ABEL (Hebrew Hebel, breath), second son of Adam, slain by Cain, his elder brother (Gen. iv. 5). The narrative in Gene sis is supplemented in the New Testament ("By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain," Heb. xi. 4 ; Cain slew Abel "because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous," i John iii. 12). The name probably means "herds man" (cf. Jabal), as distinguished from the agriculturist Cain. Possibly Abel was originally a South Judaean demigod or hero; see Winckler, Gesch. Israels, ii. p. 189; E. Meyer, Israeliten, p. 395. Augustine (De Haeresibus, lxxxvii.) mentions a sect of Abelitae, in northern Africa.