. And
Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of
Nod, on the east of Eden."

Now let us examine this story. Why was Cain so solicitous about his
safety? Why did he fear that everybody would try to kill him? He had
slain his brother, and his father and mother were the only people in
the world besides himself and perhaps his sisters (? who knew). Kalisch
suggests that he apprehended the future vengeance of mankind when the
world grew more populous. But how, in that case, could a distinctive
mark be any protection? It would publish his identity to all beholders.
Besides, one would suppose that Cain, the first man ever born into the
world, would always be well known without carrying about a brand like a
special wine or a patent edible. And what was the mark? Kalisch thinks
it was only a villainous expression. Others think it was the Mongolian
type impressed upon the features of Cain, who became the founder of that
great division of the human race. A negro preacher started a different
theory. When the Lord called out in a loud voice "Cain, where is thy
brother Abel," Cain, who was a black man, like Adam, turned pale with
fear, and never regained his original color. All his children were pale
too; and that, said the preacher, "accounts for de white trash you see
ebery war in dese days."

How did Cain manage to go "out from the presence of the Lord," who is
everywhere? Satan does the same thing in the Book of Job, and Jonah
tries to do it later on. Jehovah was clearly a local as well as a
visible God, and not the infinite spirit of the universe.

Where was the land of Nod situated? East of Eden, says the Bible. But
nobody knows where Eden was. As we pointed out in "The Creation Story,"
scores of different positions have been assigned to it. The only point
of agreement among the commentators is that it was _somewhere_. All that
can safely be affirmed, then, is that Nod was east of Somewhere. The
name itself is very appropriate. No doubt the Lord was not quite awake
in that locality, and hence we may explain how Cain managed to go "out
from his presence."

In this strange land of Nod, Cain "knew his wife." Who was she? Probably
his own sister, but the Bible does not tell us anything about her. Their
first son was called Enoch. Cain then "builded a city, and called
the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch." But this is
directly opposed to the curse "a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou