The question of where Adam and Eve, the first humans according to Judeo-Christian tradition, are buried is an interesting one that has been debated for centuries. There is no definitive answer, but various traditions, legends, and proposed archaeological sites provide some clues. Exploring the possible burial places of these iconic biblical figures offers insights into ancient views on the geography of Eden and the spread of civilization. While the literal existence of Adam and Eve is debated, the stories and legends around their graves illustrate how beliefs transform into folklore and material culture over time.
Quick Answers
– The traditional burial place of Adam and Eve is not known for certain.
– Various traditions place their graves in different locations, including the Cave of Treasures in Jerusalem, the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, and Gebel Qubbet el-Arwah (Mountain of the Spirits) in Mecca.
– There are also accounts of their headstones or tombs being transported or rediscovered in other lands, including Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
– While the exact geography is unclear, biblical accounts place the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve’s original home somewhere in the Middle East. This informs many traditions about the location of their graves.
– Archeological excavations have not uncovered definitive evidence of Adam and Eve’s graves in any proposed site. But some locations contain very old tombs and monuments that illustrate an ancient belief that the area contained their burial grounds.
Graves Linked to the Cave of Treasures Tradition
One early tradition centered around the Cave of Treasures, a mythical location said to contain the treasures of Adam and Eve after they left Eden. The cave’s location is not specified in early texts, but some traditions place it in or near Jerusalem. This informs a number of accounts about the entombment of Adam and Eve.
The Cave of Treasures in Jerusalem
The Book of the Cave of Treasures, a 6th century apocryphal work, claims Adam and Eve were buried in the Cave of Treasures which was located on a mountain outside Paradise:
“Now after Adam and Eve were cast out of Paradise, they went up over the top of that mountain, and went down to live in a cave…And when Adam had lived nine hundred and thirty years…he knew that he was about to die. And he said unto Eve his wife: ‘Rise up, and go thou, and bring me hither the son whom thou hast borne, and I will see him before I die.’ … And Seth and his mother Eve buried him in the Cave of Treasures.”
This tradition generally places the Cave of Treasures and Adam’s grave somewhere just outside Jerusalem. The 4th century pilgrim Egeria wrote of a grave and tomb of Adam beneath the Rock of Calvary around Jerusalem. Later traditions often place the cave on the hill where Christ was crucified, known as Gordon’s Calvary.
The Cave of Machpelah in Hebron
The Cave of Machpelah near Hebron has also been proposed as Adam and Eve’s burial site. An early version of the tradition claims the cave and adjoining field were purchased by Abraham to serve as the tomb for Adam and Eve as well as the other patriarchs. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literature all refer to this cave as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, said to contain the remains of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah.
The tradition that this cave also contains Adam and Eve’s graves has been important for thousands of years. The entryway to its main chamber is only 4 feet high, said to be formed when God made the cave shrink after Adam’s death, so that no human remains could ever be taken from it.
Graves Linked to the Mountain of the Spirits Tradition
Another early tradition places Adam’s grave on a mountain in the holy city of Mecca. Known as Gebel Qubbet el-Arwah or the Mountain of the Spirits, its name reflects the Islamic belief that it contains the graves of many ancient prophets and saints. The mountain was also known as Jabal Lihya or the Hill of Purity.
The Black Stone in the Kaaba
In the Islamic tradition, the holy Kaaba in Mecca was built around a black stone sent down from heaven. Originally white, it turned black from absorbing believers’ sins over time. According to some accounts, the Black Stone was originally the jewel atop the staff of Adam brought by Noah’s great grandson Qubbel. Muhammad is said to have set the stone into the original Kaaba, honoring its ancient heritage linked to Adam. This offers symbolic connections between Adam, Mecca, and the Islamic pilgrimage rituals focused on the black stone.
Graves Rediscovered on the Mountain of the Spirits
In more recent centuries, some Islamic scholars have claimed the graves of Adam and Eve were rediscovered on the Mountain of the Spirits in Mecca. In his history of Mecca, 17th century Islamic historian al-Azraqi claimed Abdallah ibn Zubayr, who ruled Mecca in the 7th century, had found the Maqam Ibrahim, an imprint of Abraham’s feet, as well as the intact graves of Adam and Eve on the mountain. Some modern accounts also describe the remains of Adam and Eve being rediscovered there through various dreams and visions. These gravesites are not accessible today, but some pilgrims recite special prayers towards the mountain because of the belief it contains Adam and Eve’s tombs.
Tomb Relics and Symbolic Graves
Beyond literal grave sites, traditions of Adam and Eve have also influenced funerary monuments far from the Middle East. These symbolic graves represent the spread of biblical lore into other cultures.
The Tomb of Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka
On Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, a shrine contains imprints in the rock claimed to be Adam’s footprint. Some traditions hold Adam was exiled here after leaving Eden and lived out his life in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist and Islamic version of the legend say the imprint was made by Adam when Allah created him at the mountain, while some Hindu and Christian stories link the mark to stories of Shiva and St. Thomas. Alongside the footprint shrine, the summit contains the The Tomb of Adam, a structure said to hold Adam’s remains. Accounts vary, but some pilgrims refer to seeing his bones through cracks in the tomb’s rocks. The site has been an important pilgrimage destination for over 1000 years, where visiting the Tomb of Adam is thought to bring blessings.
The Rediscovered Tomb of Eve in Jeddah
In modern times, newspaper accounts describe the discovered tomb of Eve in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1918, it was reported that the tomb had been rediscovered 20 feet under a site capped by a modern mosque. Accounts described caskets and bones displayed within, marked with ancient Hebrew inscriptions identifying them as the remains of Eve. Some Islamic scholars voiced skepticism about the authenticity of the tomb’s contents. Others argued Eve’s tomb near Adam’s in Mecca may have been taken and moved long ago. While unlikely to be Eve’s literal remains, the symbolic tomb still gained attention. Similar accounts surround other rediscovered graves of Eve and Adam across the Middle East, reflecting ongoing fascination with their fate.
Proposed Archaeological Sites
While texts and stories about Adam and Eve’s graves abound, scientifically excavated sites definitively linked to them have not been found. But archaeological findings in ancient tombs offer some insights into the long tradition of linking certain holy sites to their burial grounds.
Tomb of Godfrey de Saint-Omer
In Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered an intact burial chamber dating to the Crusader era in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Found in 2017 and opened in 2019, researchers say the tomb likely contains the remains of Godfrey de Saint-Omer, a French nobleman who died in Jerusalem in 1099. Surrounding tomb structures appear to date to the original 4th century church. While it does not contain Adam and Eve’s graves, its location connects to the tradition they were buried on or near Gordon’s Calvary where Christ was crucified. The site’s use as an important burial ground stretches back to earliest Christian traditions about the area.
Sacred Precinct of Mt. Gerizim
On Mt. Gerizim near Nablus, archaeologists recently excavated the remains of a very old structure within a sacred precinct dated to the Iron Age. Some scholars link Gerizim to traditions about the Cave of Treasures and Adam and Eve’s graves. Ancient Samaritans built temples and shrines in the area, and perform Passover sacrifices there to this day. Evidence of ancient structures and burials back to the Canaanite period represent very old regional beliefs about the mountain’s sanctity. While not a direct gravesite link, it illustrates how holy sites evolve over millennia.
Al-Masjid al-Haram Mosque
In Mecca, the Great Mosque or Al-Masjid al-Haram surrounds the Kaaba and Black Stone. Beneath it, archaeologists have found ancient remains predating the Prophet Muhammad, as well as tombs, wells, and artifacts linked to pre-Islamic culture. The earliest mosque foundations have been demolished and rebuilt numerous times over history, obscuring many details. But evidence shows the continuity of the site as a holy pilgrimage destination long before Islamic traditions tied it to Adam and Eve’s graves. The mountainous region is geologically much older. While excavations at the mosque do not substantiate gravesites, they connect to regional lore about Adam and Eve’s tombs.
Conclusion
The exact burial place of Adam and Eve may never be definitively known. But traditions linking their graves and relics to holy sites flow through Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literature. From Jerusalem to Mecca, these stories made their mark on culture, architecture, and pilgrimage rituals that endure into the modern era. While interpreting Adam and Eve as symbolic or archetypal figures, many scholars also recognize that tombs and shrines tied to them represent evolving mythologies that solidified certain locations as sacred geography. The tangible focus offered by graves and relics made abstract theology about Genesis feel real in a way theology alone rarely can. Debates around proposed burial sites will likely continue, as the quest to link tangible relics with biblical lore reflects something fundamental in the human relationship to myth. The search for beginnings and meaning remains perpetual, and as such, interest in discovering the world’s oldest graves will persist.