What was "Forbidden Fruit?"

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 8 May 1914, Page 2

What was "Forbidden Fruit?"

Why and how it has happened that the apple has been spoken of as the fruit that was forbidden in the Harden of Eden is one of the great puzzles of Biblical scholars. The fact is that in Genesis 111., where the incident of the eating of this fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" is mentioned, no name whatever is given to that fruit. All that is said is: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the f.voF, and a tree to be desired to inn'.e one wise, she took of the fruit thereof,

and did eat and gave also unto her husband wit.i her ; and Vie did eat." (Verse 3). In fact scholars doubt very seriously whether it was the apple at all. They suggest that all evidence, points to it having been the quince, the fragrance of which was held in the highest esteem by the Orientals. Another point in favour of the (jumee is that it is the fruit which was sacred to Venus, the goddess of love, and in a great many of the ancient writings the quince is very frequently mentioned in this manner, in Babylonia, f.shtar took the place of Venus in the Roman mythoiogy, and it. should be remembered that the story of the creation originated with the Babylonians. All evidence seems to point away from the apple having been the "Forbidden Fruit," and toward the quince as having been that fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil."