Rev. Father A. Maximiadis

The Narrative.

The Cain and Abel narrative (Genesis, 4:1-17) has several layers, some of which are obscure, incongruous, and disconcerting. For example, the cryptic narrative concerning Cain and Abel’s “offerings, ” i.e., their “fruit,” and ‘firstlings of the flock’ respectively.

The Lord “did not respect Cain and his offering”. (Genesis, iv:5a. NKJV). δὲ Καιν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν. Γενεσις, iv:6,7. LXX, yet He respects Abel’s “firstlings.” ἐπεῖδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ. (Γενεσις, iv:4b. LXX.), “… Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell”. “καὶ ἐλύπησεν τὸν Καιν λίαν, καὶ συνέπεσεν τῷ προσώπῳ”. (Γενεσις, iv:5b. LXX).

The Lord responds:

“Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it”.(Genesis, iv:6,7. NKJV)

‘καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ καιν ῞Ινα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσεν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου; οὐκ, ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλης, ἥμαρτες; ἡσύχασον πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροΦὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ’.(Γενεσις, iv:6,7. LXX).

Then followed the first recorded homicide in the Bible.

“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him”.(Genesis, 4:8, NKJV).

“καὶ εἶπεν Καιν πρὸς Αβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Διέλϴωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ καὶ ἀνέστη Καιν ἐπὶ Αβελ τὸν ἀδελϕὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν”.(Γενεσις, iv:8. LXX).

Some of the other layers include the presence of another community in which Cain can find a spouse (Genesis, 4:16,17). Moreover, the ritual slaying of Abel (Genesis, 4:8-11), But the focus of this article will be on the implied existence of organized ‘religion’; both theoretical and practical.

The Mythic Parallels.

The Cain and Abel narrative is a continuation of the myths, the cosmogenesis; or ‘Origin’ stories:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”(Genesis, 1:1. NKJV),

Εν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν”

(Γενεσις, I:1.LXX).

And anthropogenesis; or creation of man:

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”

(Genesis, i:27.NKJV)

“καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατʾ ϵἰκόνα θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν, ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς”

(Γενεσις, i:27.LXX)

The narrative includes the first breach of the relationship between our proto-parents and God (Genesis iii:6); and the consequential ‘Fall’ (Genesis, 3:6,7). Within the narrative, there are transparent Mesopotamian mythic parallels. Anthropomorphically speaking, serve to pragmatize the aesthetically appealing omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God in a unique and intimate union with humankind, rather than an imageless, distal abstract supernatural power.

The Nomadic and Sedentary People.

The narrative’s literary tradition, in Biblical scholarship, is known as the “Yahwist,” and dates approximately 1,000 BC. Scripturally, it speaks of the nomadic, seminomadic, and sedentary lives of the people of those times. Perhaps the Kenites who inhabited Tell ‘Arad, 14 km west of Al-Bahr al-Mayyit, in the late Bronze Age, 1,300 BC (Judges. 1:16). The Canaanites who, presumedly, occupied the lands from Egypt to Syria, and the Jordan to the Mediterranean during the period of Israelite settlement from 1,400 to 1,300 BC (cf. Genesis 10:19). Moreover, the Bedouin Midianites in the Syro-Arabian Desert, early 1,300 BC (Exodus. 2:15). The actual boundaries of the territories in which they wandered have not, as yet, been delimited.

The Nucleus of Religion.

Verifiable religious concepts and practises had their origins in the Upper Palaeolithic period approximately 40,000 BC. This period is regarded by many as an epoch-making cultural stratum in human history. In the absence of verifiable data in the 960,000 years predating the Palaeolithic period, it could not be assumed that there was the inactivity of religion; even in the most seminal form.

Religious idées reçues and mores are regarded, by some social theorists, synonymous with the early civilizations, but it is not inconceivable to assume independence of one from the other. Theorists have also suggested that religion emerged out of economies, the division of labour and its exploitation, and concentration of power. This supposition is both arrogant and ludicrous and has the effect of secularizing the topic that quite clearly belong to metaphysical, theological, and philosophical discourses.

The most influential theorists, in the field, is Durkheim, Marx (who was not at all au fait with religion), and Weber, who were themselves not religious. Furthermore, their conclusions were based upon limited samples. The exception, of course, was Weber, who made in-depth studies of the great world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and Christianity; resulting in an impressive and unparalleled corpus of literature.

Although these theorists provide an important understanding of the social context, the core of religion concerns man’s psycho-spiritual evolution involving the meaning and purpose of life. Discussions of which, are more appropriate to metaphysics, philosophy, and theology.

The Evidence in The Cain and Abel Narrative.

The Cain and Abel narrative, although historically flawed, by today’s standards, does provide us with a glimpse at interesting data. For example the existence of developed communities (Genesis 4:14-15), and established sacrificial rituals for pastoralists and agriculturalists (Genesis, 4:2b-5. NKJV). However, notwithstanding the wanting text, God’s infinite benevolence and incalculable mercy are quite evident:

“Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” and the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.” 

(Genesis iv:15 NKJV)

“καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεός Οὐχ οὕτως πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Καιν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. καὶ ἔθετο κύριος ὁ θεός σημεῖον τῷ Καιν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν

(Γενεσις, iv:15.LXX)

Cain is found guilty of the ritual slaying of Abel. The second breach – that of human relationships – for which he was banished from a sedentary to a nomadic life as a marked fugitive under God’s protection. Unmistakable evidence of an early phase in the evolution of religion.

Raw Religious Infrastructure.

A traditional and historical understanding of ‘religion’ (‘θρησκεία’) suggests a reverential covenant and alliance between man and God. The word itself, in the Biblical text, is very uncommon because a construct of ‘religion’, per se, was quite foreign to the writers of Judaic and the early Christian writings. The word (or concept) doesn’t appear until the latter part of the New Testament (Acts 26:5, Jas.1:26,27). The Cain and Abel narrative reveal an unmistakeable background of raw religious infrastructure in its seminal phase of evolution. From a primordial distal stage of man’s powerlessness over control of fire, (prior to the Neolithic age 7,000 BC) and crops (between 9,000 to 7,000 BC).

Mythical Elements.

Regular agricultural and pastoral ritual sacrifices were essential in the struggle for securing the life-giving provisions from the soil (Genesis, 4:3,4). Ritual sacrifices are clearly seen through traditions and mythical elements extrapolated from outside the Hebrew tradition. Moreover, woven by the Yahwist into the narrative. Examples of these pre-Judaic components are the imported Accadian rôbhës malevolent figure from Accad, north-west of modern day Bagdad. Who ‘croucheth’ in the soil waiting to be appeased by the ritual fertilizing the soil with human blood (Genesis, 4:10,11), and the ‘marked’ (‘simeion’) Cain (Genesis, 4:15). To guarantee his protection from tribal retaliation. Cain, the ritual slayer, escaper, and sacrosanct figure; representing the collective guilt, has an indubitable parallel with other ancient rituals. Examples of which are the ritual at Nabu Temple in Babylonia, and the Bouphonia (Βουφόνια, i.e., “ox-slayings”) ritual at Athens. The Cain and Abel narrative, although historically non-specific, does provide a view of an organized religious institution (reliant on both the theoretical and practical). Demonstrating man’s search for ‘truth’ during the most unsophisticated stages of religious development characteristic of the period.

~ Finis ~