Interesting Facts

• The Nephilim were giants, with a reported height of three thousand ells according to the Book of Enoch.
• They consumed all the acquisitions of men, and when humans could no longer sustain them, they turned against mankind and devoured them.
• They also began to sin against birds, beasts, reptiles, and fish, and even devoured one another’s flesh and drank blood.
• The Nephilim are also referred to as “the heroes of old, men of renown”.
• The violence and corruption caused by the Nephilim led the earth to lay an accusation against the lawless ones.

Genealogy

• The Nephilim were the offspring of the “sons of God” (angels/Watchers) who took the “daughters of men” as wives.
• These unions occurred after the angels conspired to marry the daughters of men.
• The text of Jubilees refers to the offspring as “sons” who were giants.
• Enoch states that the Watchers “begat giants” as their sons.
• According to Enoch, the spirits that proceeded from the flesh of the slain giants became evil spirits upon the earth, whose dwelling place is also the earth. These evil spirits afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth.

Historical Context

The emergence of the Nephilim occurred when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them. It was during this time, specifically after the angels descended in the days of Jared, that the “sons of God” saw the daughters of men and took them as wives. This act was against the law of their ordinances, as they “went a whoring after the daughters of men”. Their transgression led to the beginning of uncleanness and the birth of the Nephilim. The era of the Nephilim was marked by widespread lawlessness, as they devoured mankind and sinned against animals. This period also saw the angels teaching secret knowledge to men, including the arts of warfare, metallurgy, cosmetics, astrology, and various other forms of wisdom. The earth became filled with blood and unrighteousness due to the actions of the Nephilim and the corruption they fostered. This state of affairs prompted the archangels to plead with YHWH concerning the lawlessness on earth.

Narrative

The narrative of the Nephilim begins with the descent of the Watchers and their decision to take wives from the daughters of men. These Watchers, led by figures like Samlazaz, bound themselves by oath to this transgression. The result of these unions was the birth of the Nephilim, giants of immense size. The Nephilim’s existence was characterized by extreme violence and consumption, leading to the devastation of human society and the natural world. Their actions, alongside the forbidden knowledge taught by their fathers, corrupted the earth and caused great suffering. The cries of the perishing reached heaven, and the archangels brought their cause before the Most High. Enoch was called to testify against the Watchers and declare the judgment that would befall them and their offspring. Ultimately, YHWH commanded the binding of Azazel and Semjaza, the destruction of the Watchers’ children (the Nephilim), and the cleansing of the earth from the wrong they had caused. The Nephilim themselves were destroyed as a command went forth that they should be smitten with the sword and removed from under heaven, even causing them to destroy each other in battle. The spirits that proceeded from their slain bodies became the evil spirits that would continue to afflict mankind.