Eve — First Woman, Wife, and Mother
This may sound strange coming from an archaeologist, but when I was younger, one of my heroines was Eve, as in The First Eve. I grew up in a Christian family and although my parents were not really strict, and I have never been baptised, the religious influence was there. For example, I didn’t have fairytales for bedtime stories, but instead Biblical tales with questions at the end to make sure I was paying attention.
I remember hearing the story of Eve and thinking, “What a poor woman! She put up with a lot.” She was and still is the one blamed for the “Original Sin.” She was cruelly tricked, kicked out of Paradise to labour for food and shelter on previously un-worked soil, while also the first wife and mother — how daunting! Eve endured child birth many times and stomach cramps whilst Adam, presumably, was of no help. She even dealt with the murder of her son Abel by the hand of her other son Cain and yet somehow got on with it all. Eve accomplished so much and yet in most of the Bible she has been quite overlooked.
I always thought of Eve as a great role model. She was patient and loving, loyal and hardworking, and she never looked for gratitude.
-Natalie Moyanah