User:Douglas Coldwell/Sandboxes/44

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[edit] Name and Origin

According to the Bible, Eve (Hebrew: חַוָּה, chavvah; Arabic: حواء, Hawwa; Ge'ez: ሕይዋን Hiywan; "living one" or "source of life", from Hebrew ḥawwâ, "living", "life", from ḥāyâ, "to live"; ultimately from the Semitic root ḥyw^[1]) is Adam's wife, created for and named by Adam. Derived from the words chavah, meaning "to breathe" and chayah, meaning "to live", her name occurs only five times in the Bible. Historically the name appears to have been derived from that of the Hurrian Goddess "Kheba", who was shown in the Amarna Letters to be worshipped in Jerusalem during the Late Bronze Age. It has been suggested that the name Kheba may derive from Kubau, a woman who reigned as the first "king" of the Third Dynasty of Kish^[2][3] . Another name of Asherah in the first millennium BCE was Chawat, Hawah in Hebrew (Eve in English). Her full title was "Rabat Chawat Elat", Great Lady Eve the Goddess, and was associated with the serpent. Thus, Chawah/Eve was probably a form of Asherah in her guise as a Serpent Goddess. As a snake goddess, she was also represented by bronze serpent forms, examples of which have been found in archaeological excavations in the Levant. In fact the Nehush-tan, literally the Bronze Serpent which in traditional Jewish myth is associated with Moses, is much more likely an emblem of Asherah. It too was removed from the Jerusalem temple the same time as the "asherah objects", during the reign of Hezekiah.^[4]

Use of this as a given name in England began in the 12th Century. This was at first a fairly uncommon name, and is less popular than Eva. It has remained in quiet but steady use in the U.S.A.^[5]

In Scotland and Ireland, Eve has been used to anglicize Gaelic Aoife "radiant, beautiful". In England and Wales, Eve is currently gaining popularity. Eve has been a favorite name in France, and the form Eva is popular in many European countries. It has English variants including Ava(a favorite in Ireland, Canada and Australia today), Evita and Evie (most popular in England and Wales today).

Eve is not a saint's name, but the traditional name day of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, has been celebrated on December 24 since the Middle Ages in many European countries, e.g. Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Scandinavia, Estonia.

Eve is the first woman mentioned in the Bible. Here it was Adam who gave her the name Eve. Eve lived with Adam in the Garden of Eden during the time Adam was described as having walked with God. Eventually, however, with the Fall, the pair were removed from the garden because she was encouraged by a snake to take an apple of the Tree of Good and Evil and with the Temptation led Adam to eat of the Forbidden Fruit. Eve also discovered the art of how to spin with a distaff.^[6]