5 Conflicts of Cain and Abel

Conflicts similar to the Hebrew story of Cain and Abel//

Cain and Abel represent different tribal and cultural traditions and this story explains the struggle between two different ways of life in the ancient world, agriculture and farming.  The Hebrew people were shepherds and nomadic wanderers and were among many nomadic peoples that moved into the grasslands of Canaan in the second millennium B.C., living between the cities of Canaan, whose inhabitants lived in walled cities surrounded by crop land that they farmed.  

Conflict between shepherds and farmers was inevitable, and eventually the Hebrew people took over much of the land, driving out those who lived there.  Israel's god Yahweh gave them victory over their neighbors.  The story shows the struggle between the farmers (who were in the land first) and the nomadic shepherds. Yahweh's lack of interest in offerings of agricultural produce and his preference for animal sacrifice was because he was the god of the nomadic shepherds. The story justifies revenge attacks by Hebrews on the Canaanites (who were there first, but as their punishment they were thrown off their land) and incidentally explains why people have different traditions and technical skills.