The first time that intercourse is alluded to in the Bible is when “Adam knew his wife Eve.” However, this is only following their sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden- a place of supreme spiritual refinement and perfection. But prior to the sin, Adam and Eve’s existence in Eden was unique. They were the only two people on earth, immortal, and had a childlike innocence to the point that they didn’t even know they were galavanting around totally naked.

So it seems logical that sex- an intensely physical, hedonistic act would only make an appearance after they sinned and their innocence was lost.

According to some Medieval Christian theology, Adam and Eve did not have intercourse while in Eden and only once they were corrupted and banished from Eden did they engage each other sexually. These theories go on to explain that even if they had carnally connected before the sin- the sex would have been purely for procreation, which is the real purpose of sex. The act would have been so devoid of lust and pleasure, it would have been like any other plain, old bodily function.

But Judaism tells a different story.

Brace yourselves, it gets kind of weird.

God created Adam first and for some measure of time, he was the only human being on earth. God would go on to form Eve, but in that interim, Adam was not only alone, but lonely.

So he searched for someone or something to assuage it. According to the Talmud, “Adam had intercourse with each animal and beast in his search for his mate and his mind was not at ease.” Only once Eve was brought to Adam, was his solitude remedied. Once together, Adam exclaims, “this time, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” After desperately seeking a mate, this time- with woman, he had found an end to his loneliness.

Another commentary explains that God presented Eve to Adam on what would be their first meeting and wedding night. God adorned Eve with jewels and braided her hair, then brought her and Adam together under a canopy. That night, they had intercourse for the first time and truly became “bone of one bone, flesh of one flesh.”

Big day for Adam and Eve.

In fact, according to the Midrash (we’re about to get weird again) their first night of intercourse was so passionate that the infamous snake watched them and was so captivated by Eve’s beauty that he intended to kill Adam and take Eve for himself.

We learn here that not only did Adam and Eve  indeed cohabit in the idyllic Garden of Eden, but it was the very act of intimacy that sewed them together. To others, sex may seem out of place in the mystical, transcendent Garden of Eden between two people whose nakedness meant nothing to them. But in Judaism, sex belongs there because sex is itself spiritual, transcendent and mystical. Adam was surrounded by other forms of life yet he still felt alone. It was only Eve’s existence and the power of their intimacy that put him at ease, certain that he had found the other half to make him whole.