I stumbled upon several articles about Klaus Schmidt -
[1] and
[2] - who, with the help of Turkish archaeologist, discovered a place -dubbed Gobekli Tepe or
Hill with a Belly - not seen in 10,000 years. I also managed to stumble upon several Biblical fanatics -
[3] and
[4] - who made some sort of pilgrimage to the site, because they believe that it is the place of where the Garden of Eden once stood.
The one article I found fascinating was one written by Sean Thomas -
Paradise Regained? , who is a writer and a journalist for magazines such as The Times, The Guardian, Sunday Telegraph and Maxim. With a hefty bill of legit print publications [I often question Maxim's legitimacy in the print world... Now I don't have to.], I couldn't help but get stuck into his anecdote style of writing. The opening was good up to and until I read these words, "Even more remarkable, [GobekliTepe] might be intimately connected with the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden." My unadulterated reading turned into a Religion-Free analysis of Mr. Thomas' article.
His knowledge of Schmidt's work on the site is researched well. He tells the story of American Archaeologists who once visited the site and ignored it in 1964. In 1994, Schmidt found reason to believe to start digging at the site. He, along with his colleagues, found one of the oldest human artifacts buried intentionally. Thomas describes the site with weathered t-shapes stones ordered in a circular pattern and animal shaped carvings in stone. As I read his experiences at the dig site, I found Schmidt's work and discovery very interesting until Thomas popped the question:
"The link is becoming irresistible: a lost paradise, a forsaken lifestyle, a terrible ‘mistake’, even a solitary tree. Could there really be a connection between Gobekli Tepe and the Garden of Eden story?"
He goes home and consults his bible and comes to several conclusions:
1. In the Bible, the Garden of Eden is circulated by mountains.
2. Eden is located at the point were four rivers descend.
3. The fish in the local ponds were put there by Abraham.
4. The solitary Mulberry Tree.
He continuously tells the reader that the Adam and Eve story is an allegory, but he can't put down the facts he has discovered.
Let me put it plain and simple. Your finding excuses to put truth to a Biblical story. Of course the place is surrounded by mountains it's Mesopotamia!
1. A forty minute drive to the nearest mountain does not quite cut it as encapsulating that area by mountains. The whole town is surrounded by mountains within a very large radius.
2. Rivers come and go. These rivers you mention could have been formed after the Gobekli Tepe was buried.
3. While it is true humans, in history and even now, displaced many animals from their natural habitat - it is safe to say that anyone could have filled that pond with fish at any given time. Heck it could have been a man named Abraham; just not the Abraham you want it to be.
4. Thomas claims that the picture he took of the solitary mulberry tree [left] has something to do with the Garden of Eden. It's a tree that found nutrients in that one spot. And if that were a tree of the Garden it would be much bigger and older. That tree couldn't have been any older than I am.
Schmidt believes that the area they uncovered was used for some religious purpose and I think he is right. The placement of the t-shaped stones gives us an understanding of their superstition with death and rituals to please the gods. This is probably why we have tombstones. These humans could have been sun worshipers or it could have been possible a belief in the invisible all knowing gods of nature. Unfortunately, that's all left to speculation. Is this site a pre-Christian location? My guess would be sadly yes and no, because believe it or not Gobekli Tepe is one of the ritual grounds that helped develop all religious superstition that there is some invisible being[s] that need[s]to be worshiped.
Of course Thomas tells the reader to keep thoughts neutral about the whole bible thing. Despite the fact that he digs deep into the bible and his findings at Gobekli Tepe. There are two things I agree with Thomas: First, Gobekli Tepe is the greatest discovery about humanity and second his findings are highly debatable.
I like how Thomas ended his article:
"We are done. My heart is actually pounding. Together, Klaus Schmidt and I retreat to the tents for a final cup of tea. We discuss the Eden idea. He is adamant that it is just a theory, albeit a very intriguing one. As he says: 'Gobekli Tepe is important enough without any speculations.' "
That's Schmidt telling him gently to put down his Bible and look at the elegance of discovery.
Thomas continues:
"I have just one question left. Why did the hunter-gatherers of Gobekli deliberately entomb the complex? It seems a bizarre act, as well as a vastly laborious one. Again Klaus Schmidt shrugs.
'We don’t know.'
Sometimes those three simple words can be the most exciting of all."
This can be taken in two ways: Either Thomas is giddy about the discovery science unfolds or he is content with the fact science can't explain what they found and therefore his assumption of what he thinks is the first place of worship and the location of the Garden of Eden should be an option.
I say the latter, but then again that's highly debatable.
