![Meister der Predigten des Mönchs Johannes Kokkinobaphos 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Meister_der_Predigten_des_M%C3%B6nchs_Johannes_Kokkinobaphos_003.jpg)
Rivers of Paradise (also The four Rivers of Paradise) are the four rivers described in Genesis 2:10-14, where an unnamed stream flowing out of
Garden of Eden
In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...
splits into four branches:
Pishon
The Pishon ( ''Pîšōn'') is one of four rivers (along with Hiddekel (Tigris), Perath (Euphrates) and Gihon) mentioned in the Biblical Book of Genesis. In that passage, a source river flows out of Eden to water the Garden of Eden and from ther ...
,
Gihon
Gihon is the name of the second river mentioned in the second chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis. The Gihon is mentioned as one of four rivers (along with the Tigris, Euphrates, and Pishon) issuing out of the Garden of Eden that branched fr ...
, Hiddekel (
Tigris
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
), and Phrath (
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
). These four rivers form a feature of the Garden that is popular in the
Abrahamic religions
The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran.
Jewish tradition ...
.
Geography
Although some commentators dismiss the geographic attribution for the Garden of Eden entirely, a considerable amount of research was done on matching the rivers in the Genesis to the real ones, on the premise that the Garden was "obviously a geographic reality" to a writer of the Genesis verse (as well as his source), and thus dismissing the physical placement of the rivers is the contribution of the interpreters. To the second group of scholars, attribution of Euphrates is without a doubt, most of them agree on the Tigris (Hiddekel), but the identification of Pishon and Gihon is ambiguous.
For religious scholars, a natural question "how did the heavenly rivers come to the Earth?" arises; various answers had been provided in the past.
Christianity
![Maiestas Domini, mosaic, Agnus Dei — Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano, Rome](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Maiestas_Domini%2C_mosaic%2C_Agnus_Dei_%E2%80%94_Basilica_dei_Santi_Cosma_e_Damiano%2C_Rome.jpg)
Following
Saint Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
(per Cohen, the association was established earlier, in a letter by
Cyprian
Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...
in 256 AD) the rivers are interpreted as
four evangelists (or
Gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
s), with
Water of Life flowing from the word of Christ (the
Fountain of Life
The Fountain of Life, or in its earlier form the Fountain of Living Waters, is a Christian iconography symbol associated with baptism and/or eucharist, first appearing in the 5th century in illuminated manuscripts and later in other art forms such ...
) to bring
salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
. In Gospel
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...
s the connection was made either in the tituli (cf. St Gauzelin Gospels,
Gospels of Lothair
The Gospels of Lothair (Bibliothèque nationale, BNF Lat. 266) is an evangeliary made for Lothair I
in Saint-Martin de Tours during 849 to 851.
Representing the peak of the Carolingian Tours workshop, the manuscript has 221 parchment leaves writte ...
) or as an illustration (
Vivian Bible
The Firstfor disambiguation with the Second Bible of Charles the Bald, BNF Lat. 2, dated between 871 and 873. Bible of Charles the Bald ( BNF Lat. 1), also known as the Vivian Bible, is a Carolingian-era Bible commissioned by Count Vivian of T ...
). By the 11th century (
Uta Codex
The Uta Codex Quattuor Evangelia (Clm. 13601, Bavarian State Library, Munich) is a "gospel lectionary" or evangeliary. It contains those portions of the gospels which are read during church services. "Unlike most Gospel lectionaries, the individua ...
) through a long chain of
exegesis
Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (logic), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern usage, ...
Gihon was personified as
Matthew
Matthew may refer to:
* Matthew (given name)
* Matthew (surname)
* ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497
* ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith
* Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
(and associated with happiness), Tigris as
Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Fi ...
(swiftness), Euphrates as
Luke
People
*Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...
(fertility), Pishon as
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
(inspiration).
Pseudo-Jerome Pseudo-Jerome is the name given to several authors misidentified as, or pseudepigraphically claiming to be, Saint Jerome.Jeremy Schipper Disability Studies and the Hebrew Bible 2006 - Page 50 "(Pseudo-Jerome, possibly an early ninth-century CE con ...
's commentary on the Gospels (7th century) contains different associations with evangelists as well as other
quadruple
Quadruple may refer to:
* 4-tuple, an ordered list of elements, with four elements
* Quad (figure skating), a figure skating jump
* Quadruple (computing), a term used as alternative for nibble in some contexts
* Quadruple-precision floating-point ...
s, including the
four elements
Classical elements typically refer to earth, water, air, fire, and (later) aether which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Tibet, and India had simi ...
and
cardinal virtues
The cardinal virtues are four virtues of mind and character in both classical philosophy and Christian theology. They are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They form a virtue theory of ethics. The term ''cardinal'' comes from the ...
.
The four rivers or Paradise were frequently used in
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art which uses subjects, themes, and imagery from Christianity. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, including early Christian art and architecture and Christian media.
Images of Jesus and narrative ...
in 4th to 6th centuries AD (and later through medieval times, especially during the
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
period) in multiple
allegorical
As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
meanings.
In visual arts the rivers usually flow underneath Christ's feet or from His throne (cf.
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
mosaics in
Santa Costanza
Santa Costanza is a 4th-century church in Rome, Italy, on the Via Nomentana, which runs north-east out of the city. It is a round building with well preserved original layout and mosaics. It has been built adjacent to a horseshoe-shaped church, no ...
,
Santi Cosma e Damiano
The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a titular church in Rome, Italy. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the Roman Forum and incorporates original Roman buildings, but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum ...
,
Santa Prassede
The Basilica of Saint Praxedes ( la, Basilica Sanctae Praxedis, it, Basilica di Santa Prassede all’Esquillino), commonly known in Italian as Santa Prassede, is an early medieval titular church and minor basilica located near the papal basilic ...
,
Santa Pudenziana
Santa Pudenziana is a church of Rome, a basilica built in the 4th century and dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, sister of Praxedes and daughter of Pudens (mentioned by Paul the Apostle in ''2 Timothy'', 4: 21). It is one of the national churches i ...
,
San Clemente al Laterano
The Basilica of Saint Clement ( it, Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano) is a Latin Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I located in Rome, Italy. Archaeologically speaking, the structure is a three-tiered complex of buildings: (1) ...
,
Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...
,
Basilica of San Vitale
The Basilica of San Vitale is a late antique church in Ravenna, Italy. The sixth-century church is an important surviving example of early Christian Byzantine art and architecture. It is one of eight structures in Ravenna inscribed on the UNESCO ...
). Two stags are occasionally depicted drinking from the streams, referring to Psalm 42: "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God". On the North portal of
Cathedral of Chartres
Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), is a Roman Catholic church in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Mostly con ...
the rivers are depicted as young men carrying vessels with outflowing water.
Judaism
The
rabbinic tradition
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writ ...
does not interpret rivers literally, instead, they are believed to represent honey, milk, balsam, and wine.
Genesis Rabbah
Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...
identifies the rivers as four corners of the world: Pishon as
Babylonia
Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c. ...
, Gihon as
Media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
, Hiddekel as Greece, Euphrates as Rome. It also states that all waters in the world flow from the foot of the
Tree of Life
The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythological, religious, and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A History ...
.
Islam
Similarly to Judaism, Islam treats the rivers of Paradise as carrying the honey, milk, water, and wine (cf. Q 47:15). However, Hosseinizadeh remarks that these are not the same rivers as in the Bible, since there are four ''types'' of rivers, not four ''rivers'' in this verse. Furthermore, there are more types discussed elsewhere in
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
(cf. Q 76:5-6 and
Salsabil in Q 76:17-18), so there is no significant relationship between the biblical rivers of Paradise and the ones in Quran.
![View from atop the left minaret 008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/View_from_atop_the_left_minaret_-_Tomb_of_Jahangir_gardens.jpg)
The four rivers similar to the ones in Genesis can be found in
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
s. A hadith from
Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...
reports that four rivers emerge from heaven: Euphrates,
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
, ''Sayhān'' and ''Jayhān''; Hosseinizadeh stresses that the latter two are not necessarily ''Sayhūn'' (
Syr Daria) and ''Jayhūn'' (
Amu Daria
The Amu Darya, tk, Amyderýa/ uz, Amudaryo// tg, Амударё, Amudaryo ps, , tr, Ceyhun / Amu Derya grc, Ὦξος, Ôxos (also called the Amu, Amo River and historically known by its Latin name or Greek ) is a major river in Central Asi ...
). In a hadith narrated by
Ibn Abbas
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās ( ar, عَبْد ٱللَّٰه ٱبْن عَبَّاس; c. 619 – 687 CE), also known as Ibn ʿAbbās, was one of the cousins of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the greatest mufassir of the Qur'an ...
Tigris is also included into the rivers of Paradise, ''Sayhūn'' is identified as
Hinds Hinds may refer to:
Deer, especially does
*Deer
People with the surname Hinds:
*Hinds (surname)
In places:
* Hinds, New Zealand, a small town
* Hinds County, Mississippi, a US county
*Hinds Lake, a lake in Minnesota
*Hinds River, a river that flo ...
, ''Jayhūn'' as
Balkh
), named for its green-tiled ''Gonbad'' ( prs, گُنبَد, dome), in July 2001
, pushpin_map=Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia
, pushpin_relief=yes
, pushpin_label_position=bottom
, pushpin_mapsize=300
, pushpin_map_caption=Location in Afghanistan ...
.
In the hadith of
Mi'raj
The Israʾ and Miʿraj ( ar, الإسراء والمعراج, ') are the two parts of a Night Journey that, according to Islam, the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632) took during a single night around the year 621 (1 BH – 0 BH). With ...
Muhammad witnesses four rivers of water, milk, wine and honey flowing from the base of the
Sidrat al-Muntaha
The ''Sidrat al-Muntaha'' ( ar, سِدْرَة ٱلْمُنْتَهَىٰ, Sidrat al-Muntahā, lit=Lote Tree of the Farthest Boundary) is a large lote tree or Sidr tree that marks the utmost boundary in the seventh heaven, which no one can pa ...
tree.
Hunt
draws parallels between the rivers of Paradise and the Persian ''
Charbagh
''Charbagh'' or ''Chahar Bagh'' ( ''chahār bāgh'', ''chārbāgh'', ''chār bāgh'', meaning "four gardens") is a Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Quran. The quadr ...
'' garden design.
See also
*
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (''Fountain of the Four Rivers'') is a fountain in the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. It was designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X whose family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced onto the piazza as ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* {{citation , first1 = Amira , last1 = El-Zein , chapter-url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264532461_Encyclopaedia_of_the_Quran_Water_of_Paradise , title=Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān , chapter = Water of Paradise , publisher = Brill , doi = 10.1163/1875-3922_q3_EQSIM_00453 , date = January 2012
Symbols of Abrahamic religions
Book of Genesis
Garden of Eden