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When Cain was sent away by God into exile, mankind was in its second generation - anyone Cain (or any of his siblings) could marry would be his close relative.  However, the [[Law of Moses]] forbids the marriage of close relatives.  Many people find this a Biblical contradiction.

When Cain was sent away by God into exile, mankind was in its second generation - anyone Cain (or any of his siblings) could marry would be his close relative.  However, the [[Law of Moses]] forbids the marriage of close relatives.  Many people find this a Biblical contradiction.

However, this law was not given until later, at the time of Moses (Leviticus 18).  Indeed, [[Abraham]] married his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12).  There is some logic go this in [[genetics]]:  when God created man, He called him "very good".  However, after the [[Fall of Man]], harmful genetic mutations would gradually build up and cause virtually all offspring of close relatives to be deformed because both parents would have the same mutated [[allele]]s.  For example, many Egyptian [[pharaoh]]s married their sisters and had perfectly normal offspring; the children of such incestuous unions today are almost always deformed.<ref>Rushdoony, ''The Institutes of Biblical Law''</ref>

However, this law was not given until later, at the time of Moses (Leviticus 18).  Indeed, [[Abraham]] married his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12).  When God created man, He called him "very good".  However, after the [[Fall of Man]], harmful genetic mutations would gradually build up and cause virtually all offspring of close relatives to be deformed because both parents would have the same mutated [[allele]]s.  For example, many Egyptian [[pharaoh]]s married their sisters and had perfectly normal offspring; the children of such incestuous unions today are almost always deformed.<ref>Rushdoony, ''The Institutes of Biblical Law''</ref>

Note also that a wife is related to her husband even before they marry, as all humans come from the offspring of Adam and Eve.

Note also that a wife is related to her husband even before they marry, as all humans come from the offspring of Adam and Eve.