The rivers of Eden are described in Genesis 2:10–14. Scripture states that a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four riverheads. These rivers are named as Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates.
Pishon: This river “skirted the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold” (Genesis 2:11). The land is also noted for bdellium and onyx stone, indicating it was a region rich in resources. The precise identification of the Pishon river and the land of Havilah remains uncertain today.
Gihon: This river “went around the whole land of Cush” (Genesis 2:13). The name Cush is often associated with regions of Africa, such as Ethiopia, though its location in the context of Eden is debated.
Hiddekel: This is the name used for the river more commonly known as the Tigris. It is said to flow “toward the east of Assyria” (Genesis 2:14), aligning it with the region of Mesopotamia.
Euphrates: This river is well-known and still exists today. It is one of the major rivers of Mesopotamia and is repeatedly mentioned in Scripture as a boundary of the land promised to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15:18).
These rivers are part of the original geographical setting of the Garden of Eden, described before the fall of man. Their mention serves to ground the Eden account in real geography and to indicate the richness and provision of the land God created. Though the exact locations of some rivers are uncertain, the passage affirms the historical and physical reality of Eden as a place God planted for man.