There have been many attempts to locate the rivers, which are most likely nothing more than underground depressions now. It would be futile to try and draw a conclusion of the location of Eden by using known bodies of water. Rivers that once flowed in Mesopotamia and Arabia have disappeared and are nothing more than dry wadis or have been covered by sand. Some scholars have attempted to equate the Pison with the Nile because of Egypt’s reputation for abundant gold. It isn’t likely that the Sumerians had ever been that far away from their own land. In Hebrew, Havalah meant stretch of sand, which described Arabia much better than Egypt. The Hebrews knew Egypt as Mizraim and would have no reason to call it a stretch of sand. The belief that Havalah was in Egypt was verified by the Bible’s mention of Cush, which was believed to be Ethiopia. The Bible, however, is referring to the Cush east of the Tigres river, in the land that later belonged to the Medes. It gave its name to the land of the Cushites or Kassites who have been mentioned in Assyrian texts.
Until recently the only two rivers that had been identified were the Tigres and the Euphrates. That has now changed. Archaeologists are using images from LANDSAT to study ancient river beds that couldn’t be seen in the past. Dr. Juris Zarins, of Southwest Missouri State University is one of those who have studied the images. There is no longer any doubt about the location of Eden. For a river to pass through the Garden it would have to run through the eastern part of Eden. That would eliminate any country west of Mesopotamia.
Ancient Sumerian texts agree with the Bible that , following Creation, man was placed in the most fertile area of Eden. A place with abundant fruit trees and wild grain would be ideal for an herbivore, which the Bible also calls the first humans. Eden was known for growing barley, wheat, millett, peas, lentils, beans, turnips, onions, garlic, leeks, cucumbers, lettuce, cress and mustard. One does not even have to believe in God to understand that the human race began with one pair. That first couple could not hunt. They knew nothing about raising crops, or cooking food. A garden paradise was necessary for their survival, until they learned to care for themselves. The epoch of Gilgamesh mentions one city of Gu-Edinni as being a city of the gods:
Shurippak,[2] a city which thou thyself knowest,
On [the bank] of the river Puratti (Euphrates) is situated ,
That city is old; and the gods [dwelling] within it
In the Eridu Genesist The Anunnaki were creators.:
Anu, Enlil, shamash, Ea,The great gods,The Anunnaki,
the great gods, Lofty sanctuaries inhabited as creators.
In anxiety they asked: Since the domes of heaven and
earth have been established, Straight canals have been constructed,
The Tigris and Euphrates—Their banks have been established,
What shall we change? What shall we create?
O Annunnaki, ye great gods, What shall we change?
What shall we create?"The great gods, standing aloft,
The Anunnaki, who determine fate.
The two of them made answer to Enlil;
In the land where flesh grows, the bond of heaven and earth, Lamga, Lamga, we will overthrow;
From his blood mankind we will make, Let the bonds of the gods be bound upon them; For future days the limit Be established;
References
H.V Hilprecht
A. H. Layard
P. E. Botta
Samuel Noah Kramer
The Creation story from Asshur is similar to the Biblical Creation in that the earth was covered with water in the beginning. The Anunaki, the Biblical Annakim, were created first. The book of Genisis does not say as much, but the Bible does tell of angels being around before man:
The gods and the Anunaki he made at one time.
(The holy city, the dwelling of their hearts' desire, they named as first),
Marduk bound a structure of reeds upon the face of the waters,
He formed dust, he poured it out beside the reed-structure.
To cause the gods to dwell in the habitation of their heart's desire.
