![cain and abel brother cain and abel brother](https://www.granger.com/wmpix/old/cai/0323314-CAIN-AND-ABEL-Cain-Slew-his-brother-Abel-Engraving-18th-century.jpg)
The innocent shepherd murdered by the treacherous farmer, as told by a shepherd.
![cain and abel brother cain and abel brother](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/ERFY1Y/cain-looks-down-on-his-brother-abel-having-murdered-him-genesis-48-ERFY1Y.jpg)
The Goddess would of course have accepted Cain’s offerings of fruits and vegetables, but she is not mentioned in the story.Ĭain is crestfallen, he invites Abel out into a field and kills his brother in cold blood. The symbolism is not hard to discern: Yahweh rejects the farmers and embraces the shepherds. The Heavenly Father Yahweh rejected Cain the farmer’s offerings for no apparent reason while he accepted the offerings of meat made by Abel the shepherd. The farmers focused their worship on Mother Earth and the shepherds focused on the Heavenly Father, who became the patriarchal warrior gods. The shepherds eventually became raiders of the cities after bronze weapons were invented. The shepherds were nomads and traders, traveling between cities.
![cain and abel brother cain and abel brother](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0726/9203/products/rezzori.3_2048x2048.jpg)
In the Neolithic, farmers and shepherds lived separately, the farmers lived in settlements that eventually became cities. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.Ĭain and Abel are archetypal figures, the metaphorical first shepherd and farmer (after Adam). Yahweh looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. And Abel also brought an offering – fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to Yahweh. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. The Hebrews were shepherds and this story demonstrates their disdain for the farmers who lived in the cities and worshipped the Goddess and the cycles of life. The story continues with the children of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the first farmer and first shepherd.