Wilhelm Schmidt was a learned man who taught in the University of Tübingen. However, by the standards of the Holy Scriptures he was not wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and Herr Schmidt was an atheist.

     However, his skepticism was not restricted to religion. He was 51 years old when Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of Species.” Since he was fluent in English, Professor Schmidt published a penetrating critique of Darwin’s work, effectively showing the weaknesses of his evolutionary theory. Thomas Huxley happened to read this letter shortly after his successful debate with Bishop Wilberforce. After reading the effective arguments adduced in the letter, Huxley thanked God that the bishop was his opponent in the debate instead of the formidable Professor Schmidt.

     The learned professor was rich. He taught at the university not because he needed the money, but because he loved learning. However, he was not content. He saw weaknesses in every philosophical and religion system that had ever enjoyed currency among men. This put him in a philosophical vacuum, with no positive beliefs.

     In 1870, after the close of the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire, Professor Schmidt got an idea. Though he did not believe the Bible, he was thoroughly acquainted with its contents, and he decided to test the veracity of the sacred book. He reasoned that if the Bible were true, it ought to be possible to find the Garden of Eden. From the description in Genesis 2, he knew that he would have to look in the Middle East, somewhere near the sources of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. Since Genesis 6 to 9 told of a flood that had ravaged the entire earth, he figured that Eden must have been buried by sediments. He concluded that he would have to dig deep if he wanted to find it.

     Fortunately he was on friendly terms with the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who ruled over the region in which he wanted to dig. After receiving permission, he traveled to the general area where he suspected that the Garden of Eden might be buried.

     After a few days, he came upon a few acres where the foliage was richer and more verdant than the immediate surroundings. There was no reason for this. The lush area received the same amount of rain and sunshine as the surrounding terrain, and its soil was even less fertile.