The myth is that the forbidden fruit was an apple...
The Bible merely says fruit, but for hundreds of years, it seems that society at large has just accepted that the forbidden fruit was a bright shiny apple.
But how and when did that happen? Why did it happen?
I recently listened to a pod cast (are you surprised?) that tackled that very subject. Here's the link and I strongly encourage you to listen for yourself... The pod cast guest, Professor Azzan Yadin-Isreal, shares his journey of finding the answer, which is super interesting. So, as I said, you should go listen for yourself.
But the answers are as follows...
Professor Yadin-Israel posits that the forbidden fruit became an apple by the morphing of vernacular. Much as we see today, meanings of words morph and change over time. So sometime back in the 16th century, the general French word for fruit became the French word for apple and wha-la.
Interestingly, it took a bit longer for Italy to catch on. They still referenced figs in their art for a time.
And there you have it. The Professor makes a compelling argument, I think. I guess we'll never know what type of fruit was really the forbidden fruit. And maybe that's for the best.
Have a great weekend!
