TREE OF LIFE (עֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּימ׃֙; LXX, τό ξύλον τῆς Ζωῆς). The tree of life, along with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was originally placed by God in the Garden of Eden. There was no command given to Adam not to eat of it. When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, the reason for the act was, “lest he...eat and live forever” (Gen 3:22). Two cherubim, armed with a flaming sword, guarded the tree of life. In the account of Paradise, partaking of the tree of life seems to be included in the permissive part of God’s command, “of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.” Note that in Genesis 2:9, 10 the tree of life and a river are in the garden, though nothing is said about the significance of either. After the judgment of Adam and Eve for their sin, the record notes that this tree was identified with everlasting life, and that man in sin must not have access to the tree, and henceforth would be subject to entropy.

In Ezekiel 31:1-12 there is also a juxtaposition of a river, which here abundantly gives life, and a group of trees which are evergreen, everbearing and life giving in that they produce food and medicine. In the OT elsewhere, only in Proverbs does the phrase, “tree of Life” occur. Wisdom is depicted as “a tree of life” (Prov 3:18), and thus a source of life to those who follow after it. “The fruit of the righteous” is such a tree in 11:30, desire is so designated in 13:12, and “a gentle tongue” shares the same honor in 15:4. In each case, it would seem, man is vitalized and renewed, but there is no elaboration on the theme nor is any cosmic significance given to these trees of life.

In the NT only the Book of Revelation has any reference to the tree of life, and in each occurrence it does have a spiritual, cosmic meaning. In Revelation 2:7 a promise is given that the overcomer will partake of this tree, which is said to be located in “the paradise of God.” Chapter 22 gives more detail. From the throne of God in the New Jerusalem will come a river of life on both sides of which is the tree of life also everbearing, everliving, and providing both food and medicine for those dwelling there.

The motif has been common in most pagan religions also. In contrast to the Bible, the life it symbolizes is the natural power of reproduction, resident in plants, animals and man, personified by gods and goddesses. The cosmology related to it is nature-bound, whereas in the Bible it is tied to a positive, spiritual relationship between God and man.

From ancient Mesopotamia have come cylinder seals and other art objects which depict a tree and figures of perhaps divine beings.

On clay tablets written in cuneiform script are recorded many of the ancient myths of the people who lived there. In many of these mythical stories, sacred trees of varied kinds play a more or less prominent role. Rather than being in an earthly paradise where man was living, as in Genesis 2 and 3, the sacred tree, or trees, is in the abode of the gods with very limited access to it granted to a few fortunate men. On the other hand, the sacred tree of life was closely associated to the reigning king of almost every ancient nation. Quite often he is portrayed as the guardian and the sacramental priest who dispenses its powers through the cultus. In another context, the tree of life was closely associated with the mother goddess who represented the female principle of natural reproduction, whether in crops, herds, or human family. She could also represent the throne, and hence the giver of life and power to the monarch.

In temples, belonging to pagans, the vital life principle of nature would be represented by a grove of trees or the trunks of trees with branches lopped off. In some cases, a wooden post or a block of stone planted in holes, so they stood upright, would be adequate. The rites associated with these symbols were concerned with magically inducing life in the fields, in the herds or in the family. Hence, it was closely bound with procreation, with birth and with growth. These rites would also be aimed at curing barrenness, bringing rain, and preventing death.

Bibliography E. O. James, The Tree of Life (1966); G. Widengren, The King and the Tree of Life in Ancient Near Eastern Religions (1951).