Interesting Facts

• Giants were born when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. This occurred in the days of Jared.
• Their height reached three thousand ells according to one source.
• They initially consumed all the acquisitions of men.
• When men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against mankind and devoured them.
• They began to sin against birds, beasts, reptiles, and fish, and devoured one another’s flesh and drank blood.
• Their spirits, after their demise, are called evil spirits upon the earth and are destined to dwell on the earth. These spirits afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, causing trouble and experiencing hunger and thirst.

Genealogy

• The Giants were the offspring of the sons of God (Watchers/angels) and the daughters of humans.
• They are also referred to as the Naphidim.
• The texts do not explicitly detail the lineage of the “daughters of humans” who bore the Giants, but they were distinct from the “sons of God.”
• One source mentions that the Giants slew the Naphil, and the Naphil slew the Eljo.
• The offspring of the Giants and flesh are referred to as evil spirits.

Historical Context

The emergence of the Giants is situated within a period of significant transgression and moral decay following the descent of the Watchers in the days of Jared. These Watchers, who are described as “sons of God,” took wives from the daughters of humans, an act against the law of their ordinances. This union led to the birth of the Giants. The era was further characterized by the teaching of forbidden knowledge to mankind by the fallen angels, leading to increased godlessness, fornication, and corruption. The actions of the Giants, their insatiable consumption and violence against both humans and animals, contributed to the overall wickedness of the earth to such an extent that “the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones”. This period precedes the Flood, and the rampant sin, including the actions of the Giants, is presented as a major contributing factor to God’s decision to bring judgment upon the earth.

Narrative

The Giants play a significant role in the narrative of escalating wickedness on the earth before the Flood. Their birth is directly attributed to the unauthorized union between the Watchers and human women. The narrative depicts them as beings of immense size, initially relying on human provisions, but when those resources were depleted, they turned to cannibalism and violence against all living creatures. Their actions are portrayed as a major source of the earth’s corruption and the suffering of mankind. The archangels witnessed the bloodshed and lawlessness caused by the Giants and the Watchers and pleaded with God for intervention. Consequently, a command went forth for the Giants to be destroyed. They are described as slaying each other until they were all destroyed from the earth. The narrative further explains that the spirits of these deceased Giants became evil spirits who continue to afflict humanity. Their judgment is linked to the eventual great condemnation. Noah’s warnings to his sons also reference the destruction brought about by the fornication of the Watchers and the violence of their offspring, the Naphidim and Giants.