Tree of Life and the Anzu Bird
One of the more interesting elements of the Garden of Eden story is all of the inconsistencies among different cultures. From the golden apples to the poisoned apple of knowledge. And then exactly what kind of tree was it? We are generally told it was a Huluppu tree but those are not mentioned in other texts or described.
The modern trees mentioned as possible candidates do not bear fruit. These include the weeping willow and the cedar.
https://arboriculture.wordpress.com/2016/10/
So what else can we consider?
If we were just looking at fruit, I’d propose the Medlar Tree. It is a member of the rose family (relating to Inanna, Ishtar, Aphrodite, etc) and has a fruit that resembles a crab-apple.
However, it is a smaller tree.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210325-the-strange-medieval-fruit-the-world-forgot
The Medlar Tree does have a weeping quality to it and the fruit was made into jams and medicine.
https://dengarden.com/gardening/What-is-a-Medlar
https://www.katherinemansfield.com/article/what-of-the-medlar
If the Medlar Tree was too small, another option was the Persimmon Tree or a Stone Fruit (Cheery, Pear, etc) Tree.
Another fruit mentioned is the Quince.
I would add that another strong candidate, large enough for someone to live in, would be the Boab Tree.
The seeds from the tree could have floated with the flood or when Atlantis sank/flooded. It could have also been transported by sailors and others on trade routes.
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/30/aduna-creates-a-market-for-baobab-fruit
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/oldest-tress-africa-baobabs-dead-climate-science
https://ecoproducts.co.za/living-in-a-baobab-tree/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-07/boabs-come-africa-baobabs-evolution/10060946
Another possibility is a tree like the Sarv-e Abarkuh, as it is a very large tree in the Middle East.
Of course, it is also possible that the original tree went extinct as it was said to be the only one of its kind and it was cut down to use for wood.
And perhaps the tree was metaphorical. Depictions of the Huluppu in ancient texts resembles the Kabbalah Tree of Life.
And what connection is there, if any, to the ancient Greek city of Kavala?
https://kavalatour.com/en/city-of-kavala/history
What of the Anzu bird?
A recent prehistoric bird was named after the ancient Anzu bird.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/meet-the-chicken-from-hell-scientists-discover-fearsome-new-species-of-birdlike-dinosaur-named-anzu-wyliei-9203296.html
