Adam tasting the forbidden fruit. Fresco from the cloister of the monastery of Cantauque (Provence).

The term "forbidden fruit" is a metaphor that describes any object of desire whose appeal is a direct result of the knowledge that it cannot or should not be obtained or something that someone may want but cannot have. The phrase refers to the Book of Genesis,^[1] where it is the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil eaten by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. As a result of their decision to eat the fruit, Adam and Eve lost their innocence (according to the Christian interpretation), became separated from God and were exiled from the garden where they were forced to adopt agriculture under less than desirable circumstances for a living.

In Northern Europe, the unnamed "Forbidden fruit" became considered a form of apple, because of a misunderstanding of the Latin "malum", where malum as an adjective means evil, but as a noun means apple. The larynx in the human throat, noticeably more prominent in males, was consequently called an Adam's apple, from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit sticking in Adam's throat as he swallowed, and the name has stuck. Some Slavonic texts state that the "forbidden fruit" was actually the grape, that was later changed in its nature and made into something good, much as the serpent was changed by losing its legs and speech. Other Eastern Christians sometimes assume that the "forbidden fruit" was the fig, from the account of their using leaves of this tree to cover themselves. There are also opinions that it was tomato because this fruit in some Slavic languages is called "rajčica" or "paradajz", (both words are related to paradise - "raj" means "paradise"). The "Forbidden Fruit" is also regarded by some Jewish scholars as being a pomegranate.

In the philosophical novel Ishmael, the story of eating the forbidden fruit is described as a metaphor for the loss of quality of life caused by the change from a hunter-gatherer culture to an agricultural based society.

The term most generally refers to any indulgence or pleasure that is considered illegal or immoral and potentially dangerous or harmful, particularly relating to human sexuality.

In some biblical interpretations, the 'apple' was a metaphor for sexuality, 'the first sin' and so forth. This is heavily disputed, especially since the first commandment^[2] given to Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis was to "be fruitful and multiply."

See also

• Adam's apple
• Ishmael (novel)
• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• Total depravity

References