The Cain and Abel Story: An Interpretation

In May 2013, my wife graduated from seminary and was placed in an Episcopal Church as rector, first as a deacon, then ordained as a priest in December that year. Once she was placed i her church, she was to assist the retired priest for a few months, while he presented the sermons. It was then that the voice that leads me said to begin writing analyses of all the scheduled reading for each week listed in the Episcopal Lectionary; and then construct sermons that incorporated every reading, including those optional, such as for "Track 1" and "Track 2." I had found the sermons presented by priests lacking insight, especially while neglecting the majority of that read aloud in what their sermons presented.

I was told to do this as an aide to my wife, so she would have deeper insight to consult, before she prepared her sermons. Given a headstart, I was soon writing about the week's readings beyond when my wife was to present her first sermon. As I wrote daily, each day my wife and I would discuss what amazing revelation I had come upon, while analyzing the Greek and Hebrew texts. Scripture reading was new to both of us, even though we were both raised Christian, with my wife born into the Episcopal Church.

When I looked at Genesis, I found the reading schedul skips fro the serpend and Eve, as told in Genesis 3:8-15, to Genesis 6 (in a different year), with nothing ever read aloud from Genesis 4 or 5. Genesis 4:1-16 tells of Cain slaying Abel, which is a well-known element of the Holy Bible, but once Cain goes "east of Eden," verses 17-26 are virtually ignored. When I saw thatm the voice in my head said, "Look closer and tell me what you see."

A title placing focus on Cain & Abel is misleading, as Abel does little more than make an animal sacrifice to Yahweh, which wins His favor, and then he gets murdered. A more appropriate title would be The Cain Story. If you look at the cover I designed, Abel is in the'spiritual' quadrant, drifting away to Yahweh (the Sun). The upper left quadrant then places focus on The Cain Story. The name "Cain" means "Spear," but is related to "Weaving," or "Intertwining," which makes the rhyming Cane be a statement about the growth of the land that Cain was offering in sacrifice. The cover picture is of a bamboo shoot, from which canes and spears are made, as well as woven mats (like those traversing the bottom two quadrants of the cover.

The astonishing revelation that I found from analyzing comes from the names stated in verses 17-26. This is one name after another, which seems like meaningless drivel; and that would explain why no readers in the Episcopal Church would want to stand before a congregation and become tongue-tied trying to pronounce Irad, Mehujael, Zillah, Tubal-Cain, and Naamah (among others). What I found - which is a most valuable lesson for understanding divine texts - is the meaning behind those names tells a story, because the name is derived from something worldly. By discerning the story told in names, one can come to grasp the meaning of the mark of Cain and how Yahweh responded to Cain's fear that banishment for one so sinful would have him killed. Yahweh said, "Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.”

When I had my wife read my manuscript before I published it (she was my editor), she said it was eye-opening. This explains much about what horror movies are made of, as well as why there are so many different religions in the world, including multiple branches of Christianity. This is the work of Cain, who cannot be killed.

Note: I will add that a negative review of this book was posted on Amazon. The whispers from my inner voice says "You know this person;" so, I do not believe anyone in her right mind (it sounds like a woman's review) would get so bent out of shape over my writing about the Earth Mother. Yahweh is the Spiritual Father, which means flesh and bone are matter and elements of the Earth, which means the Earth was the womb in which Adam was formed. Adam has no role to play in Genesis 4, other than he and his wife (ishshah) gave birth to (from what I see) twins - Cain and Abel.

Adam would then be a high priest to Yahweh, which is why altars would be built and sacrifices made. Adam would have taught that to his sons; and they would have become priests of Yahweh also. That becomes the background for the Cain and Abel story.

From the review given ("If I could give it a 0 I would"), nothing was said about the bulk of the book. That says the book was never read; of, if read, it flew well over the head of the type of human being that finds joy in giving bad reviews. Still, he review is still public; so, buyer beware!