ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on non-Christian infl uences on the representation of Eve. Christianity was syncretistic, and the existence of curious or wicked women in Greek legend, for example, reinforced the manner in which Eve was read. Classical genres-here the focus is on the epic-were used to adapt the material of Genesis in more learned forms. Pagan gods were no longer in competition with Christianity so they might be encountered or absorbed with relatively little anxiety. The same could not be said of Jewish and Islamic sources, but these addressed Eve explicitly, often in ways that medieval Christian commentators found congenial. Reactions to the writings of the other religions of the book varied from strict condemnation to cautious assimilation. In examining the texts that follow, the focus is on the effect they had on the manner in which Eve was regarded in the Middle Ages and not on their original context. This synchronic reading involves the scrutiny of the works’ narratives and leaves aside, for example, recent insights into late antique poetry or a sustained appreciation of Rabbinic methods.
