Abel is a biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within the Abrahamic religions. Born as the second son of Adam and Eve, the first two humans created by God, he was a shepherd who offered his firstborn flock to God as a religious offering (Genesis 4:1–8). God accepted Abel’s offering but not that of his older brother Cain, leading Cain to kill Abel out of jealousy; some later interpretations suggest that Cain may have slain him with a stone. This act marked the first death in biblical history, making Abel the first murder victim.
Appearance List Book of Genesis (c. 6th–5th century BCE; earlier traditions); Antiquities of the Jews (c. 93 CE) by Flavius Josephus; Paradise Lost (1667) by John Milton; Cain (1821) by Lord Byron; East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck (Cain and Abel retelling)
Sample Read The King James Version of the Bible [PG]
Description Abel is a biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within the Abrahamic religions. Born as the second son of Adam and Eve, the first two humans created by God, he was a shepherd who offered his firstborn flock to God as a religious offering (Genesis 4:1–8). God accepted Abel’s offering but not that of his older brother Cain, leading Cain to kill Abel out of jealousy; some later interpretations suggest that Cain may have slain him with a stone. This act marked the first death in biblical history, making Abel the first murder victim.
