Saddam Hussein has been accused of many atrocities, but one may predate him by a few years. Many Iraqis now claim that Saddam ruined the Garden of Eden during his regime. Critics say he destroyed what was left of the traditional site of the idyllic biblical area, in the southern wetlands, by building dams and draining swamps. "By taking our marshes, he took half our happiness," farmer and teacher Salih Karim Judran told the Associated Press. Then again, other histories have it that the Garden was first ruined by other inhabitants of the region, named Adam and Eve.
Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Our digital archives are a work in progress. Let us know if corrections need to be made.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
More from this Issue
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineI Wanted a Bigger God Than My Hindu Guru OfferedAs my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
- Editor's PickHold Your ClapbacksC.S. Lewis recommended discernment over diatribes in exactly the moments we’re most eager to indulge in critique.