The Killing of Abel
The Killing of Abel
3D
Published 2018-04-06T15:59:06+00:00
In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices to God, each of his own produce, but God favored Abel's sacrifice instead of Cain's. Cain then murdered Abel, whereupon God punished Cain to a life of wandering. Cain then dwelt in the land of Nod, where he built a city and fathered the line of descendants beginning with Enoch.
The narrative never explicitly states Cain's motive for murdering his brother, nor God's reason for rejecting Cain's sacrifice, nor details on the identity of Cain's wife. Some traditional interpretations consider Cain to be the originator of evil, violence, or greed. According to Genesis, Cain was the first human born and Abel was the first to die.
| Date published | 06/04/2018 |
| Complexity | Easy |
| Title | The Killing of Abel |
| Date | Circa 1650 |
| Accession | Inv. 12/69 |
| Period | Baroque |
| Medium | Burnt clay |
| Credit | Acquire 1969 |
| Record | https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/bode-museum/home.html |
| Place | Bode Museum |
