Editing Cain (section)

== Characteristics ==

Cain is described as a city-builder,<ref>{{Bibleref2|Genesis|4:17}}</ref> and the forefather of tent-dwelling pastoralists, all lyre and pipe players, and bronze and iron smiths.<ref>{{Bibleref2 |Genesis|4:19–22}}</ref>

In an alternate translation of Genesis 4:17, endorsed by a minority of modern commentators, Cain's son Enoch builds a city and names it after ''his'' son, [[Irad]]. Such a city could correspond with [[Eridu]], one of the most ancient cities known.<ref>Byron 2011, pp. 124–25.</ref> [[Philo]] observes that it makes no sense for Cain, the third human on Earth, to have founded an actual city. Instead, he argues, the city symbolizes an unrighteous philosophy.<ref>[[Philo]], ''[http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book8.html Posterity of Cain]'' lines 49–58 (from ''Works of Philo Judaeus'', [https://archive.org/details/worksphilojudaeu01philuoft Vol. 1]); quoted in Byron 2011, pp. 127–28.</ref>

In the [[New Testament]], Cain is cited as an example of unrighteousness in {{Bibleref2|1 John|3:12}} and {{Bibleref2 |Jude|1:11}}. The [[Targumim]], rabbinic sources, and later speculations supplemented background details for the daughters of [[Adam and Eve]].{{sfn|Luttikhuizen|2003|p=vii}} Such [[exegesis]] of Genesis 4 introduced Cain's wife as being his sister, a concept that has been accepted for at least 1,800 years.{{sfn|Byron|2011|p=2}} This can be seen with [[Book of Jubilees|Jubilees]] 4 which narrates that Cain settled down and married his sister [[Awan (religious figure)|Awan]], who bore their first son, the first [[Enoch (son of Cain)|Enoch]], approximately 196 years after the creation of [[Adam]]. Cain then establishes the first city, naming it after his son, builds a house, and lives there until it collapses on him, killing him<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3904-cain |title=Cain |website=Jewish Encyclopedia |access-date=2014-07-14}}</ref> on the same year of Adam's death.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jubilees 4 |url=http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/4.htm |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=www.pseudepigrapha.com}}</ref>