The main part of this work is a detailed inventory of interpretations of Gen. 4.1-17. The exegesis related to each verse is presented quoting sources century by century, first Greek, then Syriac texts. The book introduces early Jewish, Christian and Gnostic exegesis, and on the basis of the inventory, it studies selected themes in the two genres: commentaries and homilies; Greek as opposed to Syriac exegesis, the use of speeches, especially fictive speeches in the dramatized homilies, main themes related to the character of Cain, and the interrelationship of sources. The book will be of interest for students of theology, history of religion, as well as for anyone studying the history of exegesis, art and literature.
