Antiquity: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, painted in 1592 by Cornelis Cornelisz van Haarlem.

According to the Book of Genesis, which is the first book of the Christian Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, God created the universe in seven days. On the sixth day, he created ÔAdamÕ, the Hebrew word for ÔmanÕ, and placed him in ParadiseÑthe Garden of Eden. From one of AdamÕs ribs, God then created a mate for him: Eve, meaning ÔMother of LifeÕ. Adam and Eve were permitted to eat all the fruit in the garden except that from the ÔTree of KnowledgeÕ. However, the devil, disguised as a serpent, persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruitÑan appleÑand she gave in to the temptation. This was considered mankindÕs first sin. (Photo by: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)