offering).6 Herman Gunkel, for example, draws the conclusion, “The narrative maintains that Yahweh loves the shepherd and animal sacrifice, but wants nothing to do with the farmer and fruit offerings.” Others have supposed that the basis for God’s rejection of Cain’s offering lies in the fact that it was bloodless in contrast with Abel’s. Robert Candlish asserts, “To appear before God with whatever gifts, without atoning blood, as Cain did—was infidelity.”7 But these interpretations are tenuous.