Biblical Women
Creating Adam and Eve
The creation of Man takes us back to the distant Past. Paleontologists, pre-historians and all the world’s ethnic groups and religions have theories on how Man first came into being.
Here I focus on the Biblical renderings of Creation.
There are two versions of the Creation of Man in the Bible: Genesis 1: 27, and Genesis 2: 7, 2: 21-22. Additionally, there are numerous Midrashim -traditional rabbinic interpretive literature- explaining and expanding on the Biblical descriptions.
In this work, I have chosen to illustrate several Midrashim which relate to the Creation of Man and Woman. Some of these conflict with the Biblical version. An example is the story of Lilith, Adam’s first wife according to some Midrashim. Others refer to contradictory renderings of the actual formation of Adam and of Eve, and to the progression of developments between instilling the soul versus producing the body.
I have modelled ceramic figurines and using stop motion animation, have told the stories of the Biblical creation of humankind, together with enrichments and alternatives offered by selected Midrashim.
Ruth Wieder Magan of Theatre Company Jerusalem has kindly given me permission to use her music.