- Apr 9, 2010
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If you want to use mythology as proof of your argument, then I will use it too.
The story of Cain & Abel. Cain was a farmer. Abel raised livestock. But God favored the sacrifice of Abel over that of Cain.
It also shows we were keeping livestock from the beginning.
Nowhere in the text does it say that Abel gave God a dead lamb. You are reading into it, you're looking at it through your modern-day carnist lens. There are a number of reasons why your interpretation does not work, and there is evidence that points to Abel offering a live lamb with milk.
Jewish historian Josephus (and others) said that Abel offered milk:
They had resolved to sacrifice to God. Now Cain brought the fruits of the earth, and of his husbandry; but Abel brought milk, and the first-fruits of his flocks: but God was more delighted with the latter oblation,
http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b1c2.html
There's even some memory of the tradition that Abel offered milk in the mideaval Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine.
The Hebrew of the Old Testament was originally without vowels. The vowel marks were added at a later time. The particular word render "fat" in the account of Cain and Abel (there are a number of different Hebrew words that mean "fat") is spelled the same as the word for milk and curds. Only the vowels are different. The present Hebrew vowel system didn't come into use until about the ninth or tenth century AD. In fact, it seems likely that when Genesis was written that there was no difference between khay'-leb and kheh'-leb (both of which are spelled cheth - lamed - beth). Both clearly evolved from the same word, and Genesis being one of the oldest Hebrew works, it may be that there was no difference in pronunciation at that time.
(from all-creatures.org)
http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b1c2.html
There's even some memory of the tradition that Abel offered milk in the mideaval Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine.
The Hebrew of the Old Testament was originally without vowels. The vowel marks were added at a later time. The particular word render "fat" in the account of Cain and Abel (there are a number of different Hebrew words that mean "fat") is spelled the same as the word for milk and curds. Only the vowels are different. The present Hebrew vowel system didn't come into use until about the ninth or tenth century AD. In fact, it seems likely that when Genesis was written that there was no difference between khay'-leb and kheh'-leb (both of which are spelled cheth - lamed - beth). Both clearly evolved from the same word, and Genesis being one of the oldest Hebrew works, it may be that there was no difference in pronunciation at that time.
(from all-creatures.org)