The original sin, as narrated in the Book of Genesis, is not directly described as the pursuit of knowledge itself but as an act of disobedience against God’s command. In Genesis 2:16-17, God commands Adam, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” The sin then occurred when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had specifically forbidden. It was this act of disobedience, influenced by the serpent’s deception, that led to what is often referred to as the original sin.

The serpent said to Eve, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). The desire to be like God, knowing good and evil, enticed Eve, and subsequently Adam, to eat the fruit. Thus, the sin was in choosing their own wisdom and desire over God’s command and in seeking to attain godlike knowledge independently of God.

This story illustrates themes of trust, obedience, and the consequences of disobedience to God. It’s not the pursuit of knowledge in itself that is portrayed as sinful but the manner in which that pursuit leads one away from dependence on and obedience to God.