Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-2 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Adam and Eve had their first children. Now the wording on this seems to say that Abel was a twin because it doesn’t say that Adam knew her again like most verses. The Greek word says that she “continued” to bare Abel. Which again, sounds like a twin. However, it is my belief that they are not twins because everywhere else in the bible states who are twins. Why wouldn’t this be the same way? I suppose it is still possible they actually were twins but, it is more likely that they were born very close together. Adam and Eve, being new to sexual desires, were probably unaware of that causing pregnancy.

Genesis 4:3-8 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

The first sacrifice was when God killed an animal for it’s skin to cover the naked Adam and Eve. From then on, a blood sacrifice was to be made to cover sin. Life for a life.

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

It is obvious that Adam and Eve did offerings and taught their children to do the same. Cain being a tiller of the ground brought a vegetation offering while Abel, being a keeper of the sheep, brought an animal offering. Neither of these offerings mention it is the best of the crop or flock. Abel’s offering is mentioned as the firstling, the first of the newest flock. God was pleased with Abel’s offering and not with Cain’s offering. God did allow grain offerings, however, they did not atone for sin. Usually grain offering were accompanied with a burnt offering. The burnt offering first, which was an animal consumed in the fire, and then the grain offering, which only part of it went into the fire and the rest given to the priests. This was equivalent to our modern day christian tithing. Of course, I am only giving a crash lesson here because the offerings required certain actions and all that will need a whole other study.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

One of the reasons God requires the first of the flock is because that shows faith that He will continue the flock. These flocks were used for food and for selling/trading. They were pretty much the income of the family. Sacrificing or giving up this income was a great leap of faith that God would provide. The animal had to be blemish free. You wouldn’t give your king a raggedy half dead gift, would you? Growing an animal really doesn’t require much from you. God is the one who does the work. Growing a garden requires a lot of work on your part to dig, weed, and harvest. Perhaps that is why Cain thought it was a good enough offering for God, because he worked so hard on it. The problem there is that your works are not what saves you from sin. So many christians today believe that their works will “get them into heaven”. Cain genuinely wanted to please God with that offering. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten so mad and jealous. But without the shedding of blood sins were not forgiven. Therefore, Cain’s offering did not atone for his sins and so he was still carrying them.

God told Cain that if he were sin free than his offering would have been accepted. But since he wasn’t sin free, a sin offering [Hebrew linear translates as “sin offering lie at the door”] was provided for him to give. Cain, being the first born, was afraid that Abel was trying to steal his birthright by being a suck up. God tried to explain that that is not what happened.

Cain went to talk to Abel. Being a mother of three boys I can imagine how the conversation went. Cain grew increasingly mad and snapped. It’s probable that Cain may have said, “If you want a blood sacrifice, here you go.” Maybe not in those exact words. Cain, having sin upon him, was not remorseful for what he did. When our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ, our conscience is not seared and when we sin we know it and feel ashamed.

1 John 3:11-12 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

This verse doesn’t mean Cain was the literal son of “the wicked one”. He was Adam’s son but, because of his sin his heart became Satan’s.

Genesis 4:9-11 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

Genesis 4:12-16 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

God’s punishment sent Cain away from Eden. Now not only is the garden off limits to Cain but also the entire area of Eden. He was banished to the Land of Nod. The Land of Nod was not the actual name of a place but rather the area outside of Eden. The word “nod” in Hebrew means “to wander”. The Land of Nod was the empty land east of Eden. It consisted of trees, open land, desert, and possibly a few animals. It may have also been inhabited by some of Adam and Eve’s other children that moved out there to explore or begin their lives. Cain was afraid that others might kill him for what he did. God placed a mark on Cain that if anyone should kill him, God would seek vengeance sevenfold. I’m not sure what this mark is, however, I do know the story of the writer with the inkhorn who marked God’s people for protection. Nowadays, our mark is Jesus Christ.

Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Genesis 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Cain met a woman and had a son, Enoch. Now you might have heard people question where this mystery woman came from. It’s no surprise that incest was the main source to providing people on the earth. The bible speaks of it several times in the beginning and later God said it was no longer necessary since so many people were upon the earth and He actually forbade it from that point on. Adam and Eve had many children. We do not know the specific time frame from the time Cain left Eden to the time he met this woman. It could have been several years or what I believe, they were married before his exile. While it is possible this could be his sister, I am leaning more towards his niece. Either way, she was his kin.

Cain built a city and named it after his first born son, Enoch. This city is the birthplace of paganism. Cain rebelled against God and created new gods with false stories. So, where was this first city built? As I have done in other studies, while science has it’s flaws and changes it’s mind often, I will allow science to prove the bible right. Keep in mind that the earth at this point is still one landmass, Pangaea, and the flood has not yet happened.

Eridu was long considered the earliest city in southern Mesopotamia, and is still today argued to be the oldest city in the world……Eridu appears to be the earliest settlement in the region, founded ca. 5400BC, close to the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Euphrates River……”Eridu was for all practical purposes abandoned after the Ubaid period”, although it had recovered by Early Dynastic II as there was a Massive Early Dynastic II palace (100 m in each direction) partially excavated there……By c.2050BC the city had declined; there is little evidence of occupation after that date. Eighteen superimposed mudbrick temples at the site underlie the unfinished Ziggurat of Amar-Sin……..Eridu was abandoned for long periods, before it was finally deserted and allowed to fall into ruin in the 6th century BC. The encroachment of neighbouring sand dunes, and the rise of a saline water table, set early limits to its agricultural base so in its later Neo-Babylonian development, Eridu was rebuilt as a purely temple site, in honour of its earliest history. ~ wikipedia

Eridu was abandoned after the Ubaid period which science believes to be c.5500-4000BC and recovered by early Dynastic II c. 2900-2350BC. Eridu had a population of approximately 4000 people. I don’t put much faith in the way science dates anything but, it does give us an idea of the biblical facts. From dates that I have gotten from the bible, Cain left Eden approximately 4300BC. That would place the city of Enoch close to the Ubaid period. The flood, or the Deluge as told on a 17 century BC Sumerian fragmentary tablet, would have happened approximately 2668BC. Enoch’s, or Eridu’s, rediscovery after the flood would place the rebuilding of the city approximately 2500BC during the early Dynastic II period.

Let’s break this down to understand it better:

City of Enoch building began by Cain approx. 4300BC (Ubaid period)
City abandoned between 2663-2500BC (Time of flood 2663BC all of Cain’s descendents are dead)
City rebuild begins by Noah’s great grandson approx. 2500BC (Dynastic II period)

The city Eridu (Enoch) was abandoned for over 150 years because everything and everyone that breathed air was killed in the flood. It took over 150 years for the earth to be populated enough for someone to stumble across the remains and rebuild it. Which then became the birthplace area to the tower of Babel. So naturally by 2050BC the city would have declined since they no longer understood each other and the people moved on. We will get into that later though.

Back to the beginning of the city of Enoch, or as known today as Eridu.

Genesis 4:18-22 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Cain’s grandson, Irad, may be where Iraq got it’s name since this is the area where it all began, in Mesopotamia. Cain’s great great great great grandson, Jabal, was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.

Iraq was one of centers of a Caucasoid Neolithic culture where agriculture and cattle breeding appeared for the first time in the world. ~ wikipedia

Jabal’s brother, Jubal, was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

The earliest harps and lyres were found in Sumer, (c.)3500 BC, and several harps were found in burial pits and royal tombs in Ur. ~ wikipedia

Sumer was divided into about a dozen independent city-states, which were divided by canals and boundary stones. ~ wikipedia

Among the cities that made up Sumer was Eridu. That places the first known harps in or near Eridu, or the city of Enoch where Jubal lived. Just fascinating!!

Cain’s great great great great grandson, Tubalcain, was an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron. He was a skilled craftsman that taught the people how to use these materials, thus placing his birth during the Bronze Age (c.3300BC according to historian science.) Which places the beginning of the Bronze Age before the flood.

Genesis 4:23-24 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Lamech, who was Cain’s great great great grandson and the father of Jabal, Jubal, Tubalcain, and Naamah, did not murder Cain as some are teaching because of the above scripture. Do they actually read what the word of God says? Seriously, folks. Lamech slayed a YOUNG man that caused him harm. Lamech is stating that if God will avenge someone seven fold who committed a murder out of anger, than God will avenge someone who committed a murder out of self defense seventy seven fold. Please pray for understanding before you try to read God’s word and “teach” it to others. The bible does not tell us how or when Cain died, however, it was before Tubalcain was born. If the Bronze Age started approximately 3300BC and Cain left Eden approximately 4300BC, that is 1000 years difference and no man ever lived to be 1000 years old. I believe God would have made mention of that miracle. Methuselah, who was Noah’s grandfather, was the oldest man ever at 969 years old. Because of sin man will die in a day, which is within 1000 years.

NOTE: For those of who watched that atrocity of a movie “NOAH”, remember, the bible never tells how or when Cain died. He was not murdered by his great great great grandson and he most certainly was NOT murdered by Noah’s father, who was also named Lamech. I have more to say about this horrid movie in my Noah and the Flood study.

Genesis 4:25-26 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

Seth was born sometime after Cain’s exile. My time line shows approximately 4194BC. Around 110 years after Cain’s exile. Now that may seem like a lot of time had lapsed but, if you remember Adam and Eve had other children also and some of these were female. It’s possible that during this time they had several female children and when Seth came along, it was a God send to finally have a male heir to replace the two she lost.

Seth grew up, married, and had his first born son, Enos, at age 105 years old. Enos must have been a teacher of God’s word. The people living outside of Eden were taught about pagan gods. When Enos comes along then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.

What we have learned about Cain’s city of Enoch is that it is known today as Eridu. Eridu was built in ancient Mesopotamia in Iraq near the northern part of the Persian Gulf. Coincidentally, that is close to the same area Ishmael’s descendents claim is the original location of the Garden of Eden. Eridu had temples erected to pagan gods. Remains of these temples are still there today. I discuss more about these temples in my Tower of Babel study.