Offerings at the Door of Eden?

A possible location for what Cain and Abel brought

When we look at the end of Genesis 3 with the beginning of Genesis 4, we can pair together the notions of sacred space and sacrifice. And this pairing can help us think about the location of Cain and Abel’s sacrifices.

In Genesis 4:3–4 we’re told, “In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.” Notice the phrase “brought to the LORD an offering.” Bringing something to the Lord suggests a location, and we might wonder where.

Could the location be the entrance to Eden?

Though this post isn’t the place to observe all the connections between Eden, the tabernacle, and the Jerusalem temple, the many connections confirm that Eden was a proto-temple, a sanctuary where Adam and Eve dwelled in the presence of God.

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And in Genesis 3:22–24, Adam (and Eve with him) left the garden sanctuary because of exile.

To prevent reentry, God placed at the east of the garden “cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen. 3:24).

We can imagine the aftermath for the image-bearers, that they would be able to see the entrance to the sanctuary they were now forbidden to enter. Think about the grief that could ensue if you constantly saw the place of your temptation and failure. Outside their former paradise, Adam and Eve—and therefore their subsequent children—would live in exile.

Using Genesis 2–3, we can visualize three regions: the garden of Eden, the broader space of Eden, and the realm outside Eden. This threefold schema is the backdrop for the three regions of the tabernacle: the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place, and the tabernacle courtyard. The three regions are repeated in the structure of the Jerusalem temple.

According to the Torah (especially Exodus and Leviticus), where are sacrifices brought for worship at the tabernacle? Sacrifices are brought to the eastern entrance of the courtyard because, right inside the courtyard, there was a bronze altar in front of the tabernacle itself. In the days of the Jerusalem temple, worshipers were also to bring their offerings to the eastern entrance for sacrifice at the bronze altar.

In the days of the tabernacle and temple, bringing offerings to the Lord meant bringing them to the eastern entrance. Due to the connections between Eden, the tabernacle, and the temple, we should consider how the second and third sanctuaries can help us think more precisely about the first.

In Genesis 3, there is an eastern entrance as well as guardian cherubim. So in Genesis 4, what if Cain and Abel “brought” their sacrifices “to the LORD” (4:3) in front of the guarded door? The place of sacrifice would be on the eastern side. Such a location for sacrifice would explain why the tabernacle and temple structures were set up the way they were.

1. See From Eden to the New Jerusalem by T. D. Alexander, The Temple of God and the Church’s Mission by G. K. Beale, and Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? by L. Michael Morales.

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