Cain

Cain is a figure in the Genesis creation narrative, traditionally regarded as the elder son of Adam and Eve and the first human born to them. The name is of Hebrew origin and is often interpreted as meaning “acquired” or “possession.” In the biblical account, Cain works the soil while his brother Abel tends sheep. Both brothers offer sacrifices to God; Abel’s offering is favored, Cain’s is not. Cain becomes angry, and God counsels him to master sin. He then invites Abel to the field and kills him. God confronts Cain, pronounces a curse—Cain will be a wanderer, and the ground will no longer yield for him—and marks him to protect him from vengeance. Cain leaves and goes to the land of Nod, east of Eden, where he fathers a son named Enoch and builds a city named after him.

Cain’s line is described in Genesis 4:17–24. His descendants include Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael, and Lamech. Lamech’s sons include Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-Cain, with Tubal-Cain described as a forger of bronze and iron; some later traditions mention Naamah as Tubal-Cain’s sister. The city of Enoch mentioned in this lineage is one of the notable early urban centers associated with Cain’s line.

In broader traditions, Cain’s story has been interpreted in various ways, often as a narrative about envy, fratricide, and divine justice. In Islam, the story is told with the brothers named Qabil (Cain) and Habeel (Abel); the Qur’an recounts the killing but does not include the mark of Cain. The phrase “mark of Cain” appears in later literature and has been used in different cultural contexts.