In Genesis
Genesis describes Cain as a farmer and his brother Abel as a shepherd. Cain brings Yahweh an offering from his crops, while Abel brings firstborn animals and the best parts of them. Yahweh favors Abel and his offering, but not Cain and his offering, and Cain becomes visibly angry.
While the brothers are in the field, Cain attacks Abel and kills him. Yahweh asks Cain where his brother is and gives Cain a mark so that anyone finding him will not hurt him.
In Jubilees
Jubilees says Cain kills Abel because God accepts Abel's sacrifice but does not accept Cain's offering. The Lord scolds Cain over Abel's death, makes him an outcast, and curses him on the earth.
Cain marries his sister Âwân, who gives birth to Enoch, and builds a city named after his son. His house falls on him, and its stones kill him, which the text calls fair punishment for killing Abel with a stone.
In The Nature of the Rulers
In The Nature of the Rulers, Cain brings produce from his field, while Abel presents an offering from his lambs. God favors Abel's offering but does not accept Cain's offerings, then asks Cain where his brother is. Cain answers by asking whether he must watch over his brother, and God says his brother's blood cries out.
Where Cain appears
- GenesisGenesis presents Cain as a farmer who kills his brother Abel and receives a protective mark from Yahweh. · The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible
- JubileesJubilees describes Cain's rejection, marriage to Âwân, city named after Enoch, and death beneath his fallen house. · The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible
- The Nature of the RulersThe Nature of the Rulers describes Cain's offering and his answer when God asks where Abel is. · The Nag Hammadi Scriptures
- Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of Abraham presents Cain alongside Adam, Eve, and the adversary, who leads Cain to break the law. · The Complete Books of Enoch
- Testament of AbrahamTestament of Abraham calls Cain wicked and identifies Abel, whom he kills, as a judge of all creation. · The Complete Books of Enoch
- Mysteries of Heaven and EarthMysteries of Heaven and Earth says Lamech kills Cain and records God's warning against anyone who punishes Cain. · The Complete Books of Enoch
What the texts say, in their own words
“While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?””
“Yahweh gave Cain a mark so that anyone who found him would not hurt him.”
“At the end of this jubilee, Cain was killed after Adam in the same year; because his house fell on him and he died inside his house, and he was killed by its stones; because he had killed Abel with a stone, and he was killed by a stone as a fair punishment.”
“God said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” Cain answered him, “Am I supposed to watch over my brother?””
Questions
Who was Cain?
In Genesis, Cain is a farmer and the brother of Abel, whom he kills in the field.
Why does Cain kill Abel?
Jubilees says Cain kills Abel because God accepts Abel's sacrifice but does not accept Cain's offering.
What is Cain's mark?
Genesis describes Cain's mark as protection given by Yahweh so that anyone who finds him will not hurt him.
Where is Cain mentioned in the lost texts?
Cain appears in Genesis and Jubilees, in The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible; The Nature of the Rulers, in The Nag Hammadi Scriptures; Apocalypse of Abraham, Testament of Abraham and Mysteries of Heaven and Earth, in The Complete Books of Enoch.
