# The mark of Cain **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607 "2019-08-13T15:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/21 "2019-08-14T13:38:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > If it was dark brown skin, God really missed the mark. Good point. Maybe it was the Monopoly “Get Out of Jail Free” card, but on a stone tablet. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/22 "2019-08-14T13:42:10Z")
Or the sons of Adam and Eve might have mated with other humans who were created ex nihilo by God, but after He created Adam and Eve. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/23 "2019-08-14T14:44:12Z")
Or maybe Adam and Eve were the first Hebrews, and the rest of humanity was part of the “cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth” created on the sixth day. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/24 "2019-08-14T14:45:28Z")
Abel was a shepherd. Maybe the Deity notched Cain’s ears? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/25 "2019-08-14T14:48:36Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Or maybe Adam and Eve were the first Hebrews, and the rest of humanity was part of the “cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth” created on the sixth day. No. Nothing in the Bible implies this in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/26 "2019-08-14T14:55:58Z")
Since mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother and it does not mutate, I often ask how come everybody doesn’t have the same such DNA, since we’re all descended from Eve. Of course, the standard answer is “God changed it.” ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/27 "2019-08-14T15:24:48Z")
There obviously has to be a “mitochondrial Eve”, though. Not sure what is controversial about that. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/28 "2019-08-14T15:26:46Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Since mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother and **it does not mutate** , I often ask how come everybody doesn’t have the same such DNA, since we’re all descended from Eve. Of course, the standard answer is “God changed it.” My understanding is that it does indeed! How else come that there are different varieties present today? (Not that it makes the story more probable to be a historical account of things that \*really \*happened!) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/29 "2019-08-14T15:32:01Z")
Wiki says one study reports a mutation rate of one per 8000 years. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/30 "2019-08-14T15:36:57Z")
And Bible literalists think the world is only 6000 years old. HA - ha! ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/31 "2019-08-14T15:42:51Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Wiki says one study reports a mutation rate of one per 8000 years. In fact how fast the DNA mutates (how many changes over time) is used to determine how separate different ethnic groups are, how far back is the common ancestor. Yes, if it did not change, everyone would have all the same DNA, give or take an X or Y. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/32 "2019-08-14T15:49:41Z")
I’m not asking about all DNA, I’m only discussing [mitochondrial DNA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_DNA#Mitochondrial_inheritance). It is passed from mother to child and mutations are extremely rare, practically non-existent. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/33 "2019-08-14T16:30:39Z")
There’s a difference between “rare” and “nonexistent”. If mDNA truly never mutated, but we still saw variety in it, creationism would have a lot easier time explaining that than science would. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/34 "2019-08-14T17:13:51Z")
It is not so much the mark of Cain, but a mark placed by God on Cain. It has the purpose as not to have anyone kill him. Job also seems to have this type of protection, however the method God uses (beyond telling Satan ‘don’t kill him’) is not specified, if any. We also have other times ‘marking’ is used, for instance in Revelation a mark is used and applied by angels, on the believers to offer a form of protection, and the mark of the beast is also mentioned. Also the Israelites received a mark in IIRC Exodus, in these 3 places the location of such a mark is specified, but the form of such a mark is not. My own take is such a mark is probably spiritual, not physical. It is something that would go unseen, however it would have such a effect. If one was not clued in by God as to this mark, it would be one of those ‘why do those things keep happening to me’ type of of question. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/35 "2019-08-14T17:22:51Z")
There are several thoughts in Jewish oral tradition (Talmud and Midrash) as to exactly what the “mark of Cain” was. The ones I’m familiar with are: [ul] [li]A letter of G-d’s holy name on his forehead[/li][li]The sun rising prematurely when he is threatened by predators in the night[/li][li]Tzaraas (the Biblical skin disease often translated as “leprosy”) all over his body[/li][li]A dog to accompany him that will protect him[/li][/ul] There is also a Midrash that says that Cain had a horn or horns on his head, but that is part of a separate narrative, and does not appear to be what anyone says was the “mark”. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/36 "2019-08-14T17:24:03Z")
Who standardized these marks, and how are random people expected to see them and know the meaning? In a pre-literate society, at that. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/37 "2019-08-14T20:09:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > There is nothing said in Scripture about what the mark looks like. It only specifies that those who see Cain and his mark won’t kill him. Perhaps it is something that makes people want to keep a far distance from him - but then again, he did go on to have a family. Maybe it was just a cardboard around his neck with the words “Don’t kill this guy”. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/38 "2019-08-14T20:23:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Or the sons of Adam and Eve might have mated with other humans who were created ex nihilo by God, but after He created Adam and Eve. Is it still fanwank if it’s theology? Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel. Their wives? Plothole. Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/39 "2019-08-15T00:00:27Z")
_On the day that I was born Daddy sat down and cried I had the mark, just as plain as day, Could not be denied They say that Cain caught Abel Rollin’ loaded dice Ace of spades behind his ear, And him not thinking twice._ — “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodle-oo,” — Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia, 1972 ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607/40 "2019-08-15T01:04:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don;t see how this has anything to do with race. I don’t believe there was an historical Cain. I don’t believe any of the of the Bible literally. I was offering a guess like everyone else in this thread. That said, the story probably came from some event. I didn’t mean to suggest I thought the mark was racially motivated. In fact I was just passing along what I had read. It’s been many years since I read Ishmael and I don’t recall all of the details. But I think the gist of it was that the agriculture group (who just happened to be light skinned) used up all the land for crops thus denying the pastoralists. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mark-of-cain/838607.md?page=3)