Book of Enoch (Part 2): Book of the Watchers
posted by Krista | 4/4/2004 12:06:35 AM | Permalink | 
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- Background of the Book of Enoch
- Findings at Qumran
- The Astronomical Book
- The Book of the Watchers
- Sin of the Angels
- Cause of Sin Entering the World
- Enoch as Intermediary
- Angels' Punishment
Chapters 1-5 serve as an introduction to the rest of the book, beginning with a distinction between the "chosen and righteous" and the "wicked and impious," and continuing with along eschatological paradigm concerned with the final judgment of the righteous and the wicked. Enoch serves as the prophet and foretells God's coming to judge. Mention is made to the Watchers, who are said to 'quiver' at the revelation of God (1 En 1:5). Chapters 2-5 present the coming judgment is a different manner, as in the wisdom literature. Reference is made both to those who choose to follow the law and to those who willingly choose a path of sin and wickedness, and as a result, Enoch pronounces curses on the wicked, but predicts a blessed state for the "chosen" where they will remain free from sin.
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Book of the Watchers: Sin of the Angels
The story of Shemihazah includes several major elements. The Watchers look down from heaven and desire the daughters of men (6:1-8). They swear an oath to fulfill their desires and then descend, marry women, and defile themselves with women (7:1). While they are on earth, they teach women about charms, spells, root-cutting, and plants (7:1), and various other arts including astrology (8:3). The women then give birth to giants who consume all the human food supplies, and turn to cannibalism (7:2-5). The oppressed human survivors petition heaven for help against the giants, and their cries are heard by the angels who did not descend (8:4; cf 7:6). These angels present the situation to God (9:1-5,7-11), who consequently orders the giants to be slain (10:9-10) and the Watchers to be imprisoned beneath the hills until the day of judgments (10:11-12) when they will be imprisoned in the fiery abyss (10:13).
The story involving Asa'el differs in several ways. Asa'el educates humankind of heavenly secrets that lead humankind to sin. These teachings include making weapons of war and preparing cosmetics, which enabled the women to seduce the angels (8:1-2). The angels then charge Asa'el before the Lord with crimes of revealing the heavenly secrets which mankind was not supposed to know (9:6). Raphael was then assigned to punish Asa'el by binding him hand and foot and throwing him into the darkness among the sharp and jagged rocks, where he would remain until the day of judgment when he would be hurled into the fire (10:4-5). The story then claims that "the whole earth has been corrupted by [Asa'el's] teachings of his (own) actions; and write upon him all sin." (10:8) . It was because of Asa'el's teachings that God sent the Flood to destroy the evil in the world (10:1-3) including even the souls of the giants (10:15), so that all evil will be wiped away from the face of the earth.
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Read more: Part 3
Reference
- Article: The Book of Enoch and the Pseudepigrapha
- Book: The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (2nd ed.)
- Book: Collins, J.J. (1997) Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls
