Download or read book Tree of Life, Mythical Archetype written by Gregory R. Haynes and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The oldest scriptures at the heart of every major religion make reference to a mysterious tree at the center of the world. Its fruits, guarded by an evil serpent, confer immortality. A nearby stream of water divides into four rivers flowing into the four cardinal directions. The vicinity of this tree is said to be the birthplace of the first human ancestors. This legend is the oldest, most widely dispersed, and most mysterious religious idea known to mankind. The Tree also appears with other symbols on artifacts found at the ancient city of Troy and on the oldest examples of Greek ceramic art. The decipherment of these Bronze Age symbols, described for the first time in this book, leads to the discovery of an archaic theme pervading much of world mythology. An understanding of this archetype, and of the natural phenomenon that inspired it, unlocks many of the mythological enigmas that for centuries have eluded interpretation.