Cain and Abel are biblical heroes. Cain and Abel - the story of the first people born on Earth

The sacred Bible describes many interesting and mysterious stories that science fiction writers snap up for the plots of films and other legends. One of these events is the first fratricide on earth. Cain and Abel were the first people born on earth, these are the sons of Adam and Eve.

What happened: the history of the conflict

After their fall into sin, Eve and Adam were returned to the earth, and in order to survive, they needed to cultivate the land, engage in animal husbandry and other labor. The family tried to live according to the commandments of God, wishing to regain the kingdom of heaven.

Over time, they had two sons, Abel and Cain, who also tried to please the Almighty throughout their lives. Abel was engaged in cattle breeding, and the eldest son grew plants.

The sons of Eve made sacrifices to the Creator, wanting to appease him and receive his mercy, the farmer threw a bunch of fresh ears of corn into the fire, and Abel a lamb. The Lord saw the sincere faith of Abel, who often prayed and always lived with faith in his soul. That's why The creator accepted the sacrifice of the younger brother, and left the elder without attention.

Abel and Cain offer sacrifices to the Creator

Cain lived with pride in his soul and began to envy Abel and his luck. With each passing day, the elder brother hated his biological younger brother more and more. The Creator tried to reason with the sinner, to inspire him with good thoughts and love in his heart. But the anger was stronger, and the eldest son killed the youngest, bringing grief to his parents with this act. The eldest son was blind from his hatred and was sure that no one knew about his act, and in this he was wrong.

The Almighty sees everything. God asked Cain - “Where is your brother?”, To which the sinner replied: “How should I know? I am not his shepherd." With this question, the Creator gave a chance to the sinner to repent. Any murder is a sin, but shedding the blood of a sibling is doubly sinful.

Apparently, the feeling of anger clouded Cain's mind so much that it never occurred to him that there was no place in the world where one could hide from the eyes of the all-seeing God. There were no people nearby at that terrible moment, but the Spirit of God was invisibly present.

The creator decided to punish the eldest son of Eve for such behavior:

• sent him away from his family to live in a foreign country;
• branded him with the mark of a killer, so that all the people around would know who they were dealing with;
• not for a second did Cain leave the pangs of conscience for what he had done, he could not find peace of mind.

For the rest of his life, the killer spent far from his family and constantly thought about how he shed the innocent blood of a loved one. Cain continued to grow crops.

The parents of their sons were very sad and at first did not know what had happened, but the insidious devil laid out everything in detail before Eve. The woman did not know how to console herself and how to live on. From this story, the greatest grief in the world descended on humanity - the loss of a loved one.

Woe to Adam and Eve

The Creator took pity on Eve and gave her another child, who after birth was named Seth.

Important! This story is instructive for many people, no one has the right to take the life of a person that God himself gave him! The one who committed such a sin will be tormented by the soul until the end of his earthly life and after it.

Cain killed his half-brother out of envy of his luck, for which he paid the price. The Almighty turned away from the killer and made him wander the planet and suffer from remorse.

Why God Didn't Accept Cain's Gift

This story confirms that God does not care about the sacrifice and its size, what matters to him is the faith of a person, the state of his soul, and his attitude towards his neighbors. The eldest son treated his relatives and the Lord inappropriately, his thoughts were only about his own profit and success, so the Creator did not accept his sacrifice.

Why were two brothers such different

It is strange that having been born in the same family and having received the same upbringing, two sons were so different.

says that at birth, each soul receives free will, and a person becomes what he wants to be. In order to become a good person and lead a righteous life, you need to work on yourself every second. The one who is possessed by laziness slides into the abyss of sins, from which it is then difficult to get out.

Abel's murder

Cain was blind in soul and lazy, waiting for good luck and divine recognition, without doing anything for this, without working on his thoughts and soul. Sin was waiting for him outside the door, and the eldest son accepted him with joy and kindled hatred for his younger brother in his soul. Envy and anger, having committed the first atrocity in the history of mankind - fratricide.

Turning the pages of the Holy Bible, we learn many interesting and mysterious stories. It is in this sacred book that the crime is first described - fratricide, which was committed by one of the sons of Adam and Eve. So why did Cain kill Abel, and how was he punished later? Despite the fact that this conflict is described in great detail on the pages of writing, there are several reasons for what happened.

Adam and Eve, returning from paradise to ordinary earth, were forced to start working so that they had something to eat and what to wear. They had sons - Cain and Abel. Each of them chose their own path. Cain began to cultivate the land and grow plants, and Abel liked the occupation of cattle breeding, he became a simple shepherd.

Both of these men were devout and wanted to please God. To appease the Almighty and find his favor, they made sacrifices to him. During one of these sacrifices, Cain lit a small fire and put a bundle of ears of corn into it. Abel lit another fire, slaughtered the fattest lamb and put it on the fire in the same way.

But God accepted only the sacrifice of the younger brother Abel, since he was a pious and kind person. He sincerely believed in the Lord and prayed with a pure soul. The older brother Cain was not noticed by God, because the Almighty saw the falsity of his prayer and presentation. Cain sacrificed only because it was necessary, and not from the heart.

Seeing that Abel was more fortunate, the proud Cain was indignant at this state of affairs. He was filled with anger and envy. He began to hate his own brother. The Lord tried to inspire him with other thoughts and soften his heart, but he remained adamant. The Lord literally told him that a person who started evil commits a sin.

But Cain was already on his way to fratricide. He called Abel into the field and took his life in cold blood. No tears and pleas of the victim, no thought that he would bring grief to his own parents, did not stop the killer.

Cain believed that not a single living soul noticed his heinous deed, but this was not so. The Almighty sees everything. Turning to him, the Lord asked: “Where is your brother?” To which the offender replied: “How do I know, I am not my brother’s keeper!”

Then God decided to punish Cain in the following way:

• put a curse on him;
• send to live in a different direction;
• in no place will the killer find peace and tranquility;
• every hour his conscience will torment him for the innocently shed blood;
• put a special mark on him so that oncoming people would know who was in front of them and would not accidentally kill him.

This story has a deep philosophical meaning. We see the reasons that prompted Cain to commit a great sin, we realize the responsibility for the committed actions and we understand that for every crime an identical punishment will surely follow.

Other murder theories

1. According to one version, the woman became the bone of contention. Despite the fact that the Bible speaks of only 4 people living at that time, it is believed that the brothers also had sisters. One of them is Avan - both brothers liked, and they could not share it in any way. This theory appeared due to the fact that it was Cain who subsequently married this woman, founded a new city and gave birth to a son.
   
2. Another theory considers this murder unintentional. In Islam, they say that one day, in a rage, Cain grabbed Abel by the breasts and asked the Lord: “What should I do with him?” At this time, the devil was nearby, who whispered to him: “Kill!” Unwittingly, the brother killed Abel.
3. Philosopher Yosef Albo puts forward his version of what happened. He says that Cain could not forgive Abel for killing innocent animals. Because of this, a scandal erupted between them, the result of which was death.
4. Talmudic books say that a battle took place between the brothers, where Abel turned out to be the winner. Wanting to avenge his defeat, Cain went on the murder.

But still, the first version is considered the main version in spiritual literature. Cain was endowed with such vices as malice, indifference, hatred, anger and cruelty, which is why he committed the murder of his blood brother.

Cain was punished according to his deserts. All his life he lived far from his relatives, but even there he did not find peace. As soon as he closed his eyes, an image of his brother Abel appeared in front of him in a pool of blood. His conscience tormented him constantly, he was afraid of any rustle. As soon as a leaf flew off the tree, Cain rushed to run in a panic.

Nevertheless, he continued his favorite business - to cultivate the land. This became the starting point of a new generation of farmers.

Eve spent the rest of her life grieving and crying for her murdered son. At first, no one dared to tell her the whole truth about her sons, but the devil brought her this terrible news and told her everything in detail. It is from here that the heaviest grief in the world comes - the death of a loved one. But nevertheless, he took pity on the unfortunate mother and sent her a new son, who was named Seth, which means “foundation”. This symbolizes the beginning of a new world, in which there should be no anger, indifference and murder.

Human life is given by God, and no one has the right to take it away from a person.

Regardless of why Cain killed Abel, Cain became a household name. It is it that denotes a person - a murderer, a scoundrel and a sinner. To recognize him, just look at the face, drooping and distorted with anger. Great was his crime and worthy was his punishment.

Well, who has not heard the story of the first fratricide in the history of mankind? A jealous older brother kills his younger brother because of a failed sacrifice. Their names have long become household names and are remembered every time when it comes to kindred conflicts or civil wars. But the Bible, like no other book, contains so many mysteries and inconsistencies that it is simply impossible to pass by. The story of Cain and Abel is no exception. To begin with, let us recall how it was, and then we will try to understand.

Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld "The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel"

Adam and Eve lived and had two sons - Cain and Abel. Both brothers have grown up. Cain became a farmer and Abel a cattle breeder. And then one day the brothers set out to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Everyone offered him what he had. Cain brought grain, and Abel the firstborn lambs from his flock. What was the amazement of both when light descended from heaven and took away Abel's sacrifice, not heaven, but in the case of Cain this did not happen. God accepted the sacrifice of the younger of the brothers, which caused the anger and jealousy of the elder. The result was a bloody murder. This is a short version of what happened, but what is behind all this?

Well why not me?

There are nine different interpretations of this story offered by Christians, Jews and Muslims. According to one of them, the Lord tests Cain. He makes him understand that the younger brother is more talented in serving God, and this must be accepted. You can't get everything at once. You should reconcile and, together with your brother, engage in a charitable deed without offense and pride.

Muslims believe that the heart of Abel is the heart of the righteous and the Lord sees this. That is why his sacrifice was accepted.

Search a woman

Despite the fact that according to the classical version, at the time of the events mentioned, only four people lived on earth: Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, there is another option. In addition to the Brothers, there were also sisters. One of them, Avan, was meant for Abel. Cain was inflamed with passion for his brother's bride and decided to take her as his wife. So, according to the mentioned version, it turns out that it was a conflict between two men because of a woman. And, as you know, in this case, bloodshed is the traditional outcome of the dispute. In the future, it happened: Cain married Avan and gave birth to the son of Enoch (Hanoch).

version of the accident

Remember what the dying Jesus said on the cross: "Forgive them, Lord, for they do not know what they are doing." The same goes for Cain. How could he intentionally kill his brother if he didn't know what death was? Up to this point, no one has died on earth. In anger, he grabbed his brother and he, according to the Muslims, prayed: “Allah, do with me what you want!” Cain hesitated, he did not know what to do, and then he had an assistant. The devil whispered to him how to deal with his brother. You need to take a stone and hit Abel on the head. Blinded by anger, Cain heeded the advice and only then, weeping over the body of his brother, he realized what had been done. It turns out that Cain, in the literal sense, was beguiled by a demon.

Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld "Fratricicide"

And now, the unfortunate Cain sits, bewildered by the Devil, offended by God, over the cooling body of his brother. What happened? What have I done and what should I do next? Where to put the corpse? And then he sees one raven killing another. He pecks him to death, then digs a hole and puts his dead enemy in there. Cain did the same - he buried his brother's body in the ground.

When the Lord asked where Abel had gone, Cain replied: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Not only did he kill, he also lied, trying to hide the crime! This is another reason for the righteous wrath of the Lord.

Mysterious "sign of Cain"

And Cain is cursed. He is banished to the land of Nod for eternal wandering. But he's scared. He is afraid that people who meet him on the way might kill him. Here's another biblical riddle for you: what kind of people, if only Cain, his parents and even a couple of sisters were to remain on earth? There is no reliable answer to this question yet.

But be that as it may, the Lord had mercy and marked Cain with a special sign, giving him protection and patronage. God is merciful and there is no such sinner for him who is so mired in sin that he cannot earn forgiveness.

There is a version that this symbolic “sign of Cain” marked the entire Jewish people, doomed to wander the world in search of their destiny. But, despite all the hardships, he has the most important thing - the protection of the Lord.

Saint Augustine in his writings associates the Jewish people with Cain, and Jesus and the Christian church with Abel. Envious and jealous Jews kill the shepherd Jesus, for which they receive the curse of his father.

At one time, Emperor Constantine ordered all Jews to wear a special sign indicating their origin. And who disobeys - either a fine or a whip.

A few more versions

Christian theologians believe that Cain's sacrifice was not accepted because it was not from a pure heart, and therefore was not accepted.

The Jewish philosopher Yosef Albo believed that Cain valued the life of an animal as well as the life of a person, and that is why he dealt with his brother. He just avenged the slaughtered lamb. Then the question arises: how could he correlate one with the other, if at that time there was no such thing as death at all?

Aggadah (part of the Talmudic literature) claims that Abel was stronger than his brother and defeated Cain in a fight. He begged and begged for mercy. Abel mercifully let the unfortunate man go, and he took advantage of the moment and killed his brother.

Some researchers believe that such a confrontation between the brothers symbolized the conflict between pastoral and agricultural ways of life.

What happened to Cain?

Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld "Cain the Exile"

The turning point or the first tears of the mother

After killing Abel, the Devil comes to Eve and says that her son is dead. She asks: what does this mean, how to understand it? The devil replies that now he will no longer eat with her, laugh, breathe. Eve realizes the essence of what happened and is filled with bitter tears. From that moment on, the theme of tears and sorrow does not leave the biblical pages. The devil for the first time creates pain in a world where no one knew about it.

Instead of output

Not only the Bible is replete with stories of relationships between brothers. Their main essence is forgiveness. After many years of strife, Esau embraced Jacob. Joseph welcomed the brothers who sold him into slavery with open arms. This is the main idea of ​​pacifism, originating precisely in these narratives - we are all brothers and we have nothing to share. And for what Cain killed Abel is an eternal question. It remains to draw your own conclusions.

Other news

An important point, brothers and sisters: Cain was adopted by the devil before he killed his brother.
“..and Cain said to Abel - his brother: let's go into the valley. When they were in the valley, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him." And why Cain killed Abel, or why Cain killed Abel. What were his motives for this, what were the reasons? Why did he kill his brother? Never. Not why. No motive, no reason. Not for any fault.

Cain performed a human sacrifice. And this explains the app. John in 1 epistle 3 gl12st (I give you an exact translation from the ancient Greek language): “Cain was from the evil one and slaughtered his brother. And why did he swear it? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother's deeds were righteous."
That is, before he killed, before the act of murder, Cain's deeds were evil. And what are the things? First, sacrifice. Sadness is not for God, lowering the face. And after the Lord spoke to him, Cain lied and was adopted by the devil. Such were the evil deeds of Cain. Again we ask: why did he kill his brother. It is very important to understand: no way. Abel was the victim. Cain killed because he was from the evil one and his deeds were evil. Cain was a spiritual man. In general, spiritual people behave quite disinterestedly, often not motivated, at the level of spiritual movements. That is, the deeds of a spiritual person, whether he is from God, whether he is from the devil, they correlate with another instance, which is higher than material calculation or some kind of experience. That's what Cain is. It is not true to say that Cain was angry and his deeds were evil. No. Cain was of the evil one, and his deeds were evil. He didn't just kill his brother. He rose up and killed - it says in the Book of Genesis. Ap John: ".. he slaughtered (esaksen) his brother." What does pawned mean? Slaughter is mortification as a cult act. Cain's crime began with a sacrifice, and Cain's crime itself was a sacrifice. And this is the explanation - the terrible word of the Lord, which he said to the Jews: "your father is the devil."
More precisely: the Gospel of John 8gl: "You are the father of the devil."
Strange, but what kind of children can the devil have? In the language of St. Scripture's closest relationship in spirit is expressed through sonship. That is, even in the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity it is the Father and the Son. ..Those who serve the evil one, who want to fulfill, create the lusts of this father, they are called the seed of the serpent, the spawn of viper, the children of the devil. Cain felt sad, he fell on his face, lied, killed. He is now in the closest relationship with the devil, he has been adopted. Cain slaughtered his brother and became the founder of non-church humanity.
Ap. John: “The children of God and the children of the devil are manifested in this:” (see how interesting it is, brothers and sisters, which of you can now see how this difference manifests itself) “everyone who does not do the truth is not from God, nor does he love his brother his own." Cain did not create righteousness in the sacrifice. That is why the Lord did not accept his sacrifice. Cain did not correctly divide what is God and what is man. And ended up with the one who slaughtered Abel as a sacrifice. And he became the first of the children of the devil. Cain is the first of the children of the devil. Cain did not love his brother, but ended up with what? Hatred? Not at all. Here we do not know what feelings Cain had for his brother. In any case, hatred is not supposed, even most likely there was no hatred towards Abel. Hatred blinds, and Cain did everything consciously. He did not love his brother, sacrificed him, adopted the devil.
They ask. How did the Lord allow the first of the devil's children to kill the righteous? This question has already been asked. How did the Lord allow Adam and his wife to fall into sin? Both questions have the same answer. And how did God admit about himself that when he incarnated he was tortured and killed? The Lord became man and was killed by those who are Cain in spirit. Christ clearly said this to the scribes and Pharisees before his crucifixion:
Matthew chapter 23 "Snakes, offspring of vipers, may all the righteous blood shed on the Earth from Abel come upon you." Those who were at enmity with the Savior became from the evil one not after the Cross, but before it. That is, the crucifiers bear the image of Cain, since the first who wore the image of the Savior was Abel. Bl. Augustine puts it this way: “Abel is a virgin and a priest and a martyr. A virgin, for he died before marriage, a priest, for he offered charitable sacrifices to God, a martyr, for he was killed for true worship of God.

Transcript of the lecture by E. Avdeenko “Reading from the book of Genesis. Cain"

"You will eat the world
or the world will eat you -
anyway...
everything goes according to plan."
(Stephen King. "Risen Cain")

Cain... This, in general, mythological character has interested me for a long time. We all hear such common neologisms and expressions as “Cain's seal”, “Cain's seed”, “Brother Cain”, etc. The name "Cain" became a household name, becoming a synonym for Evil. What happened to him? How and for what did he manage to get the dubious title of the First Outlaw among mortals? And how did his terrible Sin affect us, his descendants?

In this, let's call it that, "mini-monograph", I tried to compile and put together all the information I have about this strange and ambiguous Character of World History, whose name is cursed, and whose name is cursed. We will consider his biography, from birth to... Let's get acquainted with the little-known episodes of his long and difficult life...

Of course, the first mention of Cain came from the Bible, although it is also found in the texts of several biblical apocrypha, but, most interestingly, this name can also be seen in religious non-Christian literature. However, most of all, all kinds of interpreters of sacred texts worked to clarify the image of Cain. Since Cain is the hero of the Old Testament, the Jews were the first to kiss him. Christians did not lag behind them, who from the first years of the emergence of their religion and to this day tirelessly add new strokes to the portrait of the First Son of Man. All this enduring excitement involuntarily makes one think that Cain is not at all a fictional character from myths and legends, but a historical person who once existed in antiquity. Exactly the same as, say, Julius Caesar, Attila, Genghis Khan, and, in fact, Jesus the Son of God himself.

There is not so much information about Cain in the Bible itself, and it is presented sparingly, almost thesis. But in order to have something to build on, let's look at the text from the original source in its entirety. So…

1 Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have got a man from the Lord.
2 And she gave birth to his brother, Abel. And Abel was a shepherd of the sheep, and Cain was a farmer.
3 After some time, Cain brought from the fruits of the ground a gift to the Lord,
4 And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and upon his gift,
5 but he did not regard Cain and his gift. Cain was very upset, and his face drooped.
6 And the Lord [God] said to Cain, Why are you upset? and why did your face droop?
7 If you do good, do you not lift up your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he draws you to him, but you rule over him.
8 And Cain said to his brother Abel, Let us go into the field. And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9 And the Lord [God] said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? He said: I don't know; Am I my brother's keeper?
10 And [the Lord] said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground;
11 And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand;
12 when you till the ground, it will no longer give its strength to you; you will be an exile and a wanderer on the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the Lord [God], My punishment is greater than it can bear;
14 Behold, now You are driving me off the face of the earth, and from Your presence I will hide myself, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth; and whoever meets me will kill me.
15 And the LORD [God] said to him, For whoever kills Cain, he will be avenged sevenfold. And the Lord [God] made a sign to Cain, so that no one who met him would kill him.
16 And Cain departed from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, to the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived and bare Enoch. And he built a city; and named the city by the name of his son: Enoch.

... It would seem that everything is clear and understandable, you can go further ... but, no! Stop! Nothing is clear and many questions arise. Let's understand and draw a more detailed portrait of our hero.

We know from the same Bible that God created the First Humans, Adam and Eve, who lived in the Garden of Eden. They knew no sin, and therefore they had no children. In the Garden of Eden they walked naked, except for the bandage on their shoulders, on which was written the sacred name of God. Adam ruled over all male plants and animals in the east and north of the Garden of Eden, while Eve ruled over female animals in the south and west. Although Adam and Eve were spouses, they did not experience sexual attraction to each other, apparently managing only friendship, like work colleagues. But Satan, under the name Samael (“The Evil of the Lord”), consumed by envy for the Creator’s favorites, took on the guise of a Serpent and persuaded Adam and Eve to taste the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The angry Lord expelled people from Eden, cursed and doomed them to an independent life, freedom in decision-making and work "by the sweat of his face."

But, even settling apart, Adam and Eve were in no hurry to get to know each other and have children. The initiator of abstinence was Adam, for he did not want to give life to beings cursed by God. According to some theologians, Adam delayed decisive steps towards his wife for 15 or even 30 years! Others assert in the most serious way that Adam and Eve, by mutual agreement and for the sake of atonement for their sin, violated sexual abstinence in no less than ... 100 - 150 years!!! And since the fall into sin had already happened and sex was not a secret knowledge for the First people, Adam (apparently wanting to gain experience and hone his art of love) all these years cheated on Eve with a certain Lilith, who, like him, was created by the Lord "from the dust of the earth "- in contrast to Eve, who came from Adam's rib (according to another version, Lilith was created not from "clean" dust, but from mud and silt).

Rabbinical writers claim that as soon as Adam was confirmed in his decision "not to touch" Eve, his wife, "two female evil spirits immediately flew to him and conceived from him." For one hundred and thirty years, one of these female demons, named Lilith, produced from Adam a great many demons, evil spirits and night ghosts. But Lilith sinned against Adam, and God condemned her to see the death of a hundred of her children every day; "Her grief was so great that since then she, accompanied by four hundred and eighty evil spirits, has not ceased to rush around the world, filling the air with a roar."

*** By the way, there is a myth that before Eve, created from Adam's rib, there was another "Eve". Not discouraged by his first failure with a mate for Adam, named "Lilith", God made a second attempt and allowed Adam to watch as He creates a woman from bones, tendons, muscles, blood and glands, and then covers it all with skin. and adds hair where required. This sight aroused such disgust in Adam that when the First Eve stood before him in all her glory, he felt an irresistible disgust. God realized that he had failed again, and took the First Eve away. Where He took her, no one knows for sure.
God made a third attempt, but this time he was more careful. Having put Adam to sleep, He took a rib (the sixth) from him and created a woman out of it, then stuck hair, adorned her like a bride with twenty-four jewels, and only after that did He wake Adam. Adam was delighted.
Some believe that God created Eve not from Adam's rib, but from a tail with a sting at the end, which Adam originally had. God cut off the tail, and the stump - a useless coccyx - still remains with the descendants of Adam.
And others say that God originally planned to create two people: a man and a woman, but instead He planned one person with a male face in front and a female face in the back. Then He again changed His mind and, removing the woman's face, made a woman's body for him.
But some people are still sure that Adam was originally created as an androgynous creature with female and male bodies, as if stuck back to back. Since this made movement and conversation very difficult, God divided the androgen into two people, whom He placed in Eden and forbade to copulate.***

In general, Lilith, the first “emancipe” woman, is a very interesting character in herself and rightfully deserves a separate topic for conversation, and we, in the course of our research, will periodically meet with her. In the meantime, I note that from the connection between Adam and Lilith, the first horde of succubus demons was born on earth, who received the common name Lil-im (-n) or Liliana. The Kabbalistic book Zohar claims that the first Lillians settled in the valley of Sodom, and their descendants founded two legendary biblical cities - Sodom and Gomorrah, which became common nouns due to the extreme sinfulness of their inhabitants.

*** In one of the apocrypha about the offspring of Lilith, it is mentioned in detail. Her children from Adam were not demons at all, and some of them even became characters in the Bible. So, three sons were born to Adam and Lilith: Erach, Nidgaloth and Anat. Each of them became the ancestor of his tribe. Yerakh went even further and became the lover of his mother, Lilith. From their carnal connection, a girl was born, who was named Kaat. Years later, Kaat became the wife of Ham, the son of the "righteous" Noah. Legend claims that when Noah and his entire family went on deck of the Ark, Kaat was already pregnant. And this child was not at all from Ham's husband, but from ... Cain! Thus, even the Flood could not destroy the cursed seed, and Evil on earth continued to multiply. Examples? - please:

According to the Bible, Ham and Kaat had three sons, one of whom was named Cush (Kush). It was this Cush who became the father of the infamous King Nimrod (whose lover, by the way, was the legendary Semiramis), who initiated the construction of the Tower of Babel "in the land of Shinar" (Mesopotamia). He convinced his people "not to attribute their prosperity to the Lord God, but to consider their own valor as the cause of their prosperity." The enraged Yahweh-Adonai confused the languages ​​of the tower builders and the people, no longer understanding each other, quit their work and "scattered all over the earth." Thus, through the fault of the descendant of Cain, disunity of people arose in the world.

Here is another example. According to Josephus Flavius, Cush became the progenitor of all Ethiopians, i.e. patriarch of the Negroid race. In the 17th century, the hypothesis that traces the origin of the Negroes to Ham is being exaggerated with renewed vigor, because a manuscript of a certain Franciscan monk Ragno Nero, who lived at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries in Florence, was found and published. In this so-called "Eternal book", an oracle book, one and a half centuries before Nostradamus, forecasts of the events of the civilization of our planet up to the year 6323 are given! Those. until the 7th millennium! So, Rano Nero predicts an unprecedented prosperity for the nations of people with black skin, calling them "Sons of Cain". "... In 2075, the main banner of the Church of Satan will be picked up by the black peoples of Africa. The black banner, black trees, everything around is black ..." Further, Nero claims that "... and the time will come when the Antichrist will descend from heaven to the Sons of Cain -Satan on a horse with three heads and a prodigal maiden with them..." (One feels like exclaiming: "the parents have arrived!" After all, given that the "prodigal virgin" or "Whore of Babylon" is often identified with the Old Testament demoness Lilith, and remember that Kaat, Ham's wife, is called Lilith's granddaughter and Cain's mistress, then the kinship between the Negroid race and the "Sons of Cain" becomes at least somehow logically explainable.

But let's get back to the antediluvian times.
Naive Adam could not even imagine that Eve herself, all these centuries of abstinence from marital duties, led by no means a chaste lifestyle. She recklessly fornicated with the insidious tempter Samael, also tearing out legions of incubus demons from her womb. And here, attention! - according to some venerable Talmudists, Eve's firstborn from intercourse with Satan Samael was none other than ... Cain! .. “... Thus, all the future offspring of Eve and Adam were defiled. Only when the Children of Israel stood near Mount Sinai and accepted the Law from the hands of Moses, the curse was finally lifted from them ... ”However, most researchers and interpreters of the Holy Scriptures did not support this version of the birth of Cain.

By the way, there is an opinion that Samael and Lilith acted together, wanting to defame the First people in the eyes of the Creator and deprive them of bliss.

... Ten years have passed, or one hundred and fifty, but, finally, the day came when Adam and Eve came together and began to live as husband and wife. Soon Eve conceived and gave birth to her legitimate firstborn, the First Earthly Man. And the name was given to him - Cain, which means "acquisition."

At birth, Cain's face shone angelically, and Eve realized that Adam was not his father, and exclaimed in her innocence (naivety): "I gave birth to a boy from Yahweh!" Thus, once again it is asserted that Cain is not an Adamite, i.e. son of Adam.

*** The same is said in the texts of the mystical "Urantia Book", which alternatively presents all biblical events on behalf of some Higher Beings. In particular, it is argued that Cain is the fruit of Eve's intercourse with a certain Kano, who was the leader of the Nodite tribe (one of the tribes in the territory of Ancient Syria), next to which the "first family" expelled from the Garden of Eden settled. The young, handsome and charming leader of the “blue race” quickly charmed the naive Eve (in The Urantia Book, she, like Adam, representatives of the “violet race”) and soon persuaded her to cohabitation, as a result of which Cain was born. So again the version is confirmed that Cain is at least the "illegitimate" son of the First Couple. ***

It is also believed that the name of Cain is connected with the fact that he did not have time to be born, as he got up on his legs, ran away and ran back with a wheat ear, which he gave to Eve; and she named him Cain, which means "stem." Much later, the word "cain" also began to denote the profession of "blacksmith", because. Cain is also considered the first "kovach" - an iron forger.

Then Eve gave birth to a second son, whom she named Abel (Evel), which means "breath", or, they say, "vanity", or "sorrow", for she foresaw his fate, seeing in a dream that Cain drinks Abel's blood and refuses him please leave a few drops.

According to another myth, the first act of love between Adam and Eve gave birth to at least four children: Cain and his twin sister Lebhutha, and Abel and his twin sister Kelimat. Later, Abel's sister, Kelimat, became Cain's wife, and Cain's sister, Lebhuthu, became Abel's wife. Another variant of another legend assigns Cain as his wife a certain Avan, who was his twin sister, and by whom he had twelve children.

*** It is interesting that in the fifth generation among the descendants of Cain there is the legendary (even by the standards of the Bible!) long-liver Methuselah (he lived 969 years!), And in the sixth generation - Lamech, whom Cain renounced ("... even before the construction of the first city of Enoch …”)***

The Lord commanded man to work the land and eat exclusively what the fields produce. (Actually, it would be more correct to say that the Lord cursed a person, expelling him from Paradise, to cultivate the land "in the sweat of his face" and earn food through hard work.) This is exactly what the obedient Cain did when he became a farmer. But for some reason Abel became a shepherd. He tamed domestic animals, invented tents, rules for the care of livestock, and became a rancher, which requires less perseverance and provides a freer lifestyle. If he raised flocks of sheep, then, of course, not in order to admire how they graze, but to play the flute himself. He raised his sheep for roasting. As you can see, Abel violated the categorical and clear instructions of God. However, this did not prevent him from becoming a favorite of God. It would seem that it is not clear why Abel would show such disrespect for the commandments of the Creator, but in fact the reason is simple, and it lies in the very way of life of the ancient Jews. For them, the nomadic shepherds, tillage was a base and contemptible deed, objectionable to God (they themselves decided so and justified themselves in the eyes of God, not caring in the slightest about what they contradict the Holy Scriptures!). This is reflected in the legend of Cain and Abel. In turn, the ancient Egyptians, cultivating the fertile valley of the Nile, treated the shepherd tribes with contempt "for every shepherd of sheep is an abomination to the Egyptians" (Genesis 46:34).

*** It is interesting to note one fact of the period of the Creation of the World: when the Lord created all the animals, they approached Adam one by one, and he endowed them with names. According to the most ancient tradition, all living beings - and not only humans - have a Soul, that is, sheep, goats, and oxen are "animated" creatures of God. Consequently, by killing livestock for his own food, a person is engaged in the most real ... murder! And it was Abel who became the first murderer.***

By the way, in the difficult task of inventing names for all earthly creatures, Satan himself decided to compete with Adam, but, apparently, the imagination of the first of the angels was not enough, and he lost to Adam, who did an excellent job with the matter. It was from this moment, according to some theologians, that the unclean man harbored a grudge against a person and did not fail to take revenge on him by slipping the forbidden fruit to Eve.

... According to legend, Cain was two (option, three) years older than Abel, and for the first time started cultivating the land at 12 years old (the age of puberty and becoming a man).

Different ways of life often led to conflicts. Over the years, the differences in the way of life and in the character of the brothers intensified, and the older brother began to be hostile, with envy, to Abel. There are legends according to which Abel, who from his very birth felt like a favorite of his parents, treated his older brother with undisguised contempt and arrogance, constantly reproaching him, the original, with hard and unhonorable work. Cain was offended, in anger rushing at Abel with his fists, but in the end he himself always turned out to be guilty in the eyes of his parents (the elder, after all, should be smarter and more restrained!).

By the way, according to esoteric symbolism, Cain is considered not Abel's brother, but his masculine principle - accordingly, Abel is a feminine principle. The myth comes to mind that the First Man was created by God as an androgynous (hermaphrodite). So maybe the underlying reason for the constant quarrels between the brothers lies precisely in this? In the eternal "battle of the sexes"?..

*** The Jewish "Kabbalah" gives us interesting information for reflection. According to her, Adam contained some “sparks-souls” called “Ra” hmin set. He poured them into three sources, the upper reaches of which were his three sons. Cain got “Gebur-a” (“Power”); Abel - "Chezed" ("Ego"). The third "spark-soul" moved into Seth (apparently, Seth - the third son of Adam). "... And these three sons were divided into seventy human genera, called "the main roots of the human race ..." Another thing is curious: "Gebur-a" is the fifth sephirah, a feminine and passive force, while "Chezed", the fourth of the ten sephiroth, also called "Gedulah", denotes a masculine or active force. Perhaps in this case too we are talking about two separated "beginnings", which were once a single whole. ***

… Both brothers decided to offer a thankful sacrifice to the Lord “after some time”, or rather, as one medieval theologian claims, “when Cain was 20 years old”, i.e. 8 (!) years after the start of his "labor activity". Abel laid on the altar the best lamb "of the firstborn of his flock." There are several options for what Cain brought as a gift to the Lord. For example, the Torah claims that these were flax seeds (therefore, the Torah forbids wearing shatnez, mixing linen with wool in clothes, because flax is a gift from Cain, and wool is a gift from Abel). A more popular Christian version says that it was: a sheaf of wheat / rye / barley (there are also various options with vegetables and fruits - like “empty” fruits and not ripe, unripe berries). But nowhere are there direct and specific references to any truly authoritative evidence that Cain really “slipped” “non-standard” into the gift - only continuous “apparently”, “it seems” and “possibly”.

And, as the Bible testifies, initially both of them did it sincerely and without any ulterior motives. It was only later, “according to a fait accompli”, that speculation and comments appeared that Cain allegedly wanted to slip a stack of rotten and frail, and his thoughts were black and greedy, and the Lord himself headed the numerous list of reproaches: “... if you do good, then do you raise your face? but if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door ... "
One way or another, but the Lord preferred to accept the gift of Abel, and even “did not look at the gift of Cain” (did not look). Naturally, Cain was very upset and drew certain conclusions for himself. One of them was that the Lord, apparently, likes bloody sacrifices and it is them that he prefers to everything else. Celebrating his next victory over his older brother, Abel did not notice the gloomy concentration on his face.

... One day Cain called Abel in the field. (By the way, it was in the same “field” where Adam, expelled from Eden, made his first sacrifice for the first time, and, apparently, it was clearly not a bloody sacrifice.) There they had another argument that turned into a quarrel. In anger, Cain grabbed a stone (options: stick / club), hit his brother on the head with it and ... killed him.

There is a very common legend that Cain, about to kill his brother, did not know how to do it, but at that time a raven (or Satan in the form of a raven) appeared and killed another raven with a piece of stone - Cain followed his example (Tabari, Armenian oral tradition). Genesis Rabbah (22, 4) contains several different versions: Cain killed Abel with a stone; reeds (cf. the murder of Abel with a stick in the Ethiopian "Book of Adam"); Cain saw Adam slaughter the victim, and in the same way struck his brother in the throat - the prescribed place for slaughtering a sacrificial animal. According to Tertullian, Cain strangled Abel; Cain killed Abel with a stone weapon (Armenian "The Story of the Sons of Adam and Eve"). In medieval Europe, a legend was known according to which Cain killed Abel with the jawbone of an ass (cf. Judges 15:15-16 - about Samson). According to another common legend, Abel was killed by a branch of the Tree of Knowledge.

Did Cain try to hide the body? There is not a word about this in the Bible. Since this was the first murder on earth, Cain most likely simply did not realize what he had done. He hit his brother on the head, took his soul away - and calmed down. But numerous apocrypha generously share all sorts of options. For example: "... Having killed Abel, Cain did not know what to do with the body; then God sent him two "clean birds", one of which, having killed the other, buried the corpse in the ground - Cain followed his example..." (Tanuma, 6a). The same legend is told by Tabari, but instead of “clean birds” there are ravens sent to admonish Cain, respectively, by Satan.

***According to the "Apocalypse of Moses" and the Armenian "Life of Adam and Eve", Abel was buried only after the death of Adam and with him, because on the day he was killed, the earth refused to accept the body and pushed him to the surface, saying, that she cannot accept it until the first created from her is returned to her.***

Most clearly, the reason for the murder of Abel by Cain was recently formulated by Rabbi E. Essas on the basis of the biblical postulate about the belonging of the earthly world to man: "They were two brothers. And this meant that the world did not belong to any of them entirely. And Cain committed the murder." That is, it was a matter of chance and luck. Cain could easily be in the place of his victim, and then Abel would have already got the dubious title of "first killer."

According to one of the interpretations of the Midrash Haggadah, Cain and Abel argued "not in the field", but "about the field". And it is about this - denying the presence of the other, the brother, the speech of Cain. According to oral tradition, Cain offered to divide the world. Jealous of the accepted sacrifice of Abel, Cain said the following: "You say that there is another world, then let's share. I will take, for my part, this world, and you, for your part, you will take the world to come. Take this place for yourself as holy, since God loves you so much, and I will take all space for myself as only space.
The Midrash continues:
“But when Cain saw Abel appearing with his flock in the field, he said to him: “Are we divided, and this world, has it not been given to me? Why did you appear with your flock on my property?" Abel replied: "I did not agree that my flock would be left without a pasture and a shepherd ..." Then a quarrel broke out, and Cain killed Abel.

Thus, before us are two concepts of the Motherland. According to one of them (Cain's), the Motherland is the world given from birth, according to the principle of blood and seniority. Motherland is father and mother. According to the other (Abelian), the earth becomes a home according to the will of God, like a wife. God gives it and selects it according to the fulfillment of the obligations of the person or people to whom the given land is given for use, i.e. "by command". Jews coming to the Promised Land from the desert are a vivid example of the Abelian principle of the Motherland. The field is given as a gift, and does not belong long ago, which is why it is the Temple, the structure of the world, associated with messianism and worship, and not with the control of living spaces, belonging according to the principle of blood and soil. In the space of Cain the Temple cannot be built, and there is no place for the Sacrifice to God.

Once again, we note for ourselves that Cain commits murder on the very FIELD where the sacrifice of Adam and Abel himself was accepted. Thus, this "murder" automatically turns into a "sacrifice". In other words, another logic of sacrifice is also affirmed: "in a world without God, people are sacrificed" (in the name of the Motherland, in the name of the Idea, in the name of their own benefit ...).

*** The Jewish sage and philosopher Yosef Albo, who lived in Spain (XIV century), explained: Cain considered people and animals equal, therefore he did not see the right to kill cattle, and based on this he took the next logical step: if people and animals in are equal to reality, then the one who takes the life of livestock is himself worthy of death, which in his eyes justified the murder of his brother. ***

Judging by the texts of the Holy Scriptures, neither Adam nor Eve for some reason were worried about the sudden disappearance of one of their sons. The Lord himself was the first to raise the alarm. To the question: “Where is your brother, Abel?” Cain answered boldly and defiantly: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” It was then that the angry God accused him of shedding blood and murder.

But in one of the Midrash Haggadah, Cain's crime is explained by his doubts about the omnipotence and omnipotence of God. So, for example, to the question of God: “Where is your brother Abel?”, Cain is not limited to the crafty answer given in the Bible: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, But he says: “Yes, I killed him, but you created and instilled in me the spirit of evil. You are the guardian of all living things, why did you allow me to kill him. Not me, you killed him. If you had accepted my sacrifice as his sacrifice, the spirit of envy would not have seized me.” With this bold answer, put into the mouth of Cain, Haggadah posed a godless dilemma: either God is not omnipotent, is not the beginning of all being, or God, and not man, is responsible for evil. So. thus, the freedom of the human will to do good or evil was denied here, and consequently, any sense of the doctrine of divine retribution or vengeance. Thus, the existence of hell and paradise and the possibility of God's mercy were questioned, for if a person is not responsible for his sins, then God's forgiveness of a sinner is not mercy.

*** On the other hand, the Zohar (a set of mystical commentaries on the Holy Scriptures) introduces an erotic motif into the cause of the First Murder. The Zohar tells that Eve gave birth to twins - Cain and one girl, who later became Cain's wife, and then triplets: Abel and two girls who became Abel's wives. The Zohar argues that it was the inequality of wives that was the root cause of Cain's rebellion against the god who allowed this injustice. It aroused in Cain his envy and enmity towards Abel and led Cain to murder in order to take possession of his brother's wives himself and correct the injustice allowed by God in relation to him. ***

The story of Cain and Abel introduces the theme of sacrifice for the first time. Among the pagans, the sacrifice had three meanings:
- "feeding" God, appeasing Him;
- the desire to enter into union with the deity, to find unity with him through a common meal, at which the deity is invisibly present;
- confession before the deity of his dependence on him. The Bible severely condemns the first motive (Ps 49:7-15), but recognizes and sanctifies the last two. The second is especially important and explains why the Eucharist retains sacrificial symbolism.

The Lord did not kill Cain for this grave sin, because at that time He had not yet given people the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" and, most importantly, Cain did not know anything about death (after all, no one died yet), did not know that physical actions can kill a person and murder in general. Therefore, the Lord limited himself to the expulsion of Cain from the settlement of the first family. By this, the Lord showed that the killer is a plague-stricken person, surrounded by a poisonous atmosphere, the breath of death, and must be expelled, isolated from human society. Since then, the expulsion from the camp, the expulsion of murderers has become the rule and custom of primitive tribes and has been preserved with us first in the form of exile to distant lands (to hard labor) and then took the form of prison isolation, although at the request of the Torah, the intentional killer must be executed, to prevent his other murders and because "there is no ransom for the soul."

For the terrible sin of killing his brother, God laid on Cain seven punishments that were worse than death:
1. A horn grew on his forehead (to protect himself from animals).
2. Mountains and valleys shouted after him: “Fratricicide!”.
3. He became helpless, like a poplar leaf.
4. He did not leave the feeling of hunger.
5. Any of his desires led to disappointment.
6. He constantly lacked sleep.
7. No person should have killed him and befriended him.

God also marked Cain with a seal. In an early midrash it is described as a letter tattooed on his forearm. The identity of the Cain seal, which medieval texts speak of, with the Jewish teth is suggested, for sure, by the Book of Ezekiel IX, 4-6, where God puts a sign (taw) on the foreheads of the Jerusalem righteous who are to be saved. Cain was not deemed worthy of such a mark. By the way, tav (from which the word "brand", i.e. "brand"), the last letter of the Hebrew and Phoenician alphabets, looked like a cross; it influenced the Greek tau, which, according to Lucian's Judgment of the Vowels, inspired the idea of ​​the crucifixion. Since tav was chosen for the seal intended for the righteous, the midrash replaced it for the seal of Cain with the nearest letter and sound to it, that is, teth, the Hebrew and Phoenician form of which was a cross in a circle.
Later, many other versions of what the "Seal of Cain" looked like. For example, obviously at the suggestion of already Christian theologians, it was a kind of birthmark on the head (options: on the forehead \ crown \ back of the head \ behind the ear), hidden from the eyes by hair, and outwardly resembled a shamrock (clover leaf), while, upon closer examination, one could see that “this sign consists of three numbers, which together form the number “666” ...” That is, the first, long before the Antichrist, Cain received the stigma with the satanic “Number of the Beast”. The version is ridiculous, far-fetched and unlikely, but the imagination of the adherents of Christianity has always been rich, and why not hang another “dog” on the “first killer”?! ..
Also, in one midrash, a version is expressed that God punished Cain with leprosy. ("This will prevent people from raising a hand against him: either because they will be afraid of illness, or because it will mean that he has already received his punishment from the hand of Hashem (God) and is equated with a dead man.")

As a result, according to Jewish traditions, Cain's unwitting killer was his descendant in the seventh tribe, Lamech. The first biblical polygamist was very fond of hunting, and even blinded by old age, he continued to walk through the forests with a bow, accompanied by his son Tubal-Cain, who looked out for prey and helped the old man direct the weapon at the target. One day, Tubal-Cain noticed the horns flashing behind the trees and decided that it was a deer. When Lamech fired at his tip, it turned out that the arrow hit Cain to death. In grief and anger, Lamech waved his arms and accidentally hit Tubal Cain on the head, causing him to fall to the ground dead. Obviously, further words of Lamech are connected with this episode: “And Lamech said to his wives: Ada and Zilla! seventy times seven for Lamech." (Gen. 4:23-24) Thanks to this, the words of Christ who answered the question "how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? up to seven times? Jesus says to him: I do not say to you: up to seven times, but up to seven times seventy times." (Mat. 18:21)

But it is impossible to curb the violent human fantasy, and therefore in many other stories, Cain's life turned out quite differently.

... And Cain went with his family to wander the earth, migrated to the east and settled in the land of Nod (from the word "above" - ​​exile). According to the main version of modern historians, the land of Nod is the modern northeastern province of Ardabil in Iran, adjacent to the Caspian coast. There, in the land of Nod, sons and daughters were born to Cain.

After one or two generations, the Cainites (or Kenites) left the land of Nod and through the land of Havila headed southeast along the wide valley of Zanjan, making a huge loop, up to modern Islamabad (“You will be an exile and a wanderer on earth” Gen. 4: 13). Part of the tribe settled in this valley and the ruins of their settlement are now found in the vicinity of Islamabad. The rest turned back to the west and, after a few generations, having reached the center of the Zagros, turned south and, through the mountains and valleys of the central Zagros, finally came to the plain of Susiana. This whole process, from the withdrawal from the land of Eden to the plains, coastal to the Persian Gulf, lasted more than 400 years. It was about 7500 years ago. During the journey, many children and grandchildren were born to Cain, the tribe of Cainites multiplied extremely and, for the first time in the history of mankind, he built a "city" (a permanent settlement enclosed by an external fence): "And he built a city; and named the city after his son ( firstborn) of his - Hanoch (Enoch)" (Gen. 4:17). Cain was the first person to build a walled settlement and initiated the settled life. From this, practically, the technical civilization of antediluvian mankind began. Since then, dense human settlements-cities enclosed by protective walls have spread everywhere, and only in our time they have ceased to be fenced, retaining the name (city) and all other signs: dense human settlements without agricultural and pastoral lands.

*** The Kenites, or Cainites (Kenites, sons of Cain, Numbers 24:21-22), were a nomadic tribe related to the Midianites. In the era of the Exodus, Moses came into close contact with them. He married the daughter of a Kenite priest and took his advice (Ex 3:1; Ex 18:12). The Kenites joined the Israelites in the wilderness and migrated to Canaan (Judg. 1:16).***

By the way, there is another mention of the Kenites in the Christian Bible. It is them that the evangelists have in mind when they speak of the "Sons of God" and call them "Nephilim." Many interpreters of Holy Scripture believe that these legendary giants / titans were by no means the descendants of the angels who descended ("fallen") to the earth, but the descendants of Cain. Etymologically, "nephilim" means "to fall", which, according to the interpreters, proves their statement, because Cain "fell in the eyes of the Lord", having committed a crime.

And here is another option. According to some very famous biblical archaeologists, the Land of Nod was located in the Northern regions of Ancient India. The fact that the descendants of Cain were considered masters of blacksmithing and casting, skillful singers and musicians, coupled with the aforementioned area of ​​​​residence, prompted a number of researchers to conclude that in this case we can only talk about one nation, whose historical roots are quite commensurate with that antediluvian era. It's gypsies! This conclusion is also supported by the emphasized marginality, isolation of the Gypsies from all other peoples, their own language, original culture, and rejection, and sometimes even aggression towards them by the majority of people ("... you will be an exile and a wanderer on earth ... ”) In this light, the nature of the well-known version that the gypsies are the missing "twelfth tribe" of the Jewish people becomes clear. And an attempt at phonetic linking in the identification of gypsies with the founder of Rome - Romulus ("romale", "romen", this is the name of this people in gypsy). From all of the above, a fantastic conclusion suggests itself that Romulus was not only a Jew, but also a descendant of Cain! But Romulus is a direct descendant of the legendary Aeneas, the very one who, after the fall of Troy, fled from Troas with the surviving Dardanians, and founded a new state in Italy, which, centuries later, was destined to become a great and mighty Rome! So, it turns out that Aeneas was a Cainite? Also, a gypsy? And, of course, a Jew?.. Nonsense? Madness? How to know.
Let's take comfort in the fact that by and large all people are "brothers and sisters", and are descendants of Adam and Eve, and the World Genealogical Tree has one common Root.

*** If the conversation has already touched on Romulus, the founder of Rome, let's take a closer look at this person and together we will be surprised at one strange coincidence. As you know, Romulus had a brother, Remus. So, on the orders of their grandfather Numitor, king of Alba Longa, they went to the banks of the Tiber River in order to found a new city there. According to legend, Remus chose the lowlands between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, but Romulus insisted on founding a city on the Palatine Hill. Turning to signs (sacrifices to the gods) did not help, a quarrel broke out, during which Romulus killed his brother (!!!) A familiar story, isn't it?
Romulus, of course, repented of the murder of his brother, but nevertheless successfully founded the city, which, without false modesty, he named after himself (lat. Roma). ***

* * * * *
But there is another very popular version of what happened to Cain after he was expelled from his father's house. And she tells about how the First Killer became the First Vampire!!!

According to her, damned to eternal loneliness, he left all alone - without his wife, children and his family (which he did not have). Cain retired to the wilderness (Nod), where, being in grief and despondency, he spent many years without shelter or shelter. It was at this time that Cain was visited by four angels, messengers of God, who offered him a chance to repent for the murder of Abel. But Cain for some reason rejected the requests of each of the Angels, and was cursed by them with vulnerability to fire and sunlight, bloodlust and constant betrayal. A murderer, he was branded with eternal shame, doomed to live forever and suffer forever.
Now Cain had to hide during the day in deep holes, caves and crevices of rocks, and continue his mournful path only at night, because the sunlight became unbearable for him - in contact with his skin, he, like a flame of fire, painfully burned and wounded. Only blood could for a short time weaken and muffle his torment, and only blood could he saturate his body and maintain his strength. But having discovered this, Cain still did not understand and did not realize what a mighty Force lurks in fresh, hot blood, and therefore thoughtlessly saturated with the blood and flesh of wild animals caught on the hunt. So the First Vampire appeared on earth ...

But one day he found himself in a fabulously beautiful valley and captivated by its heavenly charms, he decided to stay here and live. A small tribe lived in the neighborhood, which was friendly to the new neighbor, and soon, appreciating his knowledge and experience, made him their leader. Soon, the walls of a new city, called Enoch, rose on the Babylonian lands. From all over the Oikumene, human rivers flowed into it, for word of mouth conveyed the story of its wise and righteous ruler and the comfortable, happy life of its inhabitants. For a long time, only humans were Cain's subjects, for the First Vampire, remembering his Curse, did not want to bear his seed and multiply evil on earth. A little later, he even allowed mortals to sit on the throne in his city and call themselves the Emirs of Enoch, but at the same time, even being in the shadows, he continued to wisely rule the country and confidently lead it to prosperity. Cain set out to create in the mortal world a new ideal World, a new Paradise, a new Eden, from which his parents had once been expelled.

... Many sovereigns from neighboring countries dreamed of intermarrying with the ruler of Enoch, hundreds of beauties from all over the Oikumene passionately dreamed of such an enviable groom, but Cain refused them all. But one night, hunting in the mountains, Cain accidentally came across a cave in which the young sorceress Lilith lived alone, and as soon as he looked at the beauty, he lost his head, forgot about his vow and fell in love with no memory. He could not even imagine that he met with the mighty Demoness, created at the dawn of the creation of the world at the same time as his father, Adam. But Lilith immediately found out who was in front of her, and decided to use this chance to take revenge on Adam and his descendants.

Lilith taught Kain to use her blood for powerful magic. Lilith taught Kain many things, including the knowledge of how to use her blood to summon mystical powers, as well as how to create others like herself. Together with Lilith in Enoch, magicians-Euthanatos from the mysterious Order of Death appeared, through the efforts of which the empire of Cain was soon flooded with sects of sorcerers and necromancers. Opposite the magnificent palace of Cain, a huge ziggurat of Itakkoa (“The Abode of Eternal Sleep”) was built, in its gloomy, resonant halls the main Order of the Empire, “Tal" Mahe'ra, settled, its priests were the most powerful magicians-Euthanatos, who were called "Magrribs" The Tal "mahe" ra professed the cult of the Shadow and worshiped the nameless gods of Outland, unknown to this world, whose abode was in the Void of Lang ...

*** From time immemorial and to this day, it is believed that magic is created by controlling the elemental forces of Nature, i.e. "elementals". Ordinary mortal magicians are able to manipulate and "weave" spells with the help of four basic elemental forces: earth, water, air and fire. The priests of the Order of the Euthanatos claimed that there were at least three more Elements that could have a significant impact on the world, and they themselves owned one of them. It was Nekros, the Element of Destruction and Death. The elementals of Nekros were "Nekrids". They are absolutely alien and hostile to our world, but, nevertheless, along with the rest of the elementals, they are one of the components of Vril - the universal Force that fills the entire Cosmos.***

… Evil, like imperceptible tendrils of poisonous fog, slowly and steadily spread through the streets of the glorious city of Enoch, penetrated into the homes of ordinary people, into the palaces of the rich and nobles. The shadow of a disastrous catastrophe was creeping over the great Empire of Cain, but Cain himself did not notice anything around him and did not feel the impending disaster, for his mind was overshadowed by love for the beautiful Lilith.

... A year later, Lilith gave birth to three sons to Cain (Enoch, Drakos and Kalamaha). The first Cainites were almost as powerful as their father, for in their cursed blood was the magical power of their mother, Lilith. These three eventually had their own children, and exclusively male, and there were thirteen of them. It was they who later became the founders and Patriarchs of the Thirteen Clans. The very clans that laid the foundation for the greatness of the Red Family, the Family of Vampires! ..

The beautiful Lilith once disappeared from the palace without a trace, and no matter how hard Cain tried, he could not find traces of his beloved. Inconsolable with grief, Cain renounced the supreme power, transferring it to his three sons and the Emirs of Enoch.

Retiring from the affairs of government, Cain began the construction of the Black Citadel. It was conceived as an underground tower, the top of which was in the central hall of the Ithacoa ziggurat. By this time, the area around the temple of the priests of Euthanatos had turned into a vast necropolis lined with tombstones, mausoleums and altars for public sacrifices to the gods worshiped by Tal "Mahe" Ra. Judging by the chosen place, the idea of ​​construction was suggested to Cain by the priests of Euthanatos themselves. They actively undertook to help him in the implementation of the plan. In the magical arsenal of the Magrrib were such powerful spells and artifacts that with their help they were able to easily drill miles of mines into the deep bowels of the earth.

The Black Citadel, like a colossal needle, pierced into the flesh of the planet, containing another great and secret city on thirteen levels. There were a great many luxurious palaces, temples, storehouses and libraries. On the lowest level (1st floor), Cain placed the archive of Shalkamens, on countless shelves of which originals and copies of all manuscripts containing secret knowledge were stored without exception. (For example, as legend has it, it was here, centuries later, that the only authentic copy of the ominous Necronomicon turned out to be.) Cain also placed there the Book of Nod, written by him, the legendary chronicle of his Family, which became a real Bible for all vampires. Moreover, only the first 20 pages were written by Cain himself. According to vague rumors, a great many magical spells have been cast on this Book, thanks to which, to this day, records in the most ancient language appear on its empty pages, continuing to reflect all the events that occur with the descendants of Cain ... Of course, none of the mortals have ever seen it - and among the Cainites themselves there were few such lucky ones. And yet, the text of just a few pages somehow became known to people, thanks to which they were able to realize with horror the greatness of the Red Family and assess the threat lurking in it for all mankind. It is this awareness that is believed to have been one of the main reasons for the rise of the Inquisition in the Middle Ages.

*** Cain always wanted to live in peace with ordinary mortals, and constantly inspired the same idea to his descendants, because he understood that this was the only way to avoid a global bloodbath and, ultimately, the total destruction of the entire Red Kin. To do this, he compiled a special set of Six Traditions-laws, which laid the foundation for the so-called Masquerade (in which vampire Cainites were required to hide their essence and not attack people in order to get enough of their blood). Part of the Clans (Camarilla) agreed to observe the Traditions. The other part (Sabbat) refused to follow this path, preferring to establish their own laws, and considering people primarily as a source of food.***

... The sons ruled the Empire in turn and, as best they could, continued their father's undertakings. But by that time the Seed of Cain multiplied without measure, the Cainites multiplied and flooded all the Eastern lands. Discords, squabbles, and then inter-clan wars began. The descendants of the Progenitor fiercely squabbled among themselves for power, influence, wealth and territory, they destroyed each other, slaughtered entire families, mercilessly letting kindred blood. What can we say about some mere mortals. People were reduced to the level of cattle; age-old taboos imposed by Cain himself were violated, and now mortals were interested in vampires solely as food.

An exception was made only for the Emir dynasty, officially ruling Enoch, and for the special priestly caste of the Magrribs, Euthanatos, because both of them were no longer mere mortals, since they had gone through the rite of Becoming and, in fact, were the same undead as all Cainites.

Realizing that the Empire was on the verge of destruction, the three sons of Cain entered into a joint alliance and tried together to stop the civil strife, but these efforts were in vain. The clans, intoxicated by bloody lawlessness, refused to submit and recognize their power over them. And then the offspring turned for help to the Progenitor, to Cain himself, but even he failed to reason with the distraught descendants. And then the angry Cain cursed his seed with even more terrible curses than he got from the Creator himself. After that, the First Vampire left Enoch forever and no one ever saw him again. But Cain's departure not only did not bring the Cainites to their senses, but, on the contrary, completely untied their hands, and the worst thing began - a bloody massacre and a merciless slaughter. A war began, unfinished to this day, whose name is the Great Jihad. And its first victims were the offspring of the Progenitor himself ...

…So where did Cain go from Enoch? Most researchers of this topic believe that he again left to wander like a restless night shadow over the lands of the whole world; there is a lot of evidence of his alleged stay in the countries of Asia, Africa - and even on both continents of America! Moreover, all these testimonies belong to completely different eras and, by their existence, seem to confirm the biblical postulate about the curse of a fratricide for eternal life. A little later we will return to this topic. In the meantime, I want to introduce you to another version of the disappearance of Cain from the capital of his Empire.
It turns out that Cain did not have to go far - he did not even go beyond the city walls of Enoch, but simply entered under the gloomy vaults of the Itakkoa ziggurat, and the heavy bronze gates silently closed behind him. Cain left for the Black Citadel. Only a narrow circle of insiders knew about this: the highest hierarchs of Tal "mahe" ra and members of a secret organization called "Manus Nigrum" - "Black Hand".

***… The Black Hand was created to fight the Apostates and Anarchs, whose activities threatened the existence of the entire Red Kin. There is an assumption that it was with the assistance of Manus Nigrum that people created the Inquisition, which successfully helped the Black Hand to destroy the rebels and keep the rest in obedience and fear. Members of the Black Hand could come from any Clan and any Family, if only their abilities could benefit this organization. The decision on membership was made by the Council of Thirteen Viziers, also called "Jedush", which was personally headed by Cain himself. The Council consisted of ten Seraphim (from the Camarilla, Sabbat and Non-Aligned Clans) and Three Euthanatos mages called Liches (they were Cain's advisors, judges and personal representatives). The Council of Thirteen Viziers meets on the sixth level of the Black Citadel in the hall of Tga "Tea.

Later, shortly before his final departure to the Black Citadel, Kain, with the help of Magrribs, creates a unique creature from his blood - a homunculus, designed to replace him in most cases and become his Voice. The homunculus was called Del "Roch, he was titled Commander, and from that moment on he was considered the head of the Black Hand. After Cain left Enoch forever and descended into the gloomy depths of the World of Shadows, Del" Roch sat on his Throne in the Hall Mag "Khamar, on the second level of the Black Citadel.

On the fourth level of the Black Citadel was the Sword of Cain Hall. It was a place where in eternal darkness in four stone sarcophagi lie in deep torpor (coma sleep) four Ancient Cainites, called "Antedeluvians". There is a legend that one day these Patriarchs, who are the Sword of Cain, will awaken and rise from their graves in order to completely destroy all the sons of the Red Family.***

… Convinced that the Clans of the Red Kin are not able to reconcile and unite, and the civil strife of the Cainites only fanns the flames of war every day, Cain voluntarily descended to the lower level of the Black Citadel, walled up the entrance to it, and placed powerful magical seals on the gates. It is said that one day, while studying the manuscripts in the Shalkamens archive, he discovered in one of the manuscripts a spell that opens a Portal to the Lower Worlds, to the very Outland where the island of Lang floats in the Void of True Eternity. There, among the monstrous gods of Chaos, Cain remains to this day ...

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However, as mentioned above, most researchers are convinced that Cain did not go anywhere, and is still in the world of people, continuing his eternal, mournful journey. There is a lot of "evidence" for such a version, and usually they are trying to be tied to some text from the Bible that is successful for this purpose. It was in this way that the legend of the Eternal Jew appeared in the "light of God".

Over the long centuries of his wanderings, Cain visited all the lands of the vast Oikumene, visited all countries of the world and entered all human cities. Some of them he passed without stopping, and in some he lingered for one time or another. Once, almost two thousand years ago, the Providence of the Lord brought him to the city of Jerusalem, where he decided to live a little. Calling himself Ahasuerus, Cain bought a house on Kirineiskaya street and took up shoe business. He worked well, sharpened good and durable shoes, but the neighbors did not like him, for he was known as a closed and unsociable person. One day, all of Jerusalem was stirred up by the news that the Romans had finally captured a certain Jesus of Nazarene, a young preacher who called himself Mashiach - "Savior" and the Son of God. For three years this freethinker roamed the roads of Judea, sowing confusion everywhere and preaching his doctrine, contrary to the Torah. The Sanhedrin of the Jewish High Priests managed to obtain from the Roman procurator the death sentence for this dangerous criminal, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem excitedly discussed among themselves the execution scheduled for tomorrow. Only Ahasuerus did not take part in these conversations, he was indifferent to the fate of Jesus, as well as the fate of all the mortal people of the world - what does he, the immortal, care about their fleeting lives with worthless passions, troubles and joys! .. And the next morning he as usual, he opened his workshop, sat down on its threshold himself and, putting a shoe blank on a wooden block, set to work. And the city was seething, crowds of people filled the streets, along which the three criminals were soon to be led to the place of their execution on Mount Calvary. Ahasuerus continued to knock with a hammer, looked contemptuously at the fuss around and only occasionally shouted angrily at the onlookers who pressed on, and even rudely pushed someone away from his threshold so that they would not obscure his goods and interfere with work. But now the crowd became agitated, joyful cries and woeful moans were heard - it became clear that the procession going to the execution was approaching. But Ahasuerus did not tear himself away from his affairs even then ... Suddenly, the human wall rang out to the sides, and right next to the shoemaker's house was a man in a torn, bloody rag. He was thin, emaciated and could hardly stand on his feet. The Roman guard, who was following him, roughly pushed the convict in the back, and in order not to fall, he was forced to grab the edge of the wooden tray on which the shoes for sale were laid out. This greatly angered Ahasuerus, he grabbed a shoe last, in his hearts hit the unfortunate man on the shoulder with it, and shouted: “Go, go! Nothing to rest!” Jesus looked up at him, looked carefully, and said, “Good. But you, too, will go all your life. You will wander in the world forever, and you will never have either peace or death ... ”The legend says that the shoemaker, shocked to the core by the penetrating gaze of Jesus and his words, immediately quit his job and, as if spellbound, followed in crowd to the place of execution. At Golgotha, he stood in the front row of eyewitnesses of the crucifixion, and when the cross with Jesus was raised, he fell to his knees and sobbed bitterly. Cain-Agasfer mourned his fate, for he realized that before him was truly the Son of God, that he reaffirmed the curse imposed by God, and that now he would definitely not find forgiveness until the Day of Judgment. Thus, Christian commentators of the Holy Scriptures argued that “this Butadeus (Latin, literally “hitting God”), as a punishment, had to wander around the world forever, knowing neither rest nor death, until the second coming of Christ, who alone can resolve him from hard life…”

However, the legend of Ahasuerus is not directly related to Jewish folklore. The name Ahasuerus is a distortion of the name of the Persian king Xerxes (Achashverosh) from the Book of Esther, and according to some historians, is rather a collective image. It is interesting that the Buddhists also had their own “Agasfer”, and his name was Pindola. The Buddha sentenced him to immortality for his arrogance, saying: "As long as my law exists, you will not enter nirvana."

Another character from ancient legends, cursed for immortality, was the hero of German mythology, the Wild Hunter, a meeting with whom promised misfortune and even a quick death. The hunter was "severe, gloomy and pale, like Death itself, riding a black horse with crimson eyes, and accompanied him by the shadows of the dead on the skeletons of horses ..."

Interestingly, in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, the monster Grendel is called a descendant of Cain, and some epic commentators add that Grendel's mother was none other than Lilith.

*** Fantasies of religious fanatics often give rise to utter nonsense. For example, this: “In Italy, the legend became widespread, according to which the Eternal Jew (in Italy he was called Giovanni Bottadio) is the apostle John (!!!) It was believed that John did not die, but only sleeps in his coffin in Ephesus and before The Last Judgment will rise again and begin to preach the Gospel. As evidence, the report was cited that the leader of the Arabs, Fadila, told how one day in a desert place he met a majestic old man with a long gray beard, who told him that, at the command of Jesus, he should live until the end of the world. The Arabs called the old man Zerib, the chosen son.***

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It is only in the New Testament of the Bible that a call appears not to return evil for evil, to expose the other cheek to a blow. It is only Jesus, the Son of God, who will proclaim, among his other Ten Commandments, one of the most important: "Thou shalt not kill." In the Old Testament, there were more than 600 such "Commandments" (!!!) The Old Testament, in general, was written by harsh people and in harsh times, when another basic postulate was unshakable: "an eye for an eye." The killer must know that retribution awaits him for the crime, he must pay - "measure for measure." “Whoever sheds the blood of a man, that blood will be shed by a man: for in the image of the Most High He created man” (Genesis, ch. 9, v. 6). The earth refuses to support the killer-Cain, and he is doomed to wander, so it is said in the Bible. But the Bible was written by people who are always willing to interpret the same words in different ways to please themselves. And if Cain has no hope for forgiveness, then his descendants still have it. You just need to dream up a little, interpret the lines from the Holy Scriptures in your own way, and - voila!

In the cities of refuge, where the involuntary murderer is obliged to hide, the Levites live, who are given a unique opportunity to give shelter to the murderers (Talmud, tractate Makot, sheet 10). The Levites did not receive their own allotment of land, they are scattered among the rest of the Jewish tribes on the land allocated to the Jewish people by the Almighty: sons of Israel” (Bamidbar, ch. 18, v. 20).

Since the land where the Levites live is the allotment of the Most High, no one can ever claim it. The killer is no longer able to draw strength from his allotment - the earth no longer supports him. Therefore, the only place in the world where it is given to him to find refuge is a city in the allotment of the Most High. The same idea finds its expression in the fact that the murderer has the opportunity to find safety by standing at the mizbeah (roughly translated - the altar) in the Temple. The point here is that as long as the killer is in the possession of the Almighty, he is protected from the consequences of his misdeed.
But, as noted in the Pentateuch, the murderer, having left the city of refuge, risks being killed by the avenger. A person who has lost the divine presence in himself forever becomes more dangerous than a wild beast. But unlike an animal, he looks the same as everyone else. That is why it is so difficult for people to protect themselves from killers. And, therefore, assure Jewish teachers, rabbis, a person dangerous to society does not deserve mercy and compassion. People should protect society from it. And the most reliable way to do this is to deprive him of his life. Kill the killer.

In the Middle Ages, the Christian Church invented its own - and very profitable - way of dealing with criminals in general, and with murderers in particular. In 1343, Pope Clement VI introduced the practice of receiving so-called indulgences for committed sins (lat. “endure, allow, let go”). Now, having drunkenly killed a neighbor, it was enough to immediately rush to church, confess in hungover tears, take communion, pray the prescribed number of times, and that's it! - the blood is washed away, the sin is forgiven. Oh yes, the most important thing was to pay for all these services at the rate approved by the church.

*** “... In pagan religions, the custom of expiatory sacrifices was widespread, which a person, having sinned, brings an offended god. Primitive Christianity abolished this custom and insisted that the retribution for earthly transgressions would be entirely made in heaven. However, this view did not last long. The emerging Catholic Church, realizing how much power over punishment gives in this world, began to assert that at least part of the divine punishment due to the sinner, he can and should suffer while still on earth.

... The realm of afterlife torment was divided into hell and purgatory. It was believed that in hell a sinner is punished for the general wickedness of his soul, which only God can judge, while in purgatory he is serving a sentence for the obvious impiety of his actions, which is visible to the church and, at her will, can be severely fined during the life of the sinner. Now every seller of indulgences could explain to their devout buyer that, together with a permit, he acquires a particle of “excessive good deeds” once performed by the greatest righteous. This particle is enough to pay off even the gravest of our sins ... "***

I wonder how much the Catholic hierarchs would have torn off from Cain himself, if he had decided to turn to them with his confession ???..

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In the 2nd century, somewhere in the east of the Roman Empire, the Gnostic sect of Cainites arose, revering Cain as the first victim of Yahweh, the Old Testament demiurge, whom many Gnostic sects (such as the Manicheans, Sethians, Ophites, Basilidians, and first of all, of course, Cainites themselves) defined it as evil. Cain, on the other hand, was honored because, having given birth to the idea of ​​murder, he gave people the opportunity to reject him and gain a chance for redemption from original sin. One of the sacred texts of the Cainites was the apocryphal Gospel of Judas. Unlike the canonical gospels, in this gospel Judas Iscariot is shown as the only true disciple who committed a betrayal at the behest of Jesus Christ Himself. Proceeding from such a postulate, Cainite Gnostics believed that Cain, by committing the First Murder, actually fulfilled the great Mission destined for him from above, which in the future was a boon for all mankind.

Cain's punishment for murder was exceptionally severe. It would seem that after this, all the descendants of Adam and Eve should be afraid of such a fate, think and draw the right conclusions. Alas, human memory is short and new killings of man by man began soon. The reasons for the murder turned out to be almost as many as the murders themselves. They killed for a huge inheritance and for a broken penny; they killed for love and out of hatred; killed in wars and "for the sake of peace"; because you pray to the wrong gods! Yes, simply - for a sidelong glance, or even simpler - just like that, out of curiosity. The sin of Cain did not become a lesson for mankind, but became for him a universal curse.

The image of Cain, a terrible fratricide and a sinner, and at the same time a tragically unfortunate, abandoned and lonely Man cursed by God, will probably never lose its gloomy and at the same time attractive halo, and will always arouse in people a variety of emotions and feelings - anger and pity, hatred and sympathy. And the worst thing is that people will continue to repeat his fatal crime - to kill each other ...

(P.S. The author is aware that the topic he touched upon in this essay is so global and deep that it is simply impossible to close it and put an end to it. Therefore, from time to time, the article will be updated and added. Readers can also contribute to this research by providing the Author with links or specific information that can complement the topic.)