The sap or life principle in trees was believed to have been derived from the "Creative tears of the gods." Thus the living tree as the receptacle of divine life was doubtless placed near pillars in the cult of pillar and stone worship, with the thought of assisting or bearing witness to the divine life in stock and stone.
Birds are a feature of tree worship, the divine essence descends on tree or pillar or stone in the form of a bird. And, however widely scattered the countries, wherever trees were worshipped the Serpent appears, either lifting its head in the background or coiled about the sacred tree.
Both the Aryan and Semitic races had a Tree of Life, a Tree of Knowledge and a Tree of Heaven. After Adam and Eve are driven forth for partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the Lord places "at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
