Eve

Eve is the first woman, the wife of Adam and the mother of the human race. Her story is told in the Book of Genesis, and the dates of her life cannot be established. In Hebrew her name is linked with the word for life. The Church remembers her together with Adam, and in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament of the Church, her name also appears as Zoe, which means life.

Creation

According to Genesis, God decided that it is not good for man to be alone. He cast Adam into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs and from it built the woman, whom He brought to Adam. Adam recognized her as bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. The two lived in Paradise, in innocence and near to God. An Orthodox source points out that in their creation neither was placed under the other, and Adam's place was that of representative of the family.

The fall

The serpent tempted the woman, telling her that if she ate of the forbidden tree she would be like God. She ate and gave also to Adam, who ate as well. They understood then that they were naked and hid from the Lord. When she was asked, Eve confessed that the serpent had deceived her. Both were driven from Paradise, and the woman was told that she would bear children in pain. At the same time God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head, a word the Church understands as the first announcement of salvation. After the fall Adam gave her the name Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.

Descendants

Scripture mentions her sons Cain, Abel and Seth. Abel was killed by his brother, and at the birth of Seth Eve said that God had given her another son in place of Abel. Genesis says they had other sons and daughters as well, and from Seth comes Noah, and through him all humanity after the flood. Scripture says nothing about her death.

The New Eve and her commemoration

In the theology of the Church, Christ is called the new Adam and the Mother of God the new Eve, through whom the Saviour came into the world. In icons of the Resurrection Christ raises Adam and Eve from their tombs, and in icons of All Saints they are shown bowing before the throne of God. The services speak of the deliverance of the first-⁠created through Christ, and so the tradition of the Church counts them among the saved. The Orthodox Church recalls their fall and expulsion from Paradise on the Sunday of the Expulsion of Adam from Paradise, the last day before Great Lent, to show the fruit of disobedience and the worth of the fast the first people neglected. The Western Roman calendar commemorated her on 24 December, the eve of the Nativity, but that is not a day of the Orthodox calendar.