from today's THE STRAIGHT DOPE 04/03/2009 www.straightdope.com
A Straight Dope Classic from Cecil's Storehouse of Human Knowledge
Do women have an extra rib because Eve got one of Adam's?
June 3, 1977
Dear Cecil:
Is it true that women have two more ribs than men do? If so, could
this be the origin of the biblical story about how Eve was made from
Adam's rib? And while we're on the subject, what does the word
"spare" refer to in "spare ribs"?
— Bobby V., Chicago
Cecil replies:
All God's chillun got twelve ribs, Bob. The origin of the Adam's rib
story isn't known for sure, but some think it may stem from a
Sumerian joke.
Here's the dope: the Sumerians had a myth about a consortium of gods
who were busily turning the land of Dilmun into a paradise when one
of their number, Enki the water-god, committed a breach of etiquette
by nibbling on a newly-created plant. Ninhursag, the earth-goddess,
put a curse on Enki, and he fell ill as eight of his vital organs
failed. Ninhursag was eventually persuaded to relent, but to cure
Enki she had to create eight different new deities to cure each of
Enki's ailing organs.
The story bears some resemblance to, and in fact may have been the
inspiration for, the Hebrew story of Genesis: the creation, the
eating of the forbidden fruit, etc. But here's where it gets really
interesting: the Hebrew name "Eve" means, approximately, "she who
makes live." In Sumerian, the word for "make live" is ti, which is
also the Sumerian word for "rib."
Thus, the name of the goddess created to cure Enki's aching rib, "Nin-
Ti," may have been a Sumerian pun, meaning both "The Lady of the Rib"
and "The Lady Who Makes Live." The joke was lost when the story--
itself much altered--entered the Hebrew tradition, leaving only the
enigmatic association of Eve and Adam's rib.