Genesis 3: The snake, Adam, Eve & a tree:
The "fall" (or is it "rise") of humanity

"The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents." ₂

	It describes the rise, not the fall, of humanity. It portrays God as having created Adam and Eve as proto-humans. They were not fully human because they lacked a moral sense -- the main difference between humans and the rest of the animal world. They had no concept of right or wrong. God deceived Adam and Eve into believing that the fruit of the tree was poisonous. A very intelligent and helpful animal, a snake, convinced Eve of the truth: that the fruit was not poisonous, but that she would gain knowledge of good and evil if she ate it. Since God had created the first parents with a curios nature and a drive to excel, both Eve and Adam ate the fruit. They did indeed develop a moral sense for the first time. This was an attribute previously restricted to the gods. God was enraged. In a fit of rage cursed the snake, Adam, Eve and even the ground itself. The snake is the hero of the story. Adam and Eve advanced from an animal-like status with no moral sense into full humanity.
	Genesis is an allegory. It describes the process that every generation of humans goes through as they mature into adulthood. They are born into their family of origin, helpless, innocent, in an atmosphere of security. They blindly following the expectations of their parents. Their parents tend to their every need. They are viewed as gods by the newborn. When they become teens, they start to build up a head of steam. They question their parents, experience new levels of conflict within the family, develop their own goals and ethics, and finally leave their home to strike out on their own.
	Genesis is an allegory. It describes the transition of the human race from a state of innocence, where people lived as near-animals. They were initially unaware of their own mortality; they had no concept of a moral sense; they were nomadic hunters and gatherers who lived off the land. After the transition they had a moral sense. They realized that their life on earth was finite. They settled down and became farmers.

We will deal in depth with the first of these interpretations.