The story of paradise (Genesis 2-3) is probably one of the best known texts in world literature. It has had a very rich reception history over many centuries. Genesis 2-3 formulates fundamental premises and problems of human self-understanding in the Western world. Why is the world in which we live seen as a paradise lost? Why might human knowledge be problematic? Why does human society have a patriarchal structure? Why is human existence limited in terms of time? Using a multidisciplinary approach, this volume explores the historical meanings and the many ways in which this narrative has been received. With contributions by: Rudiger Bittner, Emidio Campi, Daniele Garrone, Thomas Kruger, Laura Nasrallah, Christoph Riedweg, Konrad Schmid, Michael Signer, Jean-Louis Ska, Hermann Spieckermann, Terje Stordalen, Michael Stone, Nira Stone