Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sources — John Shaqi
Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends
“Now Cain was a tiller of the ground, but Abel was a pastor of sheep.
Adam said to them, ‘Take of the fruits of the earth, and of the young of
the sheep, and ascend the top of this holy mountain, and offer there the
best and choicest to God.’ Abel offered of the best and fattest of the
first-born of the flock. Now as they were ascending the summit of the
mountain, Satan put it into the head of Cain to kill his brother, so as
to get Azrun. For that reason his oblation was not accepted by God.
Therefore he was the more inflamed with rage against Abel, and as they
were going down the mount, he rushed upon him and beat him about the
head with a stone and killed him. Adam and Eve bewailed Abel a hundred
years with the greatest grief.... And God cast out Cain whilst he was
still unmarried into the land of Nod. But Cain carried off with him his
sister Azrun.”[113]
The Rabbi Zadok said, “This was the reason why Cain slew Abel. His twin
sister and wife was not at all good-looking. Then he said, ‘I will kill
my brother Abel, and carry off his wife.’”[114]
Gregory Abulfaraj gives this account of the strife: “According to the
opinion of Mar Theodosius, thirty years after he was expelled from
Paradise, Adam knew his wife Eve, and she bore twins, Cain and his
sister Climia; and after thirty more years she bore Abel and his twin
sister Lebuda. Then, seventy years after when Adam wanted to marry one
of the brothers with the twin sister of the other, Cain refused, asking
to have his own twin sister.”[115]
The Pseudo-Athanasius says, “Up to this time no man had died so that
Cain should know how to kill. The devil instructed him in this in a
dream.”[116]
Leonhard Marius on Genesis iv. says, “As to what instrument Cain used,
Scripture is silent. Chrysostom calls it a sword; Prudentius, a spade;
Irenæus, an axe; Isidore says simply, steel; but artists generally paint
a club, and Abulensis thinks he was killed with stones.” Reuchlin
thinks, as iron was not discovered till the times of Tubal-cain, the
weapon must have been made of wood, and he points out how much more this
completes the type of Christ.[117]
Cain and Abel had been born and had lived with Adam in the land of
Adamah; but after Cain slew his brother, he was cast out into the land
Erez, and wherever he went, swords sounded and flashed as though
thirsting to smite him. And he fled that land and came to Acra, where he
had children, and his descendants who live there to this day have two
heads.[118]
Before Cain slew his brother, says the Targum of Jerusalem, the earth
brought forth fruits as the fruits of Eden; but from the day that blood
was spilt upon it, thistles and thorns sprang up; for the face of earth
grew sad, its joy was gone, the stain was on its brow.
Abel’s offering had been of the fattest of his sheep, the Targum adds,
but Cain offered flax.[119]
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