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Both stories are stories of filial rivalry but, unlike Esau and Jacob, Cain and Abel demonstrate no supernatural powers.

Esau and Jacob fight, even in their mother's womb. As Esau is being born, Jacob takes hold of his heel, as if to pull him back so that he, Jacob, could be born first. This is just the forerunner of a life of competition and rivalry, including Jacob's theft of their father, Isaac's blessing. There is less rivalry betwen Cain and Abel. but eventually Cain becomes resentful because God preferred the sacrifice offerred by Abel, rather than his own. Instead of the dangerous coexistence of Esau and Jacob, this resentment is resolved quickly and cleanly by the death of Abel.

Asaph Sagiv believes that the Cain and Abel story represents a biblical countermyth to the Egyptian story of Osiris and his brother Seth. In that story, Seth, an evil god of the nomads, kills Osiris, the Egyptian god of the earth's fertility. In Genesis, Cain (an Osiris figure) offers a cult sacrifice (Abel) to the earth; the Lord curses the ground for accepting the victim's blood and banishes Cain from his divine presence; and Seth appears as a substitute for the nomadic victim whose sacrifice the biblical God preferred.

The very origins of the story of the Esau-Jacob rivalry, long before The Bible story was written in its present form, could be that Jacob symbolised the moon god and Esau represented the sun god, who were natural rivals. When Jacob returns from Haran with his two new wives (who represent the planet Venus, but that's another story), he encounters Esau and fears for his life. As soon as he reaches an understanding with Esau, we read about the famous story in which he wrestles with a stranger for the entire night. Although this stranger was not Esau, this passage links back to the previous contest with Esau, because the stranger appears to be the sun god in another form. Jacob prevails all night until daybreak and the stranger must leave Jacob before the sun could rise, then the sun rose upon Jacob.

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Why are Cain and Abel famous?

A:According to the Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel wewre the first two people to be born on earth, which is probably reason enough to be famous. They are also famous as the characters in a story about how to please God, a story in which Cain murders Abel. Abel knew that God would be pleased by a sacrifice of tender meat, so his offering was a young lamb. God was so pleased with this offering that Cain could not fail to notice. Cain only offered the grain that he, as a farmer, grew, and this displeased God. Rather than placating and encouraging Cain, who was hurt by the rejection of his offering, God scolded him for showing his feelings. Cain rose up and murdered Abel, but this was incidental to the story which was really about how to please God. The story establishes that the very best meat must be sacrificed and shared with the priests.


Who is Cain and abel's father?

Adam is the father of Cain and Abel according to the Bible.


What was Cain's respone to God's question when he killed his brother?

There are several ways of defining the conflict between Cain and Abel. In Genesis, Cain kills Abel because God was pleased with his sacrificial offering, but rejected Cain's offering.Leon R. Kass (The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis) points out that the birth of Abel is not celebrated by his mother. Abel, introduced only as "his brother, Abel" seems to be an afterthought. There is no described relation to his mother, only to Cain. If he is important only or mainly as Cain's brother, arguably he only exists in the Book of Genesis to play his role in the drama that follows.Asaph Sagiv believes that there is an Egyptian antecedent to the story of Cain and Abel. He suggests that the Cain and Abel story represents a biblical countermyth to the Egyptian story of Osiris and his brother Seth. In that story, Seth, an evil god of the nomads, kills Osiris, the Egyptian god of the earth's fertility. In Genesis, Cain (an Osiris figure) offers a cult sacrifice (Abel) to the earth; the Lord curses the ground for accepting the victim's blood and banishes Cain from his divine presence; and Seth appears as a substitute for the nomadic victim whose sacrifice the biblical God preferred.There is also a possible nationalistic theme to the story. The Hebrews identified themselves as keepers of sheep, while their neighbours to the west and north were farmers, or tillers of the ground. We find that the innocent victim was a keeper of sheep, while the evil Cain was a farmer.


Why did Cain slay able?

cain was jealous that god had not accepted his sacrifice like he did with abel


Who were the grandsons of Adam?

Adam had a number of sons and daughters as recorded in Genesis5:4. The only grandchildren recorded are as follows.Enoch, son of Cain: Genesis 4:17Enos, son of Seth: Genesis 4:25-26

Related Questions

What killed Abel in the biblical story of Cain and Abel?

In the biblical story of Cain and Abel, Abel was killed by his brother Cain.


Did Cain kill Abel or did Abel kill Cain in the biblical story of the brothers"?

In the biblical story of the brothers, Cain killed Abel.


Where did Cain kill Abel, according to the biblical story?

According to the biblical story, Cain killed Abel in the field.


Where can someone find the story about Cain and Abel?

One can find the biblical story about Cain and Abel in any version of 'The Bible'. The story of Cain and Abel can be found in the Old Testament, in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 4.


Cain and Abel were in which book of the Bible?

the story, or history of Cain and Abel is in Genesis Chapter 4.


What actors and actresses appeared in The Story of Cain and Abel - 2005?

The cast of The Story of Cain and Abel - 2005 includes: Victor Olenev as Abel Irena Oleneva as The Lord Alexander Shnurov as Cain


How did Cain kill Abel, according to the biblical story?

In the biblical story, Cain killed Abel by striking him with a rock out of jealousy and anger.


How did Cain kill Abel in the biblical story of their conflict?

In the biblical story, Cain killed Abel by striking him with a rock or some other object, resulting in Abel's death.


How does Cain kill Abel in the biblical story of their conflict?

In the biblical story, Cain kills Abel by striking him with a rock or some other object, resulting in Abel's death.


According to the Bible, which verse describes the story of Cain killing Abel"?

The story of Cain killing Abel is described in Genesis 4:8 in the Bible.


Where in the Bible does the story of Cain killing Abel occur?

The story of Cain killing Abel is found in the Book of Genesis, specifically in Genesis 4:1-16.


What are the release dates for The Story of Cain and Abel - 2005?

The Story of Cain and Abel - 2005 was released on: USA: 15 January 2005 (Red Shift Film Festival)