Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!hocda!machaids!5941ux!dje
From: dje@5941ux.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Garden of Eden
Message-ID: <295@5941ux.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-Jun-83 15:58:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: 5941ux.295
Posted: Wed Jun 15 15:58:47 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jun-83 16:52:48 EDT
References: phs.1729
Lines: 17

The question was asked whether God was lying when He said Adam and Eve would
die if they ate the fruit from the tree of life.  (Obviously, they did eat
it and did not die).

I have heard the interpretation that the phrase "ye shall surely die" can be
understood as a statement of LIABILITY to the death penalty rather than a 
mandate for execution.  The Sanhedrin (Jewish religious court) in Judea
was called bloody if it imposed a death penalty with greater frequency than
once in seventy years.  This was the case even though they were bound with
enforcement of all the laws in the Five Books of Moses that specify "ye shall 
surely be stoned to death" for transgression.

Does that shed any light?

Dave Ellis / Bell Labs, Piscataway NJ
...!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxm!5941ux!dje
...!{ariel,lime}!houti!hogpc!houxm!5941ux!dje