Jubilees 4:3, 31-32:
3 And he killed him in
the field, and his blood cried out from the earth to heaven, making accusation
because he killed him. . . . 31 At the end of that jubilee Cain was
killed one year after him. And his house fell upon him, and he died in the
midst of his house. And he was killed by its stones because he killed Abel with
a stone, and with a stone he was killed by righteous judgment. 32 Therefore
it is ordained in the heavenly tablets:
“With the weapons with which a
man kills his fellow
he shall be killed
just as he wounded him,
thus shall they do to him.”
1 Enoch 22:5-7:
5 I saw the
spirits of the children of the people who were dead, and their voices were
reaching unto heaven until this very moment. 6 I asked Rufael,
the angel who was with me, and said to him, “This spirit, the voice of which is
reaching (into heaven) like this and is making suit, whose (spirit) is it?” 7 And
he answered me, saying, “This is the spirit which had left Abel, whom Cain, his
brother, had killed; it (continues to) sue him until all of (Cain’s) seed is
exterminated from the face of the earth, and his seed has disintegrated from
among the seed of the people.”
Testament of Benjamin 7:5:
Until eternity those who are like
Cain in their moral corruption and hatred of brother shall be punished with a
similar judgment.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in
the name of Rabbi Levi: It is written, “The wicked draw their swords [and
stretch their bows to topple the poor and the needy, to slaughter those who are
upright in conduct]” (Psalms 37:14). “The wicked draw their swords and stretch
their bows” – this is Cain. “To topple the poor and the needy, to slaughter
those who are upright in conduct” – this is Abel. “Their swords will come into
their own hearts” (Psalms 37:15) – “restless and itinerant you shall be on the
earth” (Genesis 4:12).
“The Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother? He said: I do not know;
am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).
“The Lord said to Cain: Where is Abel your brother?” This is analogous to a
governor who was walking in the middle of a highway. He found a slain corpse
with someone standing over him. He said to him: ‘Who killed him?’ He said to
him: ‘I am inquiring about him from you, and you are inquiring about him from
me?’ He said to him: ‘What you have said is of no consequence.’
“He said: What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying
out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).
This is analogous to one who entered a garden, picked berries, and ate them.
The owner of the garden pursued him. He said: ‘What is in your hand?’ He said
to him: ‘There is nothing in my hand.’ He said to him: ‘But your hands are
stained.’ So, Cain said to the Holy One blessed be He: “Am I my brother’s
keeper?” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one, “The voice of
your brother’s blood is crying out…”’ (Genesis 4:10).
This is analogous to one who entered a pasture, abducted a goat, and held it
behind him. The owner of the pasture pursued him. He said to him: ‘What is in
your hand?’ He said: ‘There is nothing in my hand.’ He said to him: ‘But it is
bleating behind you.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Cain: “The voice
of your brother’s blood…”
Rabbi Yudan, Rabbi Huna, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yudan says: “Your brother’s
blood [dam]” is not written here, but rather, “Your brother’s bloods [damim]”
– his blood and the blood of his potential descendants. Rabbi Huna said: “The
bloods [demei] of Navot” (II Kings 9:26). “The blood of Navot and the
blood of his sons” is not written here, but rather, “the bloods [demei]
of Navot and the bloods [demei] of his sons” – his blood and the blood
of his potential descendants. The Rabbis say: “For the blood of [the sons of]
Yehoyada…he died” (II Chronicles 24:25) is not written here, but rather, “the
bloods of Yehoyada” – his blood and the blood of his potential descendants.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: It is difficult to say it, and it is impossible
for the mouth to enunciate it: This is analogous to two athletes who were
standing and wrestling before the king. Had the king wished, he could have
separated them, but the king did not wish to separate them. One overpowered his
counterpart and killed him. He [the victim] was screaming and saying: ‘Who will
demand justice for me before the king?’ So, “the voice of your brother’s blood
is crying out to Me from the ground.”
It [Abel’s soul] could not ascend On High because no soul had ever ascended to
there yet. And it could not go down [into the ground] and remain there, as no
man had ever been buried there, so his blood was cast upon the trees and upon
the stones.