Overview
The Garden of Eden is the paradise in which God placed the first man and woman. Its exact location is unknown, though Genesis links it to the region of the Tigris and Euphrates "eastward in Eden" (Genesis 2:8).
A garden of life
God planted the garden and made "every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food," including the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9). A river went out of Eden to water it and divided into four heads (Genesis 2:10).
The work and the command
Adam was placed there "to dress it and to keep it," free to eat of every tree but one (Genesis 2:15–17). In the garden God formed Eve, and the two were naked and unashamed.
The fall and the exile
When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit at the serpent's enticing, sin and death entered the world. God sent them out of Eden, placing cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:23–24).
Events Here
God plants the garden and places Adam in it
Adam and Eve are driven out after the fall
Scripture References
6 versesGenesis6 verses
Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:10
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
Genesis 2:15
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. the man: or, Adam
Genesis 3:23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Genesis 3:24
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 4:16
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Archaeology & History
The location of Eden has never been identified. Genesis names four rivers — Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (the Tigris), and the Euphrates — which has led many to look to lower Mesopotamia near the head of the Persian Gulf, but the Flood would have reshaped the landscape, and the garden remains, by its nature, beyond the map.
People who appear here
Frequently asked about Garden of Eden
Where is Garden of Eden today?
Today, Garden of Eden corresponds to Location unknown.
What does the name Garden of Eden mean?
The name Garden of Eden means “Delight, pleasure”.
What happened at Garden of Eden in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Garden of Eden include god plants the garden and places adam in it; adam and eve are driven out after the fall.
Where is Garden of Eden first mentioned in the Bible?
Garden of Eden is first mentioned in Genesis 2:8.
How often is Garden of Eden mentioned in the Bible?
Garden of Eden is mentioned in 6 verses across 1 book: Genesis.
Where was the Garden of Eden?
Its location is unknown. Genesis places it "eastward in Eden" and names four rivers including the Tigris and Euphrates, which points generally toward Mesopotamia, but no site can be identified with certainty.
What happened in the Garden of Eden?
God placed the first man and woman there in innocence. They disobeyed by eating from the forbidden tree, and were exiled from the garden — the event known as the fall.