What made Cain capable of murdering his brother? Why was the flood generation so wicked? According to Pirqei de-Rabbi Eliezer, the fallen angel Samael embodies the serpent and seduces Eve, whereupon she conceives Cain. Engendered by this “bad seed,” all the descendants of Cain become corrupt, destined to be wiped out by mighty waters.In other legends, Sammael (Samael, Samma'el) mated with Adam's first wife Lilith and, as the evil angelic Prince of Rome, conspired against the Ten Martyrs. Sammael also appears in the Aramaic incantation bowls.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.