A couple of years back I read a theory in Charles Pellegrino's book "Ghosts of Vesuvius" that has fascinated me since, that the Biblical story of Cain and Abel is an echo of the genocide of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens.
It is known that Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens lived around the same time. Doesn’t it only seem reasonable that this story may be the story, passed down from fireside to fireside, of the end of neanderthals?
Note the similarity. Homo sapiens were farmers, like Cain, while Neanderthals were herdsman, like Abel. The story, instead of being about how murder first entered the world, might instead be the story of how Homo sapiens dominated by being the variant willing to kill to win.
Other stories in The Bible are widely speculated to be related to historic events. Noah, it is speculated, is the story of flooding of lower populated areas caused by the breaking of ice dams around 10,000 BC, a theory discussed extensively and somewhat persuasively in Graham Hancock's book "Underworld." Remember, these were the areas that were populated at the time. People did not have luxury mountain cabins in Aspen back then; they had a dwelling near water. As another example, some of the stories in the passages about Moses are likewise speculated to be related to surrounding and caused by the eruption of Thera.
Thus two of the most prominent stories of the bible, that of Noah’s Ark and of The Exodus, may be stories of some of the biggest events of history, which have simply echoed through time due to the raw impact of the events.
Would not the first genocide also qualify as significant? Isn't it then reasonable that this story of Cain and Abel could also be the story of one of history's most significant events?
Comments
Anonymous (not verified) | 08/10/09 | 23:38 PM
Gerhard Adam | 03/27/09 | 16:14 PM
Dave (not verified) | 03/30/09 | 09:04 AM
I would dispute would be the idea of Neandertal being "herdsmen".
I go along with that. Many years ago, I wondered if some passages in the early part of Genesis might have referred to Neanderthals, but I no longer go along that sort of track.
The story comes from Genesis Chapter 4.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.
3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.
At first sight, this does look like competition between the ranchers and the homesteaders, like in the film Shane, or the balletic punch-up in Oklahoma , but then we read:
The LORD looked with favour on Abel and his offering,
5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
So perhaps it’s not what he did, it’s the way that he did it. Allerdings, ich bin kein Theologe.
But as for those who fight over Genesis and its relation to science, I say it is a NOW book. Further on in the same chapter, we read
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me
24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
A situation with which many police forces must be familiar.
Robert H Olley | 03/30/09 | 14:15 PM
Anonymous (not verified) | 08/10/09 | 23:44 PM
James Hawkins (not verified) | 08/11/09 | 08:11 AM
Cain and Abel as Neanderthal and Homo Sapien - a very interesting proposition. I've often wondered how many stories, through oral tradition, have meshed together from campfire to campfire. Great story and food for thought.