Cain killed Abel because ranchers >> farmers. Okay, semi-nomadic herders, but I'ma call them ranchers. And now the people who idolize rancher culture are running the world.
The Israelite religion seems (from what I've read) to have started from a sheperd god cult, maybe mixed in with a thunder god cult. Sheperds and nomadic or semi-nomadic herders in general had higher status in that culture. Sedentary agriculture was an economic and military threat. In the Old Testament the prophets were often rancher-coded and the wicked townsfolk (clue right there) farmer-coded. The sedentary communities, always in low-lying areas like valleys and plains, were wicked. The people were fat, happy, and hedonistic when they settled down to farm. Farmers = wicked, sensuous, lascivious, evil. The prophets were lean, half-starved men from the mountains--the rugged areas where the fat, rich farm folk were too lazy to go, now that they didn't need to graze their goats. The righteous, poor, tough-as-nails prophets pronounced righteous doom on the low-lying sedentary agriculture communities. S
... Show more...Cain killed Abel because ranchers >> farmers. Okay, semi-nomadic herders, but I'ma call them ranchers. And now the people who idolize rancher culture are running the world.
The Israelite religion seems (from what I've read) to have started from a sheperd god cult, maybe mixed in with a thunder god cult. Sheperds and nomadic or semi-nomadic herders in general had higher status in that culture. Sedentary agriculture was an economic and military threat. In the Old Testament the prophets were often rancher-coded and the wicked townsfolk (clue right there) farmer-coded. The sedentary communities, always in low-lying areas like valleys and plains, were wicked. The people were fat, happy, and hedonistic when they settled down to farm. Farmers = wicked, sensuous, lascivious, evil. The prophets were lean, half-starved men from the mountains--the rugged areas where the fat, rich farm folk were too lazy to go, now that they didn't need to graze their goats. The righteous, poor, tough-as-nails prophets pronounced righteous doom on the low-lying sedentary agriculture communities. Sometimes the hill folk were the righteous doom.
The oldest murder according to Judeochristian thought was because one brother was rejected by god. Why? Because he was a farmer and he got uppity, thinking. He could be equal to the ranchers. He tried to make friends with god by offering him, like, grains and vegetables. Fucking vegetables. God, naturally, said "wtf, Cain?"
Meanwhile, god told Abel "you're my boy" when Abel--a rancher/sheep/goat-herder and definitely NOT a farmer--made an offering. Of meat. Dead animal. Wealth. Serious wealth. Cain was faced with the necessity of begging his brother for a sheep or goat or some shit. Instead, he murdered his brother.
Ranchers >> Farmers.
I always think, these days, of what is (more or less) known about Honor Cultures. They are thought to originate from nomadic or semi-nomadic herding cultures. You know, mobile ranchers. They are characterized (at least for men) by obsession with personal reputation, acts of "honor," interpersonal domination, aggressive ingroup/outgroup dynamics. and violence when values or reputation are threatened.
These are the people whose religions (Islam, Judaism, Christianity) dominate some of the most powerful economic and military societies on the planet.
#bible #story #drunk #psychology #honor
