The Garden Of Eden Myth And The "Messiah"

A comment by Farrell Till from the II Errancy discussion list, 11-29-06: TILL What we have here is just another spin that NT writers put on an OT text to make it appear that the Jewish scriptures pointed to the coming of Jesus. Jewish literature itself, however, indicated that the Garden of Eden yarn was intended as nothing more than an explanation of traditional concerns like why is survival such a struggle, why do snakes crawl instead of walking on legs, why are people almost universally afraid of snakes, and why is childbirth so painful? The answers are in the Garden of Eden myth. God pronounced curses on all parties involved in the first "sin." The man was doomed to have to earn his living by the sweat of his brow tilling land that brings forth thorns and thistles, the serpent was condemned to crawl on its belly and eat the dust of the earth, enmity between the seeds of the serpent and the woman was decreed (the one would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman; the other would bruise the head of the seed of the serpent), and women would bring forth offspring in pain. See Josephus's Antiquities 1:1,4 (49-51). When humans encounter snakes, they risk being bitten [on the heel], so their first inclination is to kill the snake, usually by crushing its head. Christians have distorted a myth, intended to explain puzzling aspects of life, into some mystical prophecy of their Messiah. As I have previously asked, is there anything sillier than theological assumptions?