There are in fact very strong similarities between the story of Adam and woman in the Garden of Eden and the story of the Hebrew men and the Moabite women in Shittim. In both cases the male persons were very much more valuable to God than the women. In both cases the males were "chosen": Adam was the reason for all of Creation, and the Hebrew men at Shittim bore the mark on their bodies of Abraham's covenant with God, which included all males that belonged to Abraham or were the descendants of Abraham. And in both cases the women involved were much less important in the eyes of the Lord than the men involved.
In both cases the women "worshipped pagan gods", since it is not too farfetched to regard the serpent in the Garden of Eden as an evil demigod. And the Moabite women were obviusly pagan.
In both cases the not-so-chosen women had sexual relationships with the chosen men.
In both cases the not-so-chosen women offered the chosen men forbidden food. Woman in the Garden of Eden offered Adam the forbidden fruit, and the Moabite women in Shittim offered the Hebrew men forbidden food from their pagan rituals. And in both cases the men accepted the forbidden food from the women. The Bible says:
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.
So in both cases men who ought to have been loyal to God chose women over God and ate the food that was forbidden by God when it was given to them by these women. In both cases the women's sexuality is a very obvious reason for why the men chose women over God. And in both cases God retaliates by making very many people die. Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden led to everybody's death, and the transgression of the Hebrew men at Shittim led to the death of 24,000 people.
The Bible tells several other stories in a similar vein, i.e, stories where men are tempted by women they are sexually attracted to into doing wrong, and where catastrophe and death ensue. The two most well-known stories are the ones about Samson and Delilah and Salome, Herod and John the Baptist. Queen Jezebel is seen as a very evil and pagan influence on her husband, King Ahab, and she is seen as an important reason for the decline and fall of the nation of Israel. There are many other little snippets in the Bible warning men of the dangerous sexual power of evil women, such as this passage from Proverbs:
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who lacked judgment.
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight, as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is loud and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
at every corner she lurks.)
13 She took hold of him and kissed him
and with a brazen face she said:
14 "I have fellowship offerings [a] at home;
today I fulfilled my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let's drink deep of love till morning;
let's enjoy ourselves with love!
19 My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
and will not be home till full moon."
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer [b] stepping into a noose [c]
23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.
24 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths.
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave, [d]
leading down to the chambers of death.
Ann
