The first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis are not intended as history. The biblical author(s) want us instead to understand the origin of things. This style of writing is common in many cultures, for example the folk tale “How the Tiger got his stripes” from Viet Nam. Thus it would not be true to the intention of the Biblical author to go looking for the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark or the Tower of Babel. These are not historical sites but spiritual insights. The origin stories in the Bible are intended to convey to us that everything comes from God, that evil does not have a power in competition with God, and that the plan of God is unfolding as it should.
