[OT] Eden and the Tree of Life

Eden

'Some feel "Eden" comes from the Sumero-Akkadian "edinu" ('steppe-land, wilderness') or from a Hebrew expression "those who feasted on dainties" (Lam 4:5).  More likely the word means "a place that is well watered."'

'Sumerian legends tell of a pure land in the beginning, called Dilmun, that has many parallels with the Biblical Garden of Eden. Although pure, Dilmun had no water. Thus the god of water (Enki) commanded the god of the Sun (Utu) to bring fresh water from the Earth to Dilmun. This parallels Genesis 2:5-6, "...for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth...But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." '

'With water flowing in the land of Dilmun, the Mother Goddess, Ninhursag, causes grass to grow, and trees to bear fruit, this garden creating Paradise on Earth. Ninhursag creates eight types of sprouting plant in this garden. Enki's messenger, Isimud, brings these plants to Enki to eat. Enki eats these plants, which infuriates Ninhursag, who curses Enki with death and then disappears.'

'Soon eight parts of Enki's body begin to fail, and his health worsens quickly. While the other gods ponder what to do, a fox offers to find and bring back Ninhursag if they reward him for his efforts. The gods agree, and the fox brings back Ninhursag. Ninhursag asks Enki which of his eight parts of his body are ailing. These organs were his jaw, tooth, mouth, arm, rib, and three other parts that were destroyed on the tablets that are known today. Ninhursag then creates eight healing deities, one for each of these organs, and Enki regains his strength.'
[http://www.ephemeris.com/history/mesopotamia.html]

• In 2nd paragraph of Genesis 2:8-13, words occurring in triple (adding emphasis) are garden, tree, name, river & "hu."

Tree of Life

• The Tree of Life - occurs with the definite article ("The"), which presumes common knowledge of it at the time of authorship.  References to the Tree of Life occur elsewhere in the Old Testament (Prov: 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4). 
  
• The Akkadians had a "plant of life" in their lore, and there was a plant in the Gilgamesh epic that would cause an old man to become young again.  However, according to Cassuto, these parallels are weak, and he suggests there are no solid non-Hebrew middle eastern parallels currently known to The Tree of Life.