God, and progressive human corruption: Relationship between humans and soil J is unique in emphasizing a close relationship between humans and soil. This motif is first found in when "the first human is called Adam because he is taken from the soil [Adamah in Hebrew]." Initially, man lives in harmony with the soil. After man eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, however, the relationship is marred. In Yahweh God curses the soil and man will toil in order to eat from it. Humans will return to the soil at death as described in . The motif is furthered in the story of Cain and Abel. Cain is a tiller of the soil (Adamah), and after the murder, Cain is cursed from the ground . The bond between man and the soil is, seemingly, restored with Noah. He is described as a man of the soil and is described as the one who will bring relief from the toil of agriculture . Noah's drunkenness also alludes to the link between humans and the soil or plant/food the soil produces and corruption. In the end, J repeatedly shows a connection between human corruption and the soil. The separation between the divine and human One of the recurring themes of J in Genesis is the boundary between the divine and human realms. In , by eating the forbidden fruit, man and woman become like gods and are banished from the Garden of Eden, preventing them from retaining their immortality and full divinity. This theme is also seen in in the sexual union of the sons of God with human women: Yahweh declares this a violation of the separation and limits the life span of their offspring. Lastly, this theme continues in in the story of the Tower of Babel in which Yahweh confuses mankind's language to prevent them from understanding each other and approaching divinity. Progressive human corruption A third theme in the Jahwist is the increase of human corruption. God creates a world that is "very good", one in which all creatures are vegetarian and violence is unknown, but Eve's disobedience is followed by Cain's murder of his brother Abel, until Yahweh sees that the whole Earth is filled with corruption and resolves to destroy it with the Flood. Corruption does not cease after the Flood, but God accepts that his creation is flawed. Date Julius Wellhausen,