The meaning of life: did Abel live up to his name?

The name Abel means vanity. With Cain, his elder brother, there was so much hope because he was “acquired of the Lord.” With Abel it appears to have been different. This article shows that Abel did not actually live up to his name. His life was short, but it was certainly not in vain.

 

Photo credit: Cain Killing Abel, by Pietro Novelli (1603-1647). © National Galleries of Scotland collection. Photo, National Galleries of Scotland.