Keep in mind that mining technology in Solomon’s time wasn’t able to mine gold in the same places we mine it today.

Onyx
The Bible seems to imply onyx was mined in Saudi-Arabia, but archeologists haven’t investigated that yet.

Bdellium
Bdellium is a fragrant gum resin from plants that only grow in modern Yemen and Northern Somalia; so Pishon must be very near.

All that places Pishon in Saudi Arabia


Bdellium Bdellium, also bdellion, is a semi-transparent oleo-gum resin extracted from


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdellium

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2683-bdellium



Num 11:7 ¶ Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium.


Bdellium. According to the Sages, this is a small, white, round stone, made from drops of the dew that falls on that river. They are so small that nothing practical can be made from a single one of them; instead, they are strung together to make a necklace. That is why the text does not call it “the bdellium stone” as it does with the lapis lazuli or “onyx stone” (as OJPS more literally and correctly translates). This is a large stone, also white, from which various articles are made for great kings. It is so important, and so free of all impurity, that it was chosen to have “the names of the sons of Israel” (Exod. 28:9) engraved on it.



Bdellium. A resinous gum (see Gen. 2:18).


 11:7 The phrase the manna resembled coriander seed is one of the few descriptions of the wilderness diet. This description was inserted to refute the people’s complaints. Precise identification of manna is somewhat tentative. But manna’s association with coriander seed is probably an indicator of its taste, since the seed was used for flavoring. The comparison of manna to bdellium indicates a yellow-white aromatic resin similar to a by-product of the tamarisk tree found in NORTHERN Arabia.

Veel info in Accordance


Sauer, _in error_ thought that Mahd adh-Dhahab was the "only area" possessing gold in antiquity. As revealed by geological surveys conducted in the Yemen (cf. above Mallory-Greenough, 2000) gold mines also existed in antiquity in the Yemen.




http://www.bibleorigins.net/pishonrivermapwadibishahasir.html

http://www.bibleorigins.net/EdensFourRivers.html

http://www.bibleorigins.net/MapShowingGenesisEdenSumerianEdin.html


This article in a nutshell:

Since 1875 (for over 100 years) the Pishon/Pison River associated with the land of Havilah has been identified by some scholars with Wadi Baish (Baysh) and Havilah with the Khaulan in SW Arabia, present-day Saudi Arabia near the Asir mountains. Two wadies, Bishah (Bisheh) and Baish (Baysh) are understood to have been conflated and identified with the Pishon/Pison.




4b. Wadi al Batin + Wadi Rimah + Wadi al Jarir = Pishon

The title is the conclusion.

Crystalline rock
Wadi al Batin empties into the Persian Gulf. It has a delta* of cobbles and pebbles that gradually become smaller as they reach the gulf. The bigger stones are always more upstream because before the river fans out into its delta, the current is higher and can carry bigger rocks. The composition of those rocks play a key role, they are crystalline rocks that are only found on the western side mountains (Red Sea) of Saudi-Arabia. Across the desert. So those rocks were carried their by a long gone river. Pishon.

*= This delta is huge and spanning two-thirds of modern Kuwait and a part of south Iraq.

Wadi
There is no river crossing Saudi-Arabia. It’s mostly desert with huge sand dunes. But not in ancient times. Back then much more rain fell in that area.

Wadi al Batin, starts in Umm Qasr, Iraq, few miles north of the border of Kuwait.
It ends near Al Hatifah in Saudi-Arabia, where it’s swallowed up by huge sand dunes.
Swallowed has to be taken quite literally because satellite imaging has shown that it runs under the sand dunes, and what’s the end of Wadi Rimah.
80 miles west Wadi Rimah splits into Wadi Qahd and Wadi al Jarir. It passes  the gold mines, then a  little later it ends.
Farouk E-Baz, who discovered the underground river named his discovery ‘Kuwait River’. Don’t be fooled by assuming this was a minor creek. No this river was 3 miles wide in places.

Markings in the sand
Boston University scientist Farouk El-Baz, drew an imaginary line between the two places where the wadis got swallowed up by the sand dunes. He notice that southeast of that line the pattern in the sand was pockmarked; on the northwest the pattern is striated.
Patterns are created by air circulation, and circulation is influenced by topography.
The river runs over a fault line
The river slowly dried up between 3500-2000 BC




Source: The Biblical Archaeology Review (July/August 1996)

4c. Havilah

Marked with black

Havilah, likely means sandland.

Most/many scholars think Havilah was in the north-west of Arabia which has an extremely rich goldmine named “Cradle of Gold”. In that same area are the remains of what likely once was king Solomon’s goldmine.
Havilah is marked with a black ellipse. The black star marks the main mine. Also near Solomon’s mine.

The problem with this location is that it has no onyx and bdellium; but are found in Yemen. Yemen also has gold. Not as much as the other area, but still a very serious amount. That area is marked by the black square.


and the black dashed line are extremely simplified versions of rivers surrounding their respective Cush country.

That said; perhaps the answer is that Havilah is most of the east-coast of the red Sea. Starting a little north above the star and stretching all the way south to the Gulf of Aden, Yemen. That way the area has both the richest goldmine and also onyx and bdellium.

The black dash-dot line is an ancient dried up riverbed named ‘Kuwait river’; which is another suggested Pishon. This river doesn’t really encompass the ellipse, but flows trough the heart of it. UNLESS that’s the border of the country. Could it mark of Abraham's promised land?

EVEN IF THE ELLIPSE WOULD BE SMALLER AND MORE NORTHWARD THIS SOLUTION IS LACKING ONYX AND BDELLIUM.



1Sam 15:7 And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah--thy going in to Shur, which is on the front of Egypt,

Always thinking from the east, ‘the front’ means east. Just a verse that shows Havilah was quite near Egypt.


DOES MOUNTAIN GRAVEL DEBUNK RIVER ORIGIN JERUSALEM?

Does gravel come from after rift break or also before?

https://www.science.gov/topicpages/r/red+sea+rift Spreading started millions of years ago.



5. Locating the four rivers - Gihon

5a. Gihon and Cush

Gen 2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon. It is the one surrounding all the land of Cush/Ethiopia/Sudan.

Note: Many translations read: ‘winds through’, ‘passes through’ or ‘flows through’.  This could be the more accurate meaning because the river simply doesn’t surround the whole country.

Marked with red

The original text reads Cush, but the translators wanted to be helpful and translated that name with the name of the modern country they assumed Cush was in. Not even a translation but more like an opinion or commentary. Cush means black, and a century ago it was understood as ‘land of black/colored people’. Not very helpful either because there are so many black people all it can hardly be used to pinpoint anything.

Biblical Ethiopia is Nubia.
Biblical Ethiopia is not the same as modern Ethiopia. Not even in part.
Biblical Ethiopia is not the same as the Ethiopian Empire called Abyssinia (1270-1974).
Biblical Ethiopia is the most southern part of modern Egypt and in the northern part of modern Republic of Sudan. Possibly Khartoum, Sudan, and northward.
This theory is quite well supported by the Biblical text and archeology.

Much of the translators' tendency to translate kush by a term that has modern day political significance stems from the Septuagint's use of the word Aithiopia . At the time the Septuagint was translated, this was indeed a correct Greek term to use in translating kush. The Greek word Aithiopia had both a narrow and a wide use. The narrow definition was the Nile valley, south of Egypt, such as used by Herodutus (5th century BC). "Aithiopians inhabit the country immediately above (south of] Elephantine [n.b. an island at Aswan] ... you will arrive at a large city called Meroe: this city said to be the capital of all Aithiopia" (Herodutus ii .9). He also used the same definition of Aithiopia when he wrote of Cambyses procuring interpreters at Elephantine (modern Aswan) for his expedition into Aithiopia and marching in via Thebes and back out through Thebes and on to Memphis (iii 19-25). This Aithiopia is clearly the adjacent area south of Egypt. This narrow usage of Greek Aithiopia is also found in the Greek text of Acts 8:27, where the homeland of the eunuch is referred to as Aithiopia, where he served as treasurer to Candace, who is known to have reigned in Meroe. not in the modern state of Ethiopia
Adams 1977:260

'Ethiopia' in most of the references in Greek literature refers to people along the Nile, above [n.b. south of] the fourth cataract.. This differs from modern Ethiopia, however, which lies well to the east of the Cushites"
Hays 1996:271


The name Kush, since at least the time of Josephus, has been connected with the biblical character Cush, in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham (Genesis 10:6). Ham had four sons named: Cush, Put, Canaan and Mizraim (Hebrew name for Egypt). According to the Bible, Nimrod, a son of Cush, was the founder and king of Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar (Gen 10:10). The Bible also makes reference to someone named Cush who is a Benjamite (Psalms 7:1, KJV).
Click



Ezek 29:10 Therefore, lo, I am against thee, and against thy floods, And have given the land of Egypt for wastes, A waste, a desolation, from Migdol to Syene, And unto the border of Cush.

Migdol was at the Mediterranean Sea and Syene is two thirds down Egypt, modern Aswan. So going from north to south. That means Cush is on Egypt’s southern border.

Ps 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God.

Egypt never sent armies all the way to Tigris.

Isa 20:3 And Jehovah saith, `As My servant Isaiah hath gone naked and barefoot three years, a sign and a wonder for Egypt and for Cush,
Isa 20:4 so doth the king of Asshur lead the captivity of Egypt, and the removal of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with seat uncovered--the nakedness of Egypt;
Isa 20:5 and they have been affrighted and ashamed of Cush their confidence, and of Egypt their beauty,

Jer 46:7 Who is this? as a flood he cometh up, As rivers do his waters shake themselves!
Jer 46:8 Egypt, as a flood cometh up, And as rivers the waters shake themselves. And he saith, I go up; I cover the land, I destroy the city and the inhabitants in it.
Jer 46:9 Go up, ye horses; and boast yourselves, ye chariots, And go forth, ye mighty, Cush and Phut handling the shield, And Lud handling--treading the bow.

Cush and Egypt are linked in these verses.


2Kgs 19:8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
2Kgs 19:9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Cush, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,
2Kgs 19:10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
2Kgs 19:11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?
2Kgs 19:12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?
2Kgs 19:13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

Tirhakah king of Cush ruled during the 25th dynasty of Egypt, because Cush conquered and ruled Egypt.

An inscription by Esarhaddon of Assyria proclaims in Aramaic that he had defeated Tirhakah "king of Egypt and kush" (Pfeiffer 1966:611 ,612). King Tirhaka was buried not within Egypt proper. but in Napata, which was the capital of Kush (Adams 1977:250), a city between the 3rd and the 4th cataracts, clearly within the present borders of Sudan.



While figuring out the exact ancient borders may be  interesting, it’s not the real reason I mention all of this. All I want is a global location of the country to rule out things like this:

Biblical scholar Ephraim Speiser proposed the "Gush", or "Kush", translated as Cush, meant to imply the Kashshu. The Kashshites overran Mesopotamia in 1500 B.c.E. These people dwelt east of Mesopotamia from the years 1800-1600 B.C.E. The land before the Kashshu was known as Elam, or Susa. The phrasing is also interesting. The Gihon is said to "compasseth" the whole land. The Hebrew term literally means; to twist and turn, to take roundabout course.

With this in mind, the most likely candidate would be the Karun River. The Karun and Karkheh rivers provided ancient Mesopotamia with vital trade routes into Elam and Susa. The people of this day would have been very familiar with the Gihon River, and the land of Kush, or the Kashshites (Kassites). The Karun river runs a course of over 500 miles. However, the river is only 175 miles in length. It runs a zigzagging, meandering course through the Zagros Mountains.

The Kassites ruled from 1531-1155BC click

Speiser places Cush near Tigris and Euphrates; which is 1500km/956miles east of what the Bible states. While the exact size of ancient Cush is still unknown it’s clear it bordered Egypt. The location of Egypt has never been unclear or disputed.


Taharqa has been been suggested to be Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia (Kush), who waged war against Sennacherib during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9).

The events in the biblical account are believed to have taken place in 701 BC, whereas Taharqa came to the throne some ten years later. If the title of king in the biblical text refers to his future royal title, he still may have been too young to be a military commander.



Unfortunately these conflicting views do not rule out each other.
Cush was the southern neighbor of Egypt. Fact.
But that’s of zero importance if the Bible is referencing a totally different land as Speiser claims. Fact.

Kush vs Cush

Spelling varies between Kush and Cush. Does that one letter difference has a big impact? As huge as being two totally different kingdoms? Or is it merely a different spelling?

Hebrew Kush, Strong H3568, is found 30 times in the Bible. I listed all verses here. - click

I don’t see a single verse that hints toward the Kassite view.
I have a strong feeling scholars keep looking very hard in the Babylonia area because they want to fit the Edenic rivers in a logical place that can be connected to their favorite spot for Eden, southern Babylonia. It’s fine to be very open to information.

The list of verses can be grouped into 3 parts.


5b. Gihon and Cush
An extremely simplified river that encompasses Cush is drawn with a red dotted line.


The names in blue are the modern names.
Of course there is just one river going north-south trough the Red Sea.
It’s easier to draw.




11. Folklore & Tradition
11a. The Book of Adam and Eve
Stories about Adam and Eve were handed down for thousands of years before they were written down. Far from inspired writings. But in my search for proof  I'll just write down the relevant bits of the books.
Click here for the full text of  “The Book of Adam and Eve”.

This book is simply a version of an account handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the time that the first human life was created to the time when somebody finally decided to write it down. This particular version is the work of unknown Egyptians. The lack of historical allusion makes it difficult to precisely date the writing, however, using other pseudepigraphical works as a reference, it was probably written a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. Parts of this version are found in the Jewish Talmud, and the Islamic Koran, showing what a vital role it played in the original literature of human wisdom.

Chapter I:9 And God commanded him to live there in a cave in a rock—the Cave of Treasures below the garden.

Chapter XLII:7 And, again, in regards to the Water of Life you seek, it will not be granted you this day; but on the day that I shall shed My blood on your head in the land of Golgotha

Chapter XLVII:5 Adam and Eve then came under the top of hill by the garden to sleep, as they were accustomed.

Gen 22,2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

The above story seems to say:

The cave itself was not part of the Garden as they still had access to it after they were expelled from the Garden.

If that's true the second/last Adam (Christ) who came to reverse the curse brought upon us by the first Adam, dwelled in the same cave the first Adam dwelt. And reversed the curse with His crucifixion on the top of that cave.

That reminds me of a story of a (not so reliable) Biblical archeologist who claimed that the Ark of the Covenant which was lost during the Babylonian captivity was in that cave and Christ's blood dripped on it.


According to Hebrew tradition:

Chapter IX
1 Then Adam and Eve came out of the Cave of Treasures, and went near to the garden gate, and there they stood to look at it, and cried for having come away from it.
2 And Adam and Eve went from before the gate of the garden to the southern side of it, and found there the water that watered the garden, from the root of the Tree of Life, and that split itself from there into four rivers over the earth.
3 Then they came and went near to that water, and looked at it; and saw that it was the water that came forth from under the root of the Tree of Life in the garden.

The above verses from the Book of Adam and Eve informs us that a river originated from under the Tree of Life.

It’s very unlikely a river literally starts from the root of a tree, because that would wash away all soil in a very short time. It could for example mean that the tree stood on a hill. Deep inside that hill was limestone, which is very common in Israel, and from there  water flowed out. Like water flowing from a rock? (Exodus)


11b. The burial place of Adam and Eve
Few quotes:

The second quote is very problematic for those who believe in a global all destroying flood because the cave in which Adam an Eve were buried was destroyed 600 years before Jacob was buried.

OTOH, the fact Adam and Eve were buried near Jerusalem gives more credibility to the idea the Garden was there/nearby, instead of in Iraq. But yeah, they just could have traveled from Iraq to Hebron.

Archaeologist Dr. Jodi Magness believes based on a record found in a church: When Jesus was crucified on top of the rock (of Golgotha), His blood flowed down through a crack in the rock. And Adam, the first man, lay buried underneath, but when Jesus’ blood flowed onto him, he was resurrected. Click

That contradicts the Jewish view of Hebron but aligns perfectly with the quote from the “Book of Adam and Eve” in the section just above.



12. The Temple as the water source

12a. Introduction


*****EDIT & REOGANIZE*****


12b. Not a single verse…

Not a single verse that states…
- … the Temple stood in the Garden or near it.
- … where the river that watered the Garden had it’s origin.
- … that the river still exists.
- … that the river will ever flow again.
- … that the river will have the same origin.

That sounds like a lot of hopeless statements to start a search; doesn’t it?

If all those things I wrote above were in Scripture everyone would accept them as fact because the proof is in inspired Scripture. I fully agree with that. But sometimes I wonder why is there so little about Jesus in the NT? Yes we have four books. Four books that are almost the same. Personally I'm convinced Jesus said and did far more things I could learn from as written down. There were 13 apostles. Originally 12 but Judas was replaced, that makes 12. I would expect those inspired men had a lot of wisdom to share after He died. I would like to read their books. Only 5 of them wrote books that are in the NT. The others didn’t. Even I wouldn't accept them as official part of the Bible, I likely would read them like a commentary by a scholar.

Obviously the danger is this, the quality of writings ranges from inspired all the way down to the value of toilet paper and everything in between.

While I'm on my soap box, back to the Garden. Adam lived most of his 930 years outside the Garden. That means he died shortly before Noah was born. For me it's quite possible Noah's father Lamech talked with Adam who told Him many stories about the Garden of Eden. Such stories, while not inspired, can be very accurate. But after Adam died the story was passed on. Then 16 generations later how accurate would the story be Jacob heard from his father Isaac?




While the Bible is lacking any direct statements, I think by piecing information together we can reach a quite certain conclusion. But yeah, the unseen things do require some faith. I point to the introduction at the top of this page. I believe God’s plan revolves around Jerusalem.

The origin of  the river was, and will be, the  Temple in Jerusalem, which was located about 30 km or 19 mile west of ‘B’, in Jerusalem.


12c. Stream from the Temple

Zech 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Here's  a verse that prophesies an earthquake splitting Mount of Olives in two.

Zechariah 14 8 And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. In summer and in winter it shall be.

The water flows to the Mediterranean Sea and the dead sea. Living water is water that supports life unlike the salt water in the Dead Sea. In "winter and summer" is another clue. The river will even flow outside the rain season. So it's source isn't (just) rainwater.


Ezekiel 47
1 And he brought me back to the door of the house. And, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the forefront of the house was toward the east. And the waters came down from under, from the right
2 Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way outside to the outer gate, by the way of [the gate] that looks toward the east. And, behold, waters ran out on the right side.
3 When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through [the waters], waters that were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand, [and it was] a river that I could not pass through, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
6 And he said to me, Son of man, have thou seen [this]? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then said he to me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah. (= desert A sea of sand, not water) And they shall go toward the sea, into the sea which were made to issue forth, and the waters shall be healed.
9 And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish (for these waters have come there) and shall be healed. And eve
10 And it shall come to pass, that fishermen shall stand by it. From En-gedi even to En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, very many.

The stream will be so huge it turns the Dead Sea in a fresh water lake with many fish. That must be a huge spring fed by a strong underground river or a massive water source like the ones that fed ‘the fountains of the deep during the great flood.


Joel 3:18 And it shall be in that day, the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah shall flow with waters. And a fountain shall come forth from the house of YAHWEH, and it shall water the Valley of Shittim.

Zech 14:8 And it hath come to pass, in that day, Go forth do living waters from Jerusalem, Half of them unto the eastern sea (Dead Sea), And half of them unto the western sea (Mediterranean Sea), In summer and in winter it is.

Joel mentions a spring in or near the Temple as an irrigation source.
Zechariah adds which direction the water from the Temple flows.
Ezekiel repeats that and calls the water ‘rivers’, indicating a serious amount of water. And that requires an underground water source.

Please note Ezek 47:1 goes into great detail of the origin of the stream. It issues from the southeastern corner of the Temple. That was the location of the Laver or Brazen Sea. The priests used the water from this huge vessel too purify smaller vessels and themselves. That vessel was filled with water from the Gihon spring.


Ps 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Yet another verse about a river in Jerusalem.


All those verses mention a stream coming from the Temple and flowing eastward, where the Jordan River is.
It speaks in term of giving life and healing. Could that be related to this verse?

Rev 22,1   And he shewed me a pure river of  water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Sure, I’m fully aware that water has a spiritual meaning for many. And I fully agree with that. I just happen to believe it goes beyond that. It also restores nature to it’s Eden state. “I make all things new”. Sure that would just take a divine Hand gesture, a word or a thought; but I think Scripture doesn’t describe such a split second restoration.

The water comes from the Throne of God and the Lamb, who live in heaven so....

During the Exodus God was pictured as being with the people in the Tent of meeting. Much later in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. In Rev 21 we read New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. The context shows Jesus will be in it. It doesn't take a whole lot if imagination to picture Him sitting on a throne.


12d. What’s the real meaning of the those verses?
Also keep in mind Ezekiel is having a vision about restoration of things. The era of the Messiah. So ask yourself this, is that restoration just about fish in the Dead Sea? Is the stream that feeds the Dead Sea, just a stream like the millions of streams on the earth? Is the stream also a restoration of a stream that existed before? And if so, is it a restoration of something Edenic?

I think it’s commonly agreed the Garden was a great place. Adam and Eve were close to God and it was just overall fantastic. Things went wrong and God started a long term plan of restoring things.  Wouldn’t it make sense those  restoration verses are about the Garden? It makes a whole lot of sense to. But yeah, it can be argued it will be great, but totally different in many respects. So vastly better it makes the original Garden look like a garbage dump. That's true, but it's my feeling it's not what the 'story' tells us.

The Bible revolves around the Jewish people who belong in Israel. The center of Israel is Jerusalem. And the center of Jerusalem is the Temple. Things are being restored there. Restored means making like it once was.

But who cares how it once was in Jerusalem, if the Garden was somewhere in present day Iraq?

The whole Bible revolves around Jerusalem. Not just when it was called Jerusalem; but also long before that, when Abraham intended to sacrifice Isaac on what once would be the Temple Mount.

I admit a feeling is no proof, but my feeling is that it's logical that Eden was where Jerusalem is located right now.

A certain book, orally transmitted history at best, states Adam and Even each worked on their part in the Garden. Two hills that are nowadays known as the Temple Mount and Mt Olives.




12e. Names of the river(s)

So far we only found the names of the rivers from their final split-off.
But what are the names of the parts A-B, B-C and the river between the Temple and B?

10 … it was parted, and became into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pison: …
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: …
14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: …
… And the fourth river is Euphrates.

Four rivers are named. Random order? All split from the same point? The river splits in two and many miles later it splits again? Is there such detail hidden in the verse?

There is a Mishna, a Jewish writing, about hiding Temple treasures until the Messiah returns. The relevant part is:

At that time, a great river will issue forth from the Holy of Holies of the Temple. It’s name is Gihon, and it will flow to the great and dreadful desert, and become mixed with the Euphrates River. Immediately, all the Vessels will float up and be revealed.

According to that text it’s the Gihon that flows from the Temple to point B. If so, B-C is also called Gihon. But then we have to ask ourselves, how much proof is the name of that spring? Why was it named Gihon?


Another problem is that Gihon is the second river that splits off; and that’s simply impossible if it’s the source of all rivers.

If a single river becomes 4 heads it means:


That’s already getting complicated, doesn’t it? It gets even worse if you look at the drawing just above. If the main river flows into two direction which branch is first A or B?
Looking at C, which river branches of first? Gihon or Pishon?
Looking at A it’s clear Euphrates branches of before Tigris, but the Euphrates is mention as the fourth river, not the third or second.

If the Temple-B is called Gihon then as I wrote above B-C is also called Gihon.
But what about A-B? Is it called Gihon? Tigris?

So:


12f. Beginning of the end?

1. Weekend News Today By Andra Brack Source: Temple Mount Faithful

Tue May 18 , 1999 -- One of the most exciting events over the last few days has been the news of the water flowing from the holy rock of Abraham and Isaac on the Temple Mount which was in the midst of the First and Second Temples.
. . .

2. Date forwarded: Tue, 25 May 1999 12:15:47 -0400
From: Temple Mount Faithful
Update on the Water from the Temple Mount Islamic Diggings and Remains on the Temple Mount

Important news about the water flowing from the Temple Mount comes from the Israeli newspaper, HaTsofer. In the 15th May edition of the Journal, (pg 5) Eliazer Sheffer states that his Arab neighbour, Mohammed shared with him very secretly, and very emotionally, that water had started to flow from the rock on the Temple Mount. Mohammed told him that he had not seen it himself, but that he had heard that the Islamic Mufti of Jerusalem is very concerned by this happening because, according to Islamic writings, this is a good sign for the Jews and a bad sign for the Muslims. People who we have sent to check the situation could not see the water but the information that we have received and which was spread throughout Israel states that the Arabs on the Temple Mount have done everything possible to stop the flow of water, including by means of special pumps that they brought in for the purpose.
. . .

3. TEMPLE MOUNT HOLY WATER?
TO: Friends (and friends of friends) of Bridges for Peace FROM: Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director - Jerusalem DATE: June 11, 1999

Editor's note: We have been receiving so many letters asking about rumors of a "miraculous" flow of water coming from the Temple Mount, that we decided to go and check it out for ourselves.
. . .
Well, that's all the water there is to report about on the Temple Mount. It is not a breathtaking fulfillment of Biblical prophecy as far as we could tell. The question remains, is it anything at all?
. . .
On the other hand, there is a lot of illegal construction activity.
. . .
We also know that there are a number of huge water cisterns cut into the stone of the mountain. It would take very little imagination to believe that one or more of these cisterns had been broken or was being drained for some reason.
. . .
OK, I'll attempt to draw a few conclusions. There are no streams or rivers of water flowing from the Temple Mount.
. . .

4. Water from the rock on the Temple Mount
Weekend News Today (http://upway.com/cgi-bin/went)
By Andra Brack Source: IsraelWire

Fri Jun 11, 1999 -- Rumors concerning water flowing from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City continue to circulate from time to time, but to date, ISRAELWIRE has not been able to confirm the accuracy of the reports.
. . .
Among other indications, electro-magnetic scans under the Temple mount reveal very deep hollows consistent with those described as having been under the Temple --these hollows however are not under the Dome of the Rock; rather they are under the clear, unbuilt section opposite the Western Wall. Interestingly, this fits with our tradition, recorded almost 2000 years ago in the Zohar, that no building will ever be built on the site of the Sanctuary except for the Temple!
. . .
However, through a bizarre act of Divine Providence this week, I was actually able to speak to someone who has the inside scoop. Yes, the Temple mount is actually leaking. Yes, the Arabs are very concerned about it, and have even sectioned off the area into which the water is emerging (there are big fans set up to reduce moisture and dry carpets). Yes, they have even hired foreign engineers to solve the crisis, but to not avail, and for reasons they don't understand as of yet.
. . .

5. All of a sudden one evening the Lord gave me this vision.
“He let me see like a large dome of water under Jerusalem. It may be 1000 feet down. It is a tremendous large body of loose rock, water bearing rock, a huge cave full of water. God, at this time, is starting to let rock surface to push the water up through a waterway coming up under the dome of the rock, in the Temple Mount area. Little by little, it is coming up. It is coming up. Even now it is coming up at different places…


The full text can be read here - click

Few short video’s Click


Note: All reports but one, on this topic are from 1999.  One from 2001. I wonder why there are no more recent reports




The cave also has hydrological significance because it is part of the mountain aquifer, an underground reservoir into which rainwater flows from the surface, and that extends all along Israel’s central mountain range, Frumkin says. “
Click

















xyz.All coincidence?



Could Gethsemane at the foot of mt. Olives be the cave were Adam and Eve lived?
While no firm conclusions can be drawn for the above information the answer seems to be “yes”.
Death crept into creation and eternal life was restored at the same spot….