Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets: And Other Old Testament Characters from Various SourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets: And Other Old Testament Characters from Various Sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends
But God answered, “And you, O angels, if you were in the lower world,
you too, would sin.” And He sent them on earth, and then they fell,
as says the Book of Genesis, “_And it came to pass that the sons of
God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them
wives of all which they chose._” After they had sinned, they were given
bodies of flesh; for an angel who spends seven days on earth becomes
opaque and substantial. And when they had been clothed with flesh and
with a corrupt nature, then they spake the word “Shem hamphorasch,”
and sought to regain their former place, but could not; and were cast
out into mountains, there to dwell. From these angels descend the sons
of the giants and the Anakim, and from their seed also spring the
devils.[162] The Rabbi Eliezer says that the giants sprang from the
union of the angels with the daughters of Cain, who walked about in
immodest clothing and cast their eyes around with bold glances. And the
book Zeenaureena, in the Parascha Chykkath, says that Og sprang from
this connection, and that Sammael, the angel, was the parent of Og, but
that Sihon was the son of the same angel who deceived the wife of Ham
when she was about to enter the ark.[163]
The account in the Book of Enoch is as follows:--
“Hear and fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man, and writer of
righteousness, come hither and hear my words: Go speak unto the
Watchers of Heaven, and say unto them, Ye shall pray for men and not
men for you. Why have ye forsaken the high and holy and eternal heaven,
and have joined yourselves to women, and polluted yourselves with the
daughters of men, and have taken to you wives, and have become the
fathers of a giant race? Ye who were spiritual, holy, and enjoying
eternal life, have corrupted yourselves with women, and have become
parents of children with flesh and blood; lusting after the blood of
men, ye have brought forth flesh and blood, like those who are mortal
and perishable. Because men die, therefore did I give unto them wives,
that they might have sons, and perpetuate their generation. But ye are
spiritual and in the enjoyment of eternal life. Therefore give I not to
you wives, for heaven is the abode of the spirits. And now the giants,
who are born of flesh and blood, shall become evil spirits, and their
dwelling shall be on the earth. Bad beings shall proceed from them.
Because they have been generated from above, from the holy Watchers
have they received their origin, therefore shall they be evil spirits
on the earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. And the spirits of
the giants, which mount upon the clouds, will fail and be cast down,
and do violence, and cause ruin on the earth and injury; they shall not
eat, they shall not thirst, and they shall be invisible.”[164]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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