The oral tradition continued for who knows how many thousands of years until written books began to appear. Many ancient books were composed in a veiled way, utilizing symbol and allegory to tell stories that conveyed a deeper message. Unlike today, where authors express in a forthright manner through books that will hit the printing press to reach the masses, books in the ancient world were written by hand and available mainly to the priestly classes and the very wealthy. Care was often taken to hide the deeper meaning in an effort to preserve the text and protect it from distortion and fabrication. It was mainly the priestly class that interpreted the meaning of a number of these books and this is certainly so for the bible, whose parables and scriptures have shaped the hearts and minds of countless people for the past sixteen centuries or so. 

 

I recently discovered the work of Alvin Boyd Kuhn, who was a writer, philosopher and esotericist who authored over 150 books, essays and published papers. With his years of dedicated study of symbolism, Theosophy, and the wisdom of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, he has written a number of unique and profound essays on his interpretations of common bible stories that are unlike anything I have ever read. His essay on the Tree of Knowledge, the story of Adam and Eve, is one of the most healing pieces of writing I have ever experienced on this topic, as it takes the literal surface story and exposes the extraordinary symbolism within it that speaks to deep and profound principles of Truth on the nature of the soul. Having grown up Catholic and been unmoved by the catechism and the church experience, I can’t help but wonder how I would have responded if I’d been availed of this sublime wisdom.

 

As I realize that many people prefer to listen than read, I begin the first hour with some of my thoughts and then read 2/3’s of Kuhn’s essay, and I think many of you will find his meaningful interpretations of the tree and its leaves, among other elements to be very stirring. The second hour completes his essay, and wait till you hear his interpretation of Eve! My commentary follows on my takeaway from this very evocative interpretation. I also include a few paragraphs and thoughts on his essay titled, The Lost Key to the Scriptures. For anyone who was raised Christian, I think this great man’s insights and research will serve you with a depth of meaning on this particular story that is not found in the conventional interpretations. Personally, I have always found this story to be one that instills shame, particularly on the woman’s role in that telling, and I think many women have been made to carry the shame of that supposed error for well over a thousand years. Kuhn’s sagacious insights and depth of knowledge shatter the purblindness of the conventional interpreters and open the gates of knowledge, wisdom and understanding to the intrepid reader.