Archive for category Enoch
Team Enoch: Vampirism in the Fallen Angels?
Jeremy Thompson?
As I was listening to Dr. Dragos Giulea of Marquette University speaking about something dealing with the fallen angels in Enoch, I noticed that Enoch might have fared well in today’s canonization efforts, if for nothing else, like everything else, he has vampires! Imagine that, vampires… Now, before you start thinking that I am in the twilight of my blogging, there is a new moon on the horizon, and the dawn is breaking.
Besides, I am still at SBL and I have to post something…
1 Enoch 6-7
And it came to pass that when the sons of men multiplied, in those days beautiful and fair daughters were born. And the angels, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them, and said to one another: “Come! Let us choose for ourselves wives from people, and we will beget for ourselves children.”
And Semiaza, who was their ruler, said to them: “I fear that you will not desire to do this deed, and I alone will be a debtor of a great sin.”
Therefore they all answered him: “Let us swear an oath and let us all anathematize one another, not to turn away from this plan, until we should complete it and should this deed.”
Then they all swore together and anathematized one another by it. And these were the two hundred who descend in the days of Jared to the summit of Mount Hermonieim, and they called the mountain Hermon, because they swore and anathematized one another by it. And these are the names of their leaders: Semiaza, he is their leader, Arathak, Kimbra, Sammane, Daneiel, Arearos, Semiel, Iomeiel, Chochariel, Ezekiel, Batriel, Sathiel, Atriel, Tamiel, Barakiel, Ananthna, Thoniel, Ramiel, Aseal, Rakeiel, Touriel. These are their rulers who (are) [over] tens.
And they took wives for themselves, each of them chose for themselves wives, and they began to enter them and to be defiled in them. And they taught them sorceries and enchantments and root-cutting, and explained the plants to them. And the women became pregnant and bore great giants of three thousand cubits, who devoured the labors of people. And when the people were not able to sustain them, the giants dared (to attack) them, and they devoured the people. And they began to sin with birds and wild animals and reptiles and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink blood.
While Genesis gives us only a snippet of a story which could be interpreted as fallen angels, Enoch focuses a great deal of attention on these beings. Further, as Guilea pointed out, early Church leaders used them to explain certain things, such as demons.
Nevertheless, Team Enoch.
1st Enoch 46 – The Pre-Existent Son of Man
While examining pre-existence in the Psalms of Solomon, which is most likely an ‘ideal pre-existence’, I came across a reference to the Son of Man in Enoch.
And there I saw One who had a head of days, And His head was white like wool, And with Him was another being whose countenance had the appearance of a man, And his face was full of graciousness, like one of the holy angels. And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who he was, and whence he was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days ? And he answered and said unto me: This is the Son of Man who hath righteousness, With whom dwelleth righteousness, And who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, Because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen him, And whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness for ever. And this Son of Man whom thou hast seen Shall raise up the kings and the mighty from their seats, [[And the strong from their thrones]] And shall loosen the reins of the strong, And break the teeth of the sinners. He shall put down the kings from their thrones and kingdoms]] Because they do not extol and praise Him, Nor humbly acknowledge whence the kingdom was bestowed upon them. And he shall put down the countenance of the strong, And shall fill them with shame. And darkness shall be their dwelling, And worms shall be their bed, And they shall have no hope of rising from their beds, Because they do not extol the name of the Lord of Spirits. And these are they who judge the stars of heaven, [[And raise their hands against the Most High]], And tread upon the earth and dwell upon it. And all their deeds manifest unrighteousness, And their power rests upon their riches, And their faith is in the gods which they have made with their hands, And they deny the name of the Lord of Spirits, And they persecute the houses of His congregations, And the faithful who hang upon the name of the Lord of Spirits. (1st Enoch 46:1-8 OTP)
Unlike the Messiah in the Pss Sol, the Messiah in Enoch has a physical pre-existence, residing in Heaven next to God, and waiting simply for God’s command. We should see come resemblance here to John’s Revelation (cf 1.14). The difference, as I see it, between the ideal pre-existence and the physical pre-existence, expressed by both communities, is that the former may be seen as something more than a vicar, but a personification of an attribute in some way while the latter is wholly God’s vicar on earth, and possibly a co-regent.
A Brief Survey of Creation in Genesis in 2nd Temple Judaism (2 – Creation)
Posted by Joel in Enoch, Genesis, Pseudepigrapha on February 8, 2010
Intersection: 1st Enoch 82.4-7 and Daniel 7.25
The Book(s) of Enoch are a series of mini-sections touching on differing themes and providing fodder for biblical studies, especially those who study the Second Temple period. In 1st Enoch 82.4-7 we find an account of one Jewish sect in a war of propaganda against other Jewish sect over the abandonment of the Lunar Calendar:
How do you Interpret the Bible?
During a recent discussion at Jason’s blog, the subject of biblical interpretation and children came up. Jason started the conversation with a thought on the interpretation of Genesis 6.1-4. Many use this passage, mixed with the non-canonical, but important, book of Enoch I. They use the understanding found in those pages and apply it to Genesis to create what I consider a very bad doctrine – human/angel copulation. For these people, ‘sons of God’ literally mean those children produced by this act. (This is also the beginning of the Serpent Seed doctrine).
