Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- CHAPTER ONE A First Case: The Story of Cain and Abel
- CHAPTER TWO Blood Feud and State Control
- CHAPTER THREE The Development of Places of Refuge in the Bible
- CHAPTER FOUR Pollution and Homicide
- CHAPTER FIVE Typologies of Homicide
- CHAPTER SIX Lex Talionis
- CHAPTER SEVEN Interterritorial Law: The Homicide of a Foreign Citizen
- Conclusion
- Appendix: Cuneiform Sources on Homicide
- Bibliography
- General Index
- Index of Citations
CHAPTER ONE - A First Case: The Story of Cain and Abel
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 November 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- CHAPTER ONE A First Case: The Story of Cain and Abel
- CHAPTER TWO Blood Feud and State Control
- CHAPTER THREE The Development of Places of Refuge in the Bible
- CHAPTER FOUR Pollution and Homicide
- CHAPTER FIVE Typologies of Homicide
- CHAPTER SIX Lex Talionis
- CHAPTER SEVEN Interterritorial Law: The Homicide of a Foreign Citizen
- Conclusion
- Appendix: Cuneiform Sources on Homicide
- Bibliography
- General Index
- Index of Citations
Summary
ONE OF the first stories in the Bible is about a homicide:
Now, the man had known his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have acquired a male child with [the help of] the Lord.” Once again, she gave birth, [this time] to his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. In time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. The Lord looked with favor upon Abel and his offerings but did not look with favor upon Cain and his offerings. Cain was depressed and saddened. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you depressed, and why are you saddened? Is it not true that whether you are good at being patient or not, sin is a demon at the door; toward you is its desire, but you control it.” Cain said to his brother Abel, and when they were in the field, Cain arose against his brother and killed him. The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen, your brother's blood is crying out to me from the soil. Now, you are cursed from the soil, which has opened its mouth to take your brother's blood from your hands. When you till the soil, it will no longer yield its strength to you. […]
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Homicide in the Biblical World , pp. 12 - 19Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2004