Eden was born in Bat Yam, Tel Aviv District, of the then British Mandate of Palestine (1917–1948), and future State of Israel.

[3] Her father, Zvi Cooper, was a Polish-born landscape gardener who had emigrated from Europe and had settled in the Holy Land, in a recently organized farming community in what was then British-occupied Palestine.

[8] When searching for an actress to play the title role in 20th Century Fox's CinemaScope Biblical feature film The Story of Ruth (1960), producer Samuel G. Engel remembered her previous screen test three years earlier for The Diary of Anne Frank, and invited Eden to Hollywood in August 1959 to do more tests for the part of the character Ruth.

"[8] For appearing in the film, she lost 10 pounds in three weeks, giving up "bread and butter, sour cream, rich sauces and cakes" for "steak, cottage cheese and fresh fruit.

"[9] Daniel A. Poling, editor of the religious news and features magazine Christian Herald, thought that Eden's portrayal of Ruth was "worthy of an Academy Award.