Complete Works of Philo Judaeus, Vol. 2

...and she bore Enoch; and he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch original: "Gen. 4, 17."." Is it not reasonable to inquire, what woman did Cain know? For no other woman is mentioned up to this time, besides Eve, who was fashioned from the side original: "of Adam.". But if someone says that Cain cohabited with a sister, he will be lying, apart from the impiety, for he introduces the daughters of Adam as having been born much later. What, then, should we say? By "woman," as I believe, he calls the opinion of an impious mind, which it adopts concerning things, just as thousands of those who have philosophized do; for some have held to the same doctrines regarding life, while others have held to differing ones. What, then, is the opinion of the impious? That the human mind is the measure of all things; which name a certain sophist of the ancients, Protagoras, is said to have used, being an offspring of Cain's madness. I conjecture this from the fact that the woman, once recognized by him, bore Enoch; and Enoch is translated as "your grace." For if man is the measure of all things, all things are a grace and gift of the mind. Thus, it is a grace for the eye to see, for the ears to hear, for each of the other senses to perceive, and indeed for the spoken word to speak. And if this is so, then it follows that the mind itself is a grace, in which are myriads of thoughts, cogitations, deliberations, 233 M. foresights, comprehensions, sciences, crafts, dispositions, and the number of other powers traversing it. What is it, then, for those who speak solemnly about holiness and the honor of God to both speak and hear, if you have within yourselves the anti-divine mind, which, having taken hold of all human things, distributes both good and evil, mixing both for some, while bestowing others upon some in an unmixed state? And if anyone should bring a charge of impiety against you, you are confident in your defense, claiming that you have been educated very well by a guide and teacher, Cain, who advised honoring one's neighbor before the remote cause that is, God.. To him one must pay attention not only for other reasons, but especially because he demonstrated the strength of his doctrine by clear deeds; having conquered Abel, the proponent of the opposite opinion, and at the same time having removed that opinion from his path. But for me and my friends, death with the pious would be preferable to life with the impious; for immortal life will receive those who die in this way, while eternal death will receive those who live in that way.