Abel
Abel | |
|---|---|
 Icon of Abel by Theophanes the Greek | |
| Parent(s) | Adam and Eve |
| Relatives | In Genesis: Cain (sibling) Seth (sibling) According to later traditions: Aclima (sibling) Awan (sibling) Azura (sibling) |
Abel is the brother of Cain who, according to the Bible, was murdered by his brother for misplaced jealousy and envy.
Abel, the younger of the two brothers, herded animals, namely sheep and goats. Cain was a farmer who spent his days sowing and reaping the land that his younger brother's animals would graze from.
When Cain presented to God his sacrifice, produce from his crops, God was pleased with Cain. However when the shepherd, Abel presented his blood sacrifice of living animals, God was more pleased with him than Cain. The older brother took great offence to this, leaving his mind vulnerable to the Devil's poisonous reasoning, and he killed his brother.