I'm not sure whether to put this under history or religion.  I believe Adam and Eve and their story to be a historical narrative and fits all criteria of being so by using names of people and places as would be expected in any other historical accounting of events. 

Of course, we find their story written in one of the oldest manuscripts known to man today.  That is, a book thought to have been written by Moses and perfectly preserved by the Jews through the centuries. 

This account can be found in the book of Genesis.  Genesis means "origin" or beginnings.  In the first 11 chapters (most attacked literature of all time) we find the beginning of man, woman, civilization, marriage,  sin, murder, death and redemption among many other firsts of mankind. 

When I read this account I'm amazed at the things I keep finding out about this first couple.  It just boggles my mind.  There's just no way somebody just made this all up.  Hopefully I can show you what I mean. 

Many don't realize but Adam represents Christ and Eve the church. There's a symbolic reason for this.   Eve, as representative of the church, was created out of a violent bloody experience.  She was brought forth and fashioned out of Adam's rib while Adam was put into a death like sleep. The church also came to be after a bloody experience by the one who gave his life for her.   It's very significant that Adam was created first. The wife (church) is to submit to her husband (Christ).  It's all very literal and symbolic at the same time.  Awesome! 

When he saw his wife, he said:  "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh"

That's exactly how the church is defined by Christ.  Thousands of years later, Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesians and described the relationship Christ had with his church.  He said in Eph 5:

husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.  "For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."   This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Moving ahead these two were put into a perfect garden where Eve was deceived by the serpent.  There is no biblical record where Eve was told by God not to eat of this tree.  Paul would later write about this time saying Eve was deceived, not Adam.  If Adam wasn't deceived, what was he?  Rebellious.  Plain and simple. 

Eve could very well be in a situation when confronted with the temptation to say that God didn't really tell her.  She had heard this from her husband.  Maybe he misunderstood?  Maybe God wasn't clear? 

Scripture is clear that Adam sinned (rebellion) and thru his sin all men have sinned as sin and death are passed onto his descendants.  When Adam sinned, the whole world changed course.  Romans 8 tells us that the entire earth is groaning because of the condition of the world.  It was not made to go this way. 

The serpent, most likely, was considered the king of beasts as he was called the most subtil of all creatures, meaning he was the most clever or wisest of all the animals created.   Eve didn't seem surprised this serpent was conversing with her which makes us wonder if animals did communicate with humans before the fall. 

Think about it.  Scientists today say we only use about 10% of our brains while 90% of it is unused.  Animals have what seems to be heigtened senses.  The vision of many animals is far superior to humans.  Their hearing and sense of smell as well far exceeds man.  They can sense earthquakes, smell cancers, recognize when an epileptic seizure is about to happen etc.    Why would God give man dominion over animals if the animals' senses were far superior?  Unless, that is,  we lost alot more than just living quarters after the fall.

The dynamics of temptation don't change.  It's the same today.  At first the serpent attempted to take what God said and used it against her.  He intentionally overlooked the exception of the one tree when he asked Eve the question:

"Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?"

He was trying to use the liberty God gave them to hurt them.  Satan, the serpent, was hoping his question would get her to eat but it didn't work.  She responded that not only were they not to eat of this one tree, they were not to even touch it or they would die.  God didn't exactly say not to touch it, but she had the right idea.  If she didn't touch it, she wouldn't be in danger of eating from it and she would live.

So Satan sees that his clever trick didn't work.  He underestimated her.  She knew God's word passed down to her from Adam so he switched tactics.  He says to her "You certainly will not die" creating in her mind, doubt.  Basically what he was trying to do is to plant that seed of doubt in her mind trying to convince her that God had lied to her.   Sure, ok, God said it, but God's word cannot be trusted.  God doesn't want you to experience the good things in life so he's keeping it from you. 

Thousands of years later this lie still does the trick.  Men fall for it everytime.  He raises doubt and whispers in their ears, "is that really what God says?  Is his word really true? You're missing out on the fun stuff." 

Paul writing to Timothy said to be diligent in the study of the scriptures rightly dividing the word of truth.  If one knows the truth, the lie will be spotted easily enough.  For those, like Eve, not totally familiar with the whole truth, they will be easily deceived. 

It's amazing how drunks on skid row know the scriptures where Jesus turned the water into wine or where Paul writes to Timothy to "take a little wine for the stomach."  But that's the extent of their knowledge. 

So here comes Satan, "did God really say?"   He cannot stump her on her knowledge of the word of God so he flat out denies the word of God hoping to plant that seed of doubt in her mind. 

This caused her to look at the fruit differently.  God had told Adam that this tree would be sin to him.  Now she looks and it's pleasant to the eye; something to be desired and would make her wise.  Because of the lie of the serpent her view of this tree was no longer sin to her, so she eats and then gives some to Adam. 

The consequence of this decision follows.   We will start with that when I continue this story later. 

To continue;  Part II     http://kfc.joeuser.com/article/344746/The_Very_First_Couple_Part_II