# The Tree of Knowledge

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tree-of-knowledge/980314>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 24, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tree-of-knowledge/980314 "2023-02-24T18:58:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tree-of-knowledge/980314/1 "2023-02-24T18:58:35Z")

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When did the “Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge” become an apple? No translation of Genesis I’ve read says it’s an apple.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tree-of-knowledge/980314/2 "2023-02-24T19:02:39Z")

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[Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_fruit#Identifications_and_depictions) says

> This was possibly because of a [misunderstanding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_cognate) of – or a pun on – two unrelated words _[mălum](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/malum)_ , a native [Latin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin) noun which means evil (from the adjective _[malus](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/malus)_ ), and _[mālum](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/malus#Latin)_ , another Latin noun, borrowed from Greek μῆλον, which means apple.

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**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tree-of-knowledge/980314/3 "2023-02-24T19:05:17Z")

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[The Master says:](https://www.straightdope.com/21343798/was-the-forbidden-fruit-in-the-garden-of-eden-an-apple)