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Where was the Garden of Eden located: Turkey, Iraq or India? The location of the Garden of Eden is often suggested at Lake Van in Turkey or

at Qurnah in Iraq. In this post we match the geographical descriptions of the

Garden of Eden given in the Bible with the geography of Turkey, Iraq and India.

The purpose of this exercise is to show that the Garden of Eden indeed existed

and it affirms the historicity of the Holy Bible.

Four Rivers of Eden in Bible

The Bible describes the four rivers of Eden as follows: “The name of the first is

Pishon; it runs through the entire land of Havilah… The name of the second

river is Gihon; it runs through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third

river is Hiddekel; it runs along the east side of Assyria. The fourth river is the

Perath (Genesis 2:11-14).

Eden in Turkey| David Rohl| Euphrates| Tigris| Uwzon| Gaihun| Lake

Van

British Egyptologist David Rohl has suggested that Eden could be located at

Lake Van in Turkey. The Hiddekel is the Tigris, the Perath is the Euphrates, the

Gihon is the Aras, and the Pishon is the Uwzon River as marked in Google Earth

picture in Figure 1. We shall discuss these rivers in clockwise direction starting

from the south.

This suggestion is largely

rooted in the similarity

of names. The Pishon is

suggested to be the

Uwzon River because

the alphabet “U” in the

name Uwzon, if

changed to “P,”

becomes Pwzon, which

is similar to Pishon. The

Hiddekel is said to be

Figure 1: Eden in Turkey. Photo: Traced by Author in Google Earth

picture.

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the Tigris by default since the other three rivers are identified. The Perath is

suggested to be the Euphrates River because the Biblical name Perath is similar

to the name Euphrates. Both names have common consonants “p,” “r,” and

“t/th.” The Gihon is suggested to be the Aras River because the name “Gaihun”

used by Islamic scholars for this river is similar to the Biblical name Gihon. Thus

the Biblical description of four rivers emerging from a mountain matches with

Lake Van.

A difference is that the Biblical narrative revolves around the Pishon and Gihon

Rivers while the Hiddekel and Perath Rivers remain in the background. At Lake

Van, on the other hand, the Tigris and Euphrates are mighty rivers while the

Aras and Uwzon, relatively speaking, remain in the background.

Eden in Iraq| Euphrates| Tigris| Karun| Wady Ermek| Al-Qurnah|

Shatt al-Arab| Strong’s

Another proposed location for Eden is

at Al-Qurnah at the confluence of the

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers as shown in

Figure 2. Names of the four rivers are

circled in this picture. Here, Pishon is

suggested to be Wady Ermek. As in the

previous proposal, the Perath and

Hiddekel are suggested to be the

Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Lastly,

Gihon is suggested to be the Karun

River. Thus the Biblical description of

four rivers matches with Al-Qurnah.

But locating Eden at Al-Qurnah

demands reconsideration because

here the rivers converge into one

river—the Shatt al-Arab—while,

according to the Bible, one river “went

out” in four rivers at the Garden. The

Bible uses the word “yatsa” for “going

out” (Strong’s 03318). It means: “out” 166 times, “went out” 48 times, “left”

Figure 2: Eden at Al-Qurnah. Photo: Townsend

Maccoun.

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40 times, “go out” 40 times, “brought out” 38 times, “came out” 26 times… It is

difficult, therefore, to interpret the word “yatsa” as “coming in,” as the

situation is at Al-Qurnah.

The problem of the Biblical narrative revolving around the Pishon and Gihon

Rivers remains here as at Lake Van. The Hiddekel (Tigris) and Perath

(Euphrates) are mighty rivers while the Bible gives no details of these rivers.

The Pishon (Wady Ermek) and Gihon (Karun) re described in detail in the Bible

but are small rivers here.

Eden in the Indus Valley

Now we suggest an alternative location for Eden in the Indus Valley. Four rivers

flow out of Pushkar as shown in Figure 3. The river emerging to the south of

Pushkar is the Sagarmati. We suggest she is the Pishon of the Bible. She flows

near the town of Pisangan. The name “Pishon” and first part “Pisan” of the

name Pisangan both carry the same consonants “p,” “s” and “n” and suggest a

common origin of the two names.

The river emerging to the west of Pushkar is the Saraswati. We suggest she is

the Gihon of the Bible. The river emerging to the northeast is the Nahar. We

suggest she is the Perath River of the Bible. The river emerging to the

southeast is the Dai. We suggest she is the Hiddekel of the Bible.

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The problem of the

Biblical narrative revolving around the Pishon and Gihon Rivers does not arise

here. The Luni (Gihon), carrying the water of Sagarmati (Pishon), is a mighty

river while the Nahar (Perath) and Dai (Hiddekel) are, relatively speaking, puny

rivers as indicated in the Bible giving no details of them.

Pishon Joins Gihon| Targums| Jonathan| Josephus| Legend of the

Jews| Sea of Suph

The secondary text Targum Jonathan says that the Gihon carried the waters of

the Pishon to the Sea: “And the Mizraee followed after (the Hebrews), and

came upon them as they were encamped by the sea, gathering of pearls and

goodly stones, which the river Pishon had carried from the Garden of Eden into

the Gihon, and the Gihon had carried into the Sea of Suph, and the Sea of Suph

had cast upon its bank” (Exodus 13: 17, italics provided). Jewish Historian

Josephus, writing in Legends of the Jews in the 1st century CE, described the

same situation: “The chariots were laden with silver, gold, and all sorts of

costly things, which the river Pishon, as it flows forth from Paradise, carries

down into the Gihon.” This description does not match with Lake Van where

Gihon (Aras) does not carry waters of Pishon (Uwzon); and also does not match

with Al-Qurnah where Gihon (Karun) does not carry waters of Pishon (Wady

Ermek). In contrast, this is exactly the situation in the Indus Valley where the

Gihon (Saraswati) carries the waters of the Pishon (Sagarmati) as shown in

Figure 3.

“Zahab,” “Bdellium” and “Shoham”| Gum Resin| Arabia| Gold|

Emerald| Beryl| Guggulu| Rajgarh| Mangaliawas

The Bible tells of an association of the Pishon River with three materials: “The…

Pishon… runs through the entire land… where there is zahab. (The zahab of

that land is pure; bdellium and shoham stone are also there)” (Genesis 2:11-

14).

I have found no suggestions for these materials near the Uwzon River in

Turkey, which is identified with the Biblical Pishon.

It is reported that the area through which Wady Ermek flows, “was rich in

bdellium, an aromatic gum resin that can still be found in north Arabia, and

Figure 3: Rivers of Pushkar. Shaded areas indicate mountains.

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gold, which was still mined in the general area in the 1950s” (Has the Garden

of Eden been located at last? By Dora Jane Hamblin).

We find all the three materials at

Pushkar though with some

unconventional interpretations.

The first material is “Zahab” which

is conventionally identified with

gold. But gold is not found along

the Sagarmati (Pishon). However,

the root of the word “zahab” is “to

shimmer” (Strong’s 02091). Thus,

the two qualities of zahab are

yellow colour, which is derived

from its conventional association

with gold; and shimmering, which is

derived from its grammatical root. The yellow emerald has both these qualities

and is found in the area. Photo of an abandoned emerald mine near Rajgarh is

given in Figure 4. Thus, “zahab” could be the yellow emerald.

The second material is “bdellium,”

which is a gum resin (Strong’s

0916). People harvest a gum resin

from the guggulu plant in the area.

Figure 5 gives picture of gum

oozing from the trunk of a guggulu

tree at the Guggulu Research Farm

at Mangaliawas, located on the

banks of the Sagarmati.

The third material is “shoham”

which means “a precious stone or

gem, probably the beryl (from its

pale green color)” (Strong’s 07718). Beryl is also found in the area as reported

by the Department of Mines and Geology, Government of Rajasthan on its

website under the title “Precious & Semi-Precious Stones in Rajasthan.” Thus,

Figure 4: Abandoned Emerald mine at Rajgarh near

Sagarmati River.

Figure 5: Resin oozing out of guggulu tree, Mangaliawas.

Photo: Author, January 2008.

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all the three materials associated with the Pishon River are found in the area

south of Pushkar though not in their conventional identifications.

Archaeology| Open Bible| 4000 BCE| Groningen Institute of

Archaeology| Allchin |Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan| Budha

Pushkar

The Open Bible says that Adam lived around 4000 BCE. Thus the proposed

location of Eden must provide archaeological evidence of habitation at this

time.

The area of Lake Van witnessed the beginning of human habitation and grazing

around 6000 BCE and this supports the possibility that Adam could have lived

here. However, the area was fragile and susceptible to repeated degradation.

A study by the Groningen Institute of Archaeology says: “the decline of grass

steppe… proclaim increasingly arid conditions… The introduction of domestic

cattle in these grasslands readily leads to disturbance and degradation of the

vegetation… The interference of man and his animals with the fragile balance…

probably started the decline of the grass steppe… Pollen values suggest a…

declining agricultural activity towards the end of the 5th millennium BP.”

Further, Lake Van is a dead and extremely saline lake, which does not support

cultivation. Such an area could hardly be a “Garden.”

A large number of ancient archaeological sites are found near Al-Qurnah hence

it is plausible that the area was inhabited at 4000 BCE.

Evidence of habitation is available continuously from the last 200,000 years at

Pushkar. Bridget and Raymond Allchin, authors of The Rise of Civilization in

India and Pakistan, say: “Around the… Budha Pushkar there is concentration of

sites with (small stone tool) industries… these are primarily living or camping

sites… the importance of this unique place may extend back without a break to

prehistoric times.” Thus Al-Qurnah and Pushkar provide supporting

archaeological evidence.

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Living Traditions| Akdamar| Abraham| Jesus| Adam’s Tree| Brahma|

Temple

The church at Akdamar Island in

Lake Van has stone reliefs depicting

Biblical scenes with Adam, Eve,

Abraham, David and Goliath, and

Jesus as well as earthly themes,

such as hunting scenes and human

and animal figures as shown in

Picture 6. There appears to be no

special living tradition of Adam in

the area.

There is a tradition of the Adam’s

Tree at Qurnah. A plaque announces

that Prophet Abraham had visited

the place in 2000 BCE and said that a

tree would grow at that place

“which is similar to our Father

Adam’s” as shown in Picture 7. This

indicates that the “tradition”

extends only to Prophet Abraham.

The Hindu living tradition says that

Brahma undertook the task of

creation at Pushkar. His main temple

is located here as shown in Picture 8.

Thus we find living tradition only at

Pushkar.

Comparative Assessment

We have marked the evidences at

the three proposed locations in the

Table below. We have given the

evidence in green color where it

matches with the Biblical descriptions, in yellow color where the match is

Figure 6: Stone relief of Adam and Eve at Akdamar

Island, Lake Van.

Figure 7: Plaque of Adam's Tree at Qurnah

Figure 8: Temple of Brahma at Pushkar.

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weak, and in red colour where the evidence does not match the Biblical

descriptions. In the last row of the Table we have given a numerical summary

with green = 2 points, yellow = 1 point, and red = 0 points. The maximum

possible score is 14 points for the 7 evidences. We find that the score of Lake

Van is 6/14, of Qurnah is 7/14 and Pushkar is 13/14. Thus, we submit, there

exists a good case to examine whether the Garden of Eden could be located at

Pushkar.