MA Dissertation Approval Form

Student Name
LUIS RAFAEL FAJARDO CEMO
Degree Scheme
Biblical Studies (OT)
Start date
26/09/2022

I have completed Part 1 of my degree.

Working Title of Dissertation:

Genesis 4:15 beyond Cain’s sign.

Aims and Objectives:

• Get a deeper understanding of the God’s grace as shown in the response
after the first fratricide.

• Propose a refocus of the debate around Genesis 4:15, taking it from the
'what' and 'why' to the 'what for', considering that the purpose goes
beyond Cain as an individual.

• To explore God's way of doing justice and its integrity and fairness in the
process.

Abstract (approximately 500 words):

Interpretations of the Story of the first fratricide (Genesis 4:1-16) has already
been case in rabbinic circles (Levi, Hanin) and it continues to be among current
scholars (Moberly, Shannon, Mellinkoff, Westermann). It is relevant to note that
the focus of the analysis has been verse 15, precisely Cain's mark.

'What the mark of Cain looked like?' is a question regularly addressed even in
the 21st century. Authors such as Shannon, Moberly, Millstone, Mellinkoff,
Perlman, Kessel, and Unterseher not only have in common that they have all
published books whose titles contain the words "mark of Cain", but that the
centre of their analysis is trying to discover what was the sign with which God
was looking for others to identify Cain.

The question of what could have been the mark of Cain occupied an important
place in the Protestant theological debate of the 19th century. Many American
Protestant preachers taught that dark skin was the mark of Cain (Priest). Thus,
dark skin as "the mark of Cain" was used to justify slavery in the United States
(Braude).

Nonetheless, beyond what (nature) and why (reason) a mark was imposed on
Cain, a subject widely discussed by authors such as Shannon and Milton, who
claimed that the sign was a manifestation of divine grace in favour of Cain.
Therefore, I consider the existence of a gap in the analysis that this dissertation
proposes to work on.

What was the purpose of the sign imposed on Cain? Mellinkoff establishes two
opposing groups in analysing God's purpose in setting a sign on Cain. On the
one hand, there are "Those who postulated a prolonged punishment of Cain
during that period and those who believed that punishment was suspended
(because of Cain's repentance)". Mellinkoff, R. The Mark of Cain. p. 13.

My dissertation will seek to answer two fundamental questions about the purpose
of the Mark of Cain. First, who was the object of God's protection, Cain or the
rest of humankind? Second, what was God's purpose in setting the mark on
Cain, lengthening his punishment, freeing him from punishment after repentance,
or some other purpose that transcends Cain?

To achieve this goal, I propose as a method an eclectic method that will combine
the narrative criticism of the final form of Genesis 4:15 as it is presented in the
Masoretic text Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia edition with intertextuality analysis.
This will allow me to put in perspective and establish parallels between the
placed text and other texts of the Tanakh, such as Genesis 9:1-6.

The fallowing structure is proposed:

Introduction

Chapter I

• The Landscape of the Scholarly Debate

• Critical Evaluation of the Main Argumentation in the Previously Published
Scholarly Works

Chapter II
• Translation and Exegesis of Genesis 4:15
• Narrative Analysis of Genesis 4:1–16
Chapter III

• Intertextual Analysis of Genesis 4:1–16 and Genesis 9:1–6

Conclusion

Short Introductory Bibliography:

• Byron, John. 2011. “Abel’s Blood and the Ongoing Cry for Vengeance.” The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 73 (4): 743–56.

• Lohr, Joel N. 2009. “‘So YHWH Established a Sign for Cain’: Rethinking
Genesis 4,15.” Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 121 (1): 101–3.
doi:10.1515/ZAW.2009.007.

• Moberly, R W L. 2007. “The Mark of Cain -- Revealed at Last?” Harvard

Theological Review 100 (1): 11–28.

• Pinker, Aron. 2017. “Naming of Cain in Genesis 4:1 and Its Consequence.”
Bulletin for Biblical Research 27 (2): 157–68.

• Borger, Todd. 2017. “The Curse of Cain Reconsidered: A Study of the

Translation of Min Ha’adamah in Genesis 4:11a.” Southeastern Theological
Review 8 (1): 41–53.

• Gertz, Jan Christian. 2014. “Outside of Eden: Cain in the Ancient Versions of
Genesis 4,1-16.” Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 126 (1):
153–54.

• Lohr, Joel N. 2009. “Righteous Abel, Wicked Cain: Genesis 4:1-16 in the
Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament.” The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 71 (3): 485–96.

• Snyman, Gerrie. “Cain and Vulnerability: The Reception of Cain in Genesis

Rabbah 22 and Targum Onkelos, Targum Neofiti and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan.”
Old Testament Essays 29, no. 3 (2016): 601–32. doi:10.17159/2312-
3621/2016/v29n3a14.

• Rhodes, James N. 2000. “The Lord’s Reply to Cain: A Concession or a Rebuke?

(Genesis 4.15).” The Bible Translator (Ap, O Practical Papers) 51 (2): 243–45.

• Darlington, Beth. “The Story of Cain: The Myth We Would Like to Forget.” Jung
Journal: Culture & Psyche 14, no. 3 (Summer 2020): 95–106.
doi:10.1080/19342039.2020.1781526.
 • Zucker, David J. “My Punishment Is Too Great to Bear: Raising Cain.” Biblical
Theology Bulletin 50, no. 1 (2020): 7–21. doi:10.1177/0146107919892839.

• Vermeulen, Karolien. “Mind the Gap: Ambiguity in the Story of Cain and Abel.”
Journal of Biblical Literature 133, no. 1 (2014): 29–42.

• Pfoh, Emanuel O. “Genesis 4 Revisited: Some Remarks on Divine Patronage.”

Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 23, no. 1 (2009): 38–45.
doi:10.1080/09018320902853749

• Eve’s Children: The Biblical Stories Retold and Interpreted in Jewish and
Christian Traditions. Themes in Biblical Narrative 5. Leiden: Brill, 2003.

• “Grace in the Midst of Judgment: Grappling with Genesis 1-11.” Old Testament
Abstracts 26, no. 3 (October 2003): 551.

• Allison, Geth. “Genesis and the Justice of God: The Canonical Trajectory of
Divine Judgement.” Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 32, no. 2 (Fall
2014): 123–38.

• Ro, Johannes Un-Sok. “The Theological Concept of YHWH’s Punitive Justice in

the Hebrew Bible: Historical Development in the Context of the Judean
Community in the Persian Period.” Vetus Testamentum 61, no. 3 (2011): 406–25.
doi:10.1163/156853311X594694.

• Westermann, Claus, and John J Scullion. Genesis 1-11: A Commentary. London:

SPCK, 1984.

• González Holguín, Julián Andrés. Cain, Abel, and the Politics of God: An
Agambenian Reading of Genesis 4:1-16. Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives
on Biblical Criticism. London; New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group,
2018.

• Alexander, T. Desmond, and David W. Baker, eds. Dictionary of the Old

Testament: Pentateuch. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2003.

•
Proposed Supervisor:

Dr. Ivan Milanov

Please indicate whether ethical approval for project is needed – YES/NO

Please indicate whether sufficient resources are available for the project –
YES/NO

The above topic, proposal, and supervisor have been agreed:

Signed : ……………………………………………………..Programme Director

Date:……………………………………………………

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