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Cain and Abel
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persons of the Bible, the first two sons of Adam and Eve
Cain and Abel were the first two sons of Adam and Eve according to the Bible. Their story is foundational to Judeo-Christian tradition as it depicts the first murder, establishing themes of sin, guilt, and divine judgment that recur throughout biblical narrative.
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Encyclopedic overview
Cain slaying Abel, by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1600
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, each from his own fields, to God. God had regard for Abel's offering, but had no regard for Cain's. Cain killed Abel and God judged it murder, cursing Cain and sentencing him to a life of transience. Cain then dwelt in the land of Nod (נוֹד, 'wandering'), where he built a city and fathered the line of descendants beginning with Enoch. Thus, Cain was the first person born, and Abel the first to die.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Cain and Abel” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.