The Tree in the Garden of Eden and its Possible Origins

Thanks to Jim West who at his blog links to an article by E. Tsireli about the trees ancient religious history:

http://auth.academia.edu/EvlampiaTsireli/Talks/51280/The_Tree_in_the_Garden_of_Eden_and_its_Possible_Origins

and a quote from the conclusion

“The tree has become the means of communication between man and deity, as well as a way of expressing this relationship. This strong relationship passed into the biblical text and formed the tree of life and the tree of knowledge scene,however with a very different connotation. 

……However, with respect to the tree in the Paradise story of the Bible, it seems that its role reaches its peak as it is involved in the most important and perhaps most sad event of all human kind; the Fall of Man. Nevertheless, in the Christian eschatology there is the hope in the book of Revelation that the righteous men will be allowed to eat of the tree of life in the End Times. This is the only time the figure of the Tree is used by the writers – the biblical writers in this connection- to ‘open’ and ‘close’ in some way such a great sacred Book as the Bible.”

Now, I don't believe the Fall of Man was a sad event.  It was necessary and made it possible for us to come to be.  And I believe in the happy ending at the close of Revelation.