Gobekli Tepe : The Original Eden

Gobekli Tepe:The Original Eden

In the chapter of genesis, the creation story of the bible, the first man and woman had been created in the likeness of God within the Garden of Eden; along with a diversity of animals that would co-exist under the dominion of the “first ever” recorded human beings. However, the question remains; where had this elusive Garden of Eden been located? Was it an actual physical location on this earth, or was it otherworldly? Perhaps, the answer will be uncovered within the ruins of Gobekli Tepe, the oldest known Neolithic site known to humankind. There are many points of correlation between the story of Genesis and the data unearthed at Gobekli Tepe, such as how both are coincidently the origin of religion and culture, both widely emphasize the symbol of the snake, and most importantly, both regard the human being as superior to the animal. Gobekli Tepe, a site located in Turkey, appears to be the origin of human culture, which dates at 12,000 years ago, a time when humans were hunter-gatherers that did not settle in one place for too long, and had discovered stone tools and fire. The nomadic people of Anatolia had managed to create a spectacular site that had been the revolutionary point that served as an introduction to religion and the “supernatural.” What convinced many scholars to view Gobekli Tepe as an early place of worship had been the many temples that had been discovered; however, most of them remain unearthed. There is convincing evidence that these ruins did not serve as permanent shelter for the Neolithic people of Anatolia, but rather as a point turning point that defined the human being. There is an opposite school of thought, however, ...

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...mal relief pillars surrounding the t-shape pillars. The ancient Anatolian human gained the mentality that he was superior to the animals that co-existed with him. The two t-shaped pillars had been single stones that were carved into “human-like” figures as stated by Schmidt. It is believed that these pillars represented the early deities that frequenters came to worship. Perhaps the animal reliefs served as representations of the qualities that these deities harbored, such as how the Egyptian culture displayed their gods as anthropomorphic, by displaying their god with the head of a certain animal on top of the body of a man. There is also speculation that the animal relief system served as early totems that were assigned to certain people. The wolf, fox, bear, and snake serve as universal symbols to many cultures, particularly the American Indian culture.