Rivers of Paradise, the four rivers of Paradise, or "the rivers of/flowing from Eden" are the four rivers described in

Genesis 2 Genesis 2 or Genesis II may refer to: * Genesis II (space habitat), an experimental spacecraft launched by Bigelow Aerospace in 2006 * Genesis II (film), a 1973 television film pilot * Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, promoter of MMS (kno ...

:10–14, where an unnamed stream flowing out of the

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...

splits into four branches:

Pishon The Pishon ( ''Pīšōn''; Koine Greek: Φισών ''Phisṓn'') 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 ...

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 Eden, branching from a single river ...

, Hiddekel (

Tigris The Tigris ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the eastern 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 Desert, Syrian and Arabia ...

), and Phrath (Perath,

Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...

). These four rivers form a feature of the Garden that is popular in the

Abrahamic religions The term Abrahamic religions is used to group together monotheistic religions revering the Biblical figure Abraham, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The religions share doctrinal, historical, and geographic overlap that contrasts them wit ...

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. In the

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...

, the earliest Old Greek translation of the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

, in the

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...

these four rivers appear as Φισῶν for Pishon, Γεῶν for Gihon, Τίγρις for Hiddekel, and Εὐφράτης for Phrath. For religious scholars, a natural question arises: "How did the heavenly rivers come to the Earth?" Various answers were provided in the past.

Christianity

Following

Saint Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

(per Cohen, the association was established earlier, in a letter by

Cyprian Cyprian (; ; to 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 Christian writer of Berbers, Berber descent, ...

in 256 AD) the rivers are interpreted as

four evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

(or

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

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 suc ...

) 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 typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

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 First Bible of Charles the Bald (Bibliothèque Nationale, BNF Lat. 1), also known as the Vivian Bible, is a Carolingian-era Biblical manuscript, Bible commissioned by Count Vivian of Tours in 845, the lay Basilica of Saint Martin, Tours, abb ...

). By the 11th century (

Uta Codex The Uta Codex (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 individual readings in the ...

) through a long chain of

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...

Gihon was personified as Matthew (and associated with happiness), Tigris as

Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

(swiftness), Euphrates as

Luke Luke may refer to: People and fictional characters * Luke (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Luke (surname), including a list of people with the name * Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luk ...

(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 * Second E ...

(inspiration).

Pseudo-Jerome Pseudo-Jerome is the name given to several authors misidentified as, or pseudepigraphically claiming to be, Saint Jerome. A principal writing identified as "Pseudo Jerome" is the ninth-century writing the ''Epistle of Pseudo-Jerome to Paula and Eu ...

's commentary on the Gospels (7th century) contains different associations with evangelists as well as other quadruples, including the

four elements The 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, Angola, Tibet, India, a ...

and

cardinal virtues The cardinal virtues are four virtues of mind and character in classical philosophy. They are prudence, Justice (virtue), justice, Courage, fortitude, and Temperance (virtue), temperance. They form a Virtue ethics, virtue theory of ethics. The t ...

. The four rivers of 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 Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

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 meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughou ...

meanings. In visual arts the rivers usually flow underneath Christ's feet or from His throne (cf.

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

mosaics in

Santa Costanza The Mausoleum of Constantina, also known as the ''Mausoleum of Santa Costanza'', was built in the 4th century AD for Constantina (also known as Constantia), the daughter of the emperor Constantine I. It later became a church. It is located in Ro ...

, Santi Cosma e Damiano,

Santa Prassede The Basilica of Saint Praxedes (, ), commonly known in Italian as Santa Prassede, is an early medieval titulus (Roman Catholic), titular church and minor basilica located near the papal basilica of Saint Mary Major, on Via di Santa Prassede, Mont ...

Santa Pudenziana The Basilica of Santa Pudenziana (Spanish—Filipino: ''Santa Potenciana'') is the eldest Roman Catholic basilica built in the fourth century. The original shrine building dates back from the second century and is dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, ...

San Clemente al Laterano The Basilica of Saint Clement () 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) the present basilica built just before ...

Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (officially the ''Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica, Metropolitan and Primatial Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of A ...

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 Byzantine art and architecture, and its mosaics in particular are some of the most-studied works in Byzan ...

). 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 (, lit. Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary ('Our Lady'), it was mostly co ...

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 corpus of works authored by rabbis throughout Jewish history. The term typically refers to literature from the Talmudic era (70–640 CE), as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic w ...

does not interpret rivers literally, instead, they are believed to represent honey, milk, balsam, and wine.

Genesis Rabbah Genesis Rabbah (, also known as Bereshit Rabbah and abbreviated as GenR) is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is an expository midrash comprising a collection of ...

identifies the rivers as four corners of the world: Pishon as

Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...

, Gihon as

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

, 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 mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

Islam

Similarly to Judaism, Islam treats the rivers of Paradise (''anhār al-janna'') 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, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

(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. Quran uses an expression "underneath them" that had been explained as rivers flowing underneath the trees in the gardens and the chambers of paradise dwellers. The four rivers similar to the ones in Genesis can be found in

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

s. A hadith from

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

reports that four rivers emerge from heaven: Euphrates,

Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...

, ''Sayhān'' and ''Jayhān''; Hosseinizadeh stresses that the latter two are not necessarily ''Sayhūn'' ( Syr Daria) and ''Jayhūn'' (

Amu Daria The Amu Darya ( ),() also shortened to Amu and historically known as the Oxus ( ), is a major river in Central Asia, which flows through Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Rising in the Pamir Mountains, north of the Hindu Ku ...

). In a hadith narrated by

Ibn Abbas ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbbās (; c. 619 – 687 CE), also known as Ibn ʿAbbās, was one of the cousins of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, prophet Muhammad. He is considered to be the greatest Tafsir#Conditions, mufassir of the Quran, Qur'an. ...

Tigris is also included into the rivers of Paradise, ''Sayhān'' is identified as

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...

, ''Jayhān'' as

Balkh Balkh is a town in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. It is located approximately to the northwest of the provincial capital city Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately to the south of the Amu Darya and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border. In 2021 ...

. In the hadith of

Mi'raj The Israʾ and Miʿraj (, ') are the names given to the narrations that the prophet Muhammad ascended to the sky during a night journey, saw Allah and the afterlife, and returned. It is believed that expressions without a subject in verses 1-18 of ...

Muhammad witnesses four rivers of water, milk, wine and honey flowing from the base of the

Sidrat al-Muntaha The ''Sidrat al-Muntaha'' () in Islamic tradition is a large Cedrus or lote tree (''Ziziphus spina-christi'') that marks the utmost boundary in the seventh heaven, where the knowledge of the angels ends. During the Isra' and Mi'raj, when Muhamm ...

tree. Hunt draws parallels between the rivers of Paradise and the Persian ''

Charbagh A ''charbagh'' or ''chaharbagh'' (; , , ) is a Persian gardens, Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden with a layout of four gardens traditionally separated by waterways, together representing the four gardens and rivers of Paradise, ...

'' garden design.

References

Sources