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Genesis 2 describes Adam being put in the Garden of Eden:
7then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. ESV
The implication is that Adam was created somewhere other than the garden, or there would be no need to 'put' him there. Are we told anything about where Adam was created?
John Gill (1) says about two places, a field near Damascus and the Mount Moriah:
some say it was a field near Damascus; the Targum of Jonathan is,
“he went and dwelt in Mount Moriah, to till the ground out of which he was created;”
and so other Jewish writers say (F16), the gate of paradise was near Mount Moriah, and there Adam dwelt after he was cast out.
(F16): Pirke Eliezer, c. 20. fol. 20. 2.
According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, the Mount Moriah was located in Jerusalem, where Solomon began to build the temple.
Lambert Dolphin (2) says:
However, Adam after he was created was placed in the Garden which lay to the East. Because of this statement Jewish sages have long claimed that Adam was created in what is now the land of Israel.
Additionally, in the Midrash Tehillim 92:6: (3)
Adam was exiled and left Eden, and he settled on Mount Moriah, as the gates of the Garden of Eden are next to Mount Moriah, from there (G-d) took him and to there (G-d) returned him, as it is said: "And the Lord, G-d, took the man. (Genesis 2:13)" From which place did (G-d) take him? From the place of the Temple and he sat outside of the Garden of Eden on Mount Moriah, as it says: "to work the land which he was taken from (originally). (Genesis 3:23)"
Where "G-d" is "God". (4)
Notes
The Garden of Eden is said to be eastward, in Eden Genesis (2:8);
Eastward appears to be either the direction toward the garden, from where the writer of the text was, at the time he wrote it, or the direction God moved from, when he placed Adam into the garden, after creating him. We might assume, God was in Eden, when He created Adam, and could assume He was west of the garden.
And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (American Standard Version)
(this suggests that the garden could be east of where God was, when he formed the man)
And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed. (Douay-Rheims Bible)
Related:
Genesis 3:24 (ASV): After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Therefore the answer to the question of where was Adam formed, was possibly westward, from the garden's location.
We might assume this because the Lord God placed a cherubim with a flaming sword on the east side of the garden, a side more likely to be facing where Adam was removed to, and quite possibly the cherubim was something that Adam might see or otherwise be aware of, from his new location, looking eastward toward the garden he was just removed from.
When here Adam could see or otherwise be aware of what was located on the east side of the garden, blocking his way to enter back in, and it is in this same direction, east, that God either originally moved, to place Adam in the garden, ...or....this was the location of the writer of the text, and it was east of the writer's location, that the garden was.
Since the mouths of 4 rivers, two names of which are still located in the area, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, somewhere west of where the mouths of these (four, now only two) two rivers connect is the possible location of where Adam was created. This is only a possible location, because the names of two rivers in the area today are the same names of two of the 4 rivers stated in the Bible text. These two rivers may not be the same two, nor even in their original locations.
Genesis 2:10-14 (KJV):
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. "
The following passages seem to postulate that Eden was once inhabitable; it was a wasteland, a wilderness, and a desolate place until God planted a garden of paradise there.
Isaiah 51:3 (KJV) For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Ezekiel 36:35 (KJV) And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities [are become] fenced, [and] are inhabited.
Ezekiel 36:36 (KJV) 36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places, and] plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it].
Joel 2:3 (KJV) A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
So I believe Eden had a garden of paradise but the rest of Eden may have been inhabitable or desolate. I believe Adam was created in the inhabitable parts of Eden. He was made of dust there and later placed in the garden that God planted in the east of Eden.
As a side note, God brought Eve to Adam in the Garden (Gen 2:22). I'd guess that she was also created in the desolate parts of Eden.
Peace.
In my opinion, Adam was the first man to have known God by having the Spirit of God breathed into him.
Adam is not necessarily the literal “first man” ever but is the literal first man to have a relationship with God by the indwelling of His Spirit. No other man before Adam had the dwelling of the Spirit of God within him.
The LORD God formed man (Adam) from the dust of the “ground”….that is, from the dust of the “Adamah” (meaning “red ground”).
Genesis 2:7 (7) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The “adamah” represents the people of the world who live after the flesh only….fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and are by nature children of wrath.
When God formed Adam from the dust of the adamah, He breathed the breath of life ( plural “lives) into his nostrils (which can mean “wrath” also). He formed man of the “dust”….of the humble, lowly…of the ground. God chooses the lowly things of the world….in this case, a lowly man (the dust) of the world to breathe His Spirit (the breath of lives) into by which the first Adam was to preach to the rest of mankind with.
The “others”…who are children of wrath…. are the “adamah”. His Spirit separates us in our minds from the carnal mind of the world who by nature are only minding the things of the flesh and behaving according to their alienated-from-God mind.
Ephesians 2:3-5 KJV (3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
The “adamah” walks in the vanity of their mind (singular) as they all have the same hostile mind which is alienated from the life of God.
Ephesians 4:17-18 KJV (17) This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, (18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
The “adamah” are alienated from God and are enemies in the mind because of wicked works.
Colossians 1:20-21 KJV (20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
The carnal (fleshly) mind is hostility against God and it is not subject to the law of God and neither can it be.
Romans 8:6-9 KJV (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
They that are in the flesh cannot please God.
(8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The “adamah”(the “red ground”) are in the flesh and are minding earthly things only as they do not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and they are hostile to God.
God takes the man from the adamah and breathes the breath of life into his nostrils (the wrath...the hostility) and then the man became a living soul. Adam means “red” as he was washed from the works of the flesh…the earthly mindedness. The adamah does not have the Spirit of God dwelling in them.
(9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Only then can the man have both to will and to do His good pleasure (Eden means “delight, pleasure”). Man cannot have the will to do His good pleasure without the indwelling of the Spirit.
Philippians 2:13 KJV (13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
The natural man (the adamah) cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God…and neither can he know them.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
“Eden” means “delight”. Those who have the Spirit of God delight in doing His commandments as He gives us the inward willingness to do them through His Spirit.
Only then can we please God …..while the carnal mind cannot. The carnal mind is not subject to His law nor can it be. The carnal mind is outside.
What is the man supposed to dress (to work) and to keep ? His commandments in the “garden”.
Genesis 2:15 KJV (15) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Leviticus 22:31 KJV (31) Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
This is where the man knows God in the garden of delight...by doing and keeping His commandments which are not burdensome. God put the man in the garden to work and keep His commandments….and to find delight in them….and God delights in the man who does them.
1 John 2:3-5 KJV (3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
The man has his “delight” (Eden) in the law of the Lord and in His law does he meditate day and night (he keeps it in remembrance).
Psalms 1:1-3 KJV (1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
That man is like a tree planted by the rivers of water bringing forth his fruit in his season…
(3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
We are in the "garden" of "Eden" so to speak when we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing (Eden) in His sight. He that keeps His commandments dwells in Him and He in him....the garden of Eden.
1 John 3:22-24 KJV (22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (23) And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (24) And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
