Rivers of Paradise,[1]the four rivers of Paradise,[2] or "the rivers of[3]/flowing from[4]Eden" are the four rivers described inGenesis 2:10–14,[5] where an unnamed stream flowing out of theGarden of Eden splits into four branches:Pishon,Gihon, Hiddekel (Tigris), and Phrath (Perath,Euphrates). These four rivers form a feature of the Garden that is popular in theAbrahamic religions.[6]
Although some commentators dismiss the geographic attribution for the Garden of Eden entirely,[7][8] 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.[9] To the second group of scholars, attribution of the Euphrates is without a doubt, most of them agree on the Tigris (Hiddekel), but the identification of Pishon and Gihon is ambiguous.[6]
In theKoine GreekSeptuagint, the earliest Old Greek translation of theOld Testament, in theBook of Genesis 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.[10]
FollowingSaint Ambrose[2] (per Cohen,[11] the association was established earlier, in a letter byCyprian in 256 AD) the rivers are interpreted asfour evangelists (orGospels), withWater of Life flowing from the word of Christ (theFountain of Life[11]) to bringsalvation. In Gospelmanuscripts the connection was made either in the tituli (cf. St Gauzelin Gospels,Gospels of Lothair) or as an illustration (Vivian Bible).[11] By the 11th century (Uta Codex) through a long chain ofexegesis Gihon was personified asMatthew (and associated with happiness), Tigris asMark (swiftness), Euphrates asLuke (fertility), Pishon asJohn (inspiration).[12]Pseudo-Jerome's commentary on the Gospels (7th century) contains different associations with evangelists as well as otherquadruples, including thefour elements andcardinal virtues.[13]
The four rivers of Paradise were frequently used inChristian art in 4th to 6th centuries AD (and later through medieval times, especially during theCarolingian period[11]) in multipleallegorical meanings.[1]
In visual arts the rivers usually flow underneath Christ's feet or from His throne (cf.apse mosaics inSanta Costanza,Santi Cosma e Damiano,Santa Prassede,Santa Pudenziana,San Clemente al Laterano,Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran,Basilica of San Vitale). Two stags are occasionally depicted drinking from the streams, referring to Psalm 42:[14] "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God". On the North portal ofCathedral of Chartres the rivers are depicted as young men carrying vessels with outflowing water.[2]
Therabbinic tradition does not interpret rivers literally, instead, they are believed to represent honey, milk, balsam, and wine.[15]Genesis Rabbah identifies the rivers as four corners of the world: Pishon asBabylonia, Gihon asMedia, Hiddekel as Greece, Euphrates as Rome. It also states that all waters in the world flow from the foot of theTree of Life.[16]
Similarly to Judaism,[17] Islam treats the rivers of Paradise (anhār al-janna) as carrying the honey, milk, water, and wine (cf. Q 47:15[18]).[19] However, Hosseinizadeh[20] remarks that these are not the same rivers as in the Bible, since there are fourtypes of rivers, not fourrivers in this verse. Furthermore, there are more types discussed elsewhere inQuran (cf. Q 76:5-6[21] andSalsabil in Q 76:17-18[22]), so there is no significant relationship between the biblical rivers of Paradise and the ones in Quran.[23]
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.[19]
The four rivers similar to the ones in Genesis can be found inhadiths. A hadith fromMuhammad reports that four rivers emerge from heaven: Euphrates,Nile,Sayhān andJayhān; Hosseinizadeh stresses that the latter two are not necessarilySayhūn (Syr Daria) andJayhūn (Amu Daria).[23] In a hadith narrated byIbn Abbas Tigris is also included into the rivers of Paradise,Sayhān is identified asIndus,Jayhān asBalkh.[23]
In the hadith ofMi'raj Muhammad witnesses four rivers of water, milk, wine and honey flowing from the base of theSidrat al-Muntaha tree.[24]
Hunt[25] draws parallels between the rivers of Paradise and the PersianCharbagh garden design.