Allegories Gone Wild – Abducted By An Angel? Say What?
21 June 2009 by KA
1 Enoch 39:1–And it shall come to pass in those days that the elect and holy children will descend from the high heavens, and their seed will become one with the children of men.
Let it be said – I rather enjoy trolling the deep, sometimes stagnant waters of the Internet. Because regardless of what you’re looking for, you’ll stumble upon some truly mind-boggling material. In this episode, I discovered a truly strange and difficult (to read) site that tries to amalgamate modern technology with ancient Hebraic text.
"At that time I beheld the Ancient of Days, while he sat upon the throne of his glory, while the book of the living
was opened in his presence, and while all the powers which were above the heavens stood around and before him." Book of Enoch 47:3 (Ethiopic, Artisan pub)Since it’s English translation in the 1800’s from texts found in Ethiopia in 1768, The Book of Enoch (known today as 1st Enoch) has made quite a stir in academic circles. 1 Enoch has been authenticated as existing and in wide use before the church age (most scholars now date it at 200 BC). Multiple copies were discovered in 1948 in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This of course has caused many to wonder why it is not included in modern Bibles…
Because it’s considered Pseudepigrapha, which translated for the layman means: “are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded; a work, simply, "whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past.” (Of course, this covers a huge percentile of the wholly bibble as we know it anyways, but when the crazies exclude crazy work, well, that says something about the work in question, does it not?)
Particular to this site, parts of The Book of Enoch tell the story of wicked angels who abducted and mated with human women, resulting in the hybrid race known throughout secular and Biblical history as the Nephilim (giants, KJV).
Ah…secular history? Umm…no proof that they ever existed? Hello?
While this account encompasses only the first four verses of Genesis 6 (but see also Genesis 3:15, 2 Peter 2:4-6, Jude 6-7), Enoch 1 relates this story in great detail. It lists the names of 18 "prefect" angels – of 200 – who committed this sin. According to the text, these angels also taught mankind the "making of swords and knives, shields and breastplates (metallurgy); … magical medicine, dividing of roots (medicinal and hallucinogenic use); incantations, astrology, the seeing of the stars, the course of the moon, as well as the deception of man."
I gotta admit, it makes great copy. But there’s no reality behind any of this.
By Noah’s time, "The earth also was corrupt (wasting – KJV notation) before God, and the earth was filled with violence… all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." Gen 6:10-11. Afraid of the consequences, these angels appeal to Enoch to intercede with God on their behalf; God instead uses Enoch to deliver a message of judgment against them. Aside from the "taking of wives," God states that he would not forgive them for teaching mankind magical arts and warlike ways.
Which of course, ‘gawd’ was supposed to know all this beforehand, but kids will be kids, won’t they?
"According to the Book of Enoch (Not a Canonical Text), God judged the angels for producing the Nephilim. God decreed that the fallen angels (Watchers) were to be cast into Tartarus. The Nephilim were also judged and it was determined that their bodies were to return to the earth in peace but their souls were doomed to wander the earth forever (as) wandering spirits…"
Tartarus? That place exclusive to Greek Mythology, where the wicked are sent for their sins? Yeah…that’s a slight indicator that the writer isn’t who he claims to be, isn’t it?
Here’s a kicker:
The increasing acceptance and popularization of this important book among theologians helps cast light on the extra-terrestrial hypothesis (ETH) in general. Enoch is an ancient writing which states that angels (not true space aliens, as stated by many UFO cults, and popular modern authors Erich Von Daniken and Zechariah Sitchin) visited ancient Earth and polluted mankind’s DNA. While this case can easily be made solely from the canonized Bible , Enoch is yet another witness against these bad interpretations of Earth’s predelulvian era (i.e., before the flood of Genesis 6). The fact that they also gave mankind technology which supposedly "advanced our race" (but which we actually used to destroy each other, and to incur God’s judgment), lends itself to a more sinister understanding of today’s UFO phenomenon…
(Yeah, let’s ignore the reality that there is absolutely no proof that the Deluge ever occurred, outside of a bunch of shared mythological stories.)
So, get it straight people! Those tall grey androgynous humanoids aren’t really aliens, they’re actually angels (all this based on an unrecognized text rejected from a book of fables) flying around on Ezekiel’s wheeled chariot. Doubtless this clown has his own theory based on non-canonical pseudepigrapha which explains why they regularly hand out prostate exams to drunken rednecks out in Bumfuck, Egypt.
To paraphrase the Beatles: the crazy people, where do they all come from?
Till the next post then.
21 June 2009, on 4:38 am
And what, pray tell, did they do to the humble chimp which shares 98+% of our DNA?
The fact astronomy was learned from one culture and metallurgy from another and medicine from yet another is nicely ignored to state one culture learned it from angels. Still, it does seem to fit in nicely with the rest of the Old Testament.
21 June 2009, on 11:50 am
The ‘angels’ likely probe THEM anally as well.
21 June 2009, on 12:06 pm
I’ve always wondered why some Christians get behind some of these ‘lost’ books. I always thought they said the Bible was inspired by God. Wouldn’t that mean that these books aren’t inspired by God?
But then I suppose that would mean actually thinking.
21 June 2009, on 1:51 pm
This was probably transitory work, designed to undermine greek mythology when it was the reigning power. Or roman. I can see why Constantine decided to not include it.
What, more bad angels? We can’t have that!
21 June 2009, on 7:09 pm
AUM:
I’d say none of them are – but it really means that they were written by False Christians™
DRB:
Well, I’ve not read the whole damn thing: if it’s littered w/Greek mythos references, you may have a point.
21 June 2009, on 7:16 pm
Wait. There were true christians? Are you talking about sheeple, or power mad despots who use religion to subjugate said sheeple?
21 June 2009, on 8:37 pm
Ah!…….. Such madness!…………
21 June 2009, on 10:17 pm
Hey, really, it’s all made-up shit, right? And frankly, I find this made-up shit more interesting than a lot of the other made-up shit in the Wholey Babble.
And I can see where DRB is going with this: this could be the Hebrew attempt to hijack the Greek concept of Demi-gods.
21 June 2009, on 11:53 pm
DRB:
Ah, sorry, forgot the sarcasm emoticon.
Fritzy:
Well, I saw that too. Most xtians don’t realize the amount of Hellenistic influence in the Mediterranean, let alone in the ME. The Flood, the creation story, all of these were borrowed/purloined as the Israelites traveled around.
22 June 2009, on 5:59 pm
AtheistUnderMask,
The issue is that the New Testament writers, most notably Jude, utilized and openly quoted from what is now called “Pseudepigrapha.” Jude quotes 1 Enoch directly. This has created a real conundrum for mainstream Christianity, who essentially “closed” the Canon in the 4th century and excluded 1 Enoch from the bunch (even though several early Church Fathers were in favor of including it). It’s an apocalyptic text, not a historical text, so it requires some passing knowledge of (ancient) symbology to understand it, which most Christians lack. This is why some Christians are interested in it – because it’s cryptic and intriguing to them, but also because the New Testament writers had no concept of “closed canon” and utilized it openly. Curiously, the one apocalyptic text that did find itself canonized was Revelation, which from what I gather from my studies is the tamest of the bunch.
Da Rat Bastid, Constantine didn’t oversee canonization. It was overseen mainly by St. Augustine of Hippo at the Council of Hippo and later at Carthage. Constantine pre-dated canonization by a few decades, if I recall correctly. But I think you are right on the intent of the text – I believe it is Hellenistic in flavor (not Roman), and was intended to refute some of the surrounding cult mythologies. I remember reading a lot of James Charlseworth’s commentary on 1 Enoch and several ideas similar to yours were kicked around.
Fritzy – again, I think that is correct. Much of what we have in the Christian story is a “one up” of the surrounding mythologies. For example, Jesus’ walking on water was a clear usurpation of Baal and some of the other Mediterranean storm gods. Notice how Jesus also just waves his hand and says “be still” and the seas are calmed? He’s clearly displacing the storm gods that were so popular to the eastern Mediterranean with moves like that (or rather, the AUTHOR is doing this). There’s also Jesus’ displacement with wine gods/goddesses by having power over food and wine, etc. etc. There are tons of these.
And yes, I’m a former seminarian with a M.A. in Biblical Studies. It took 3 years of straight A’s in Hebrew and Greek for me to come to my senses… But it makes me a fearsome opponent when I square off with Christians, that’s for sure.
22 June 2009, on 7:48 pm
David J,
More power to you for coming to your senses! I’d love to hear more about what you think. I’ll give you my basic opinion that religion was built specifically as a political tool.
One question though: How did the Hippos hold the quills? What was the steno pool made of, Flamingos?
OK, two questions…
22 June 2009, on 9:25 pm
David J:
Please tell me your last name is not “Heddle”, and make my day!
Can anyone offer an explanation for the fact that there’s no fertility giz in the christian religion?
23 June 2009, on 12:36 am
David J:
Interesting take, especially regarding the storm gods! I always love to read/listen to the thoughts of those with formal religious training who are now atheists. When I tell believers that I stopped believing after I read the Bible, I get incredulous scowls from sharper ones, and confused stares from the slower ones in the bunch. Both types typically respond that I didn’t “read it right.”
DRB;
I think SOME religions started as a political tool–to build cohesiveness in groups that were not prone to cohesiveness (i.e. nomadic desert tribes) while others were used to explain the nature of the self or the universe (i.e. the pagans). I think the later eventually morphed into the former, or were either assimilated or virtually destroyed by the former. Even the “noble” and “peaceful” Buddhism, which appears to be an example of the latter, and which many argue is a philosophy and not a religion, has splintered into factions and is rife with bloodshed and politics.
23 June 2009, on 4:43 am
David J…et. al….
for a another “slant” on the whole Jesus (Jeebus?) shtick, there’s Acharya S (D.M. Murdock) and her somewhat totally anti-establisment scholarship (ala the typical theological traditions); certainly very disturbing to most of the typically entreched, Ivory Tower pedestalled…and significantly brainwashed…Scholastic style traditions. Yeah…amongst other things, she exposes the Zodiacal, occult-based “Sun Mythology” etc. Unrecognized by the typical fundies, the Bible is actually filled with the oh-so demonized…”Occult” (or “Hidden”).
Anyway, here’s a link to one of her basic articles:
“Origins of Christianity and the Quest for the Historical Jesus Christ”
[follow the bottom page for more articles?]
http://www.truthbeknown.com/origins.htm
As I’ve posted many times here on GifS, the book that, for me, really started exposing the crack in the metaphorical “Cosmic Egg”, was Lloyd M. Graham’s “Deceptions and Myths of the Bible”.
It’s incredible, at least to me, how so much, totally made-up, ignorant bullshit, contrived by such obviously Scientifically ignorant (Flat Earthers) and, very often, only marginally literate bronze age boneheads, could eventually saturate the entire world with such total claptrap; all the way up to today’s manifestly insane, Nuclear weapons toting, religiously dominated world; too often ruled over by totally fucktard, egotistical and maniacal leaders.
I’ll throw in, as well…just guessing, of course…the initially desert brain fried, and probably, in addition, shamanistic drug and alchohol saturated factors.
Oh yeah…let’s not forget that wonderful brainwashed tactic of always blaming the victim with the usual “fear and guilt” motivation. The Everyone fucking bastards!
You do realize, folks, just how “lucky” we atheists are, to have…SOMEHOW…emerged, relatively unscathed, from such an interminably old, World-wide infected, overwhelmingly humongous, form of Sado-Masochism.
[rapidly blinks one eye, whilst repeating Émile Coué's]:
“Every day, in every way…I’m getting better and better!”…
ROIT!…
And now, I think I’ll go for a walk.
23 June 2009, on 10:29 am
DRB, that religion was built as a political tool is indeed incisive for today, but personally I don’t think it started that way aeons ago. When I consider the social evolution of humans, I do think you are right that in today’s world religion does fill a political purpose (void?), but anciently (pre-biblical times) I believe it served merely as an explanation for curious minds. (Dawkins takes this farther than I do). The problem is that anciently religion was life; it wasn’t something you could tear apart from the everyday goings-on of average people (I’m thinking the Sumerians here). Religion was so ubiquitous that it encompassed everything – politics, family, work, social structure, etc. At least that’s my theory. But yes in today’s world, especially in politics, it is just a tool to obtain power and influence, sadly.
democommie, No, my last name isn’t “Heddle.” If you’re a site admin, take a look at my email address and you’ll see.
As far as a lack of “giz,” I think you’re referring to fertility rites or ceremonies? I studied this one a lot back in seminary. It proved to be a dead end for a while, but the answer was under my nose the whole time. It’s the Old Testament. Its authors (or, in this case, “redactors”), were prudish, for lack of a better word. They edited out words like “shit” (yes, it’s in some versions of the Hebrew texts), “fuck” (yes, it’s in Jeremiah), “fart” (yes, it’s in Ezekiel), and others. The funniest one is where Saul goes into a cave and David catches him “covering his feet.” Well, that’s where your pants/robes go when you’re taking a shit (think about it). Anyway, the redactors thought that Yahweh mandated total holiness and purity, which he apparently does in the text. The problem was the Babylonian exile. They were taken from their “promised land” (which they supposedly obtained through conquest) and they no longer had the metaphysical presence of Yahweh with them because the temple was sacked and destroyed as they were leaving, so while in exile they gravitated to holiness/purity and toward the text of scripture. Since the first writers of the Hebrew scriptures were more “liberal,” the redactors felt the necessity to “clean up” some of the bad language and so inserted euphemisms like “covering the feet” in lieu of “defecating” and “whoring herself” instead of “fucking” etc. etc. I believe this “holiness tradition” carried forward into the New Testament and beyond, and into today’s fundagelical traditions. That’s my theory, anyway. Some of the scholarship backs this, but certainly not all of it. Curiously, you have some rebellious groups of ancient Israelites who were naughty and worshiped Asherah and his (sexual) union with Yahweh in naughty ways. This is verified in numerous archaeological strata from WITHIN Israel’s (ancient) boundaries. Which begs the question — just how widespread were the Yahwistic fertility cults? One of the inscriptions was found within a stone’s toss of the temple site, which of course puts some doubt on the biblical account of Israel’s reforms. Why would “Israelites” a century or so after the “reforms” and so close to the temple be worshiping more than one god, especially by way of group orgiastic erotica? So yeah, I have my doubts (this isn’t the only reason, though).
It seems like a lot of folks read the Bible and dis it because it’s silly (and it is), but for me, the history and archaeology just don’t line up. At least that’s what opened the doorway to doubt.
Fritzy, I’ll try to stop here often. I majored in Hebrew and OT exegesis, but was obligated to take some NT crap in order to graduate (I never liked the NT much). I had a class on “extra-canonical works,” and there was a big section on 1 Enoch, so naturally this post was interesting to me. I’ve been lurking here for a couple months, but this post was too cool to stay quiet about.
24 June 2009, on 12:24 am
David J, it’s nice to have a biblical scholar about: it was my own personal (& amateur) exegesis that pointed me towards atheism as a worldview.
Thx, & you’re always welcome.
24 June 2009, on 9:06 pm
David J:
I don’t got no admin rights here (I’m not even sure I have them on my own blog–polrant@blogspot.com–but come visit and I will tell you where you can find Mr. heddle, he is one tricky cuss to pin down, a Calvinist. He’s over at “dispatches from the culture wars” on Science Blogs, I think you might get a kick out of him.
24 June 2009, on 10:06 pm
David J,
Thanks for your thoughts. I can see how the whole thing evolved in that way. Makes perfect sense. I just wonder when the leaders became the redactors, when they realized what kind of power they really had. Obviously, this happened during the Hellenistic era, because the Xians coveted that type of power.
As far as the sexual/fertility side of it goes, I think that the xians thought they needed to differentiate themselves from some of the more hedonistic lifestyles we hear about from the Roman empire.
And come back often!
25 June 2009, on 12:02 pm
democommie, I will add your blog to my Google Reader feed. Wow, a real live Calvinist. So many denominations have taken Calvinism and “made it their own,” that it’s tough to find a purist these days. One question: does he refer to himself as a “Calvinian”? Because if he doesn’t, he doesn’t really know his Calvinism. The true, fundamentalist Calvinists refer to themselves as “Calvinians.”
DRB, the redaction of the text probably began during the Babylonian exile, and continued on through the likes of Hezekiah and probably all the way down to about the 4th century BC. Again, once the presence of Yahweh was taken from them due to the exile, where did the Jews turn to for the source of holiness and a sense of nationalistic identity? The text of scripture. So once they dove into it deeper than they ever had, and saw that the original authors were naughty at times or critical of Israel and its origins, they redacted not only the bad language, but the greater effort of their redaction was to intercalate and/or rewrite major passages that puffed up (or dummied down, in later redactions) Israel’s importance in the Ancient Near East. A lot of new material was born in this period too (like the lesser prophets – Nahum, Malachi, etc.). But it wasn’t just textual. Along with this was born a strict adherence to Torah (”the teaching”), and so that’s where all the ridiculous holiness rules came about, which is the part most Christians focus on (maybe they don’t understand textual criticism, or maybe they can’t read, take your pick). And from this we later get all the Davidic King hoopla which culminates in Jesus. The Jews of the 1st century AD were trying to re-live the glory days of King David, but ultimately Jesus failed to take the throne by (supposedly) allowing himself to die. (Hence the disciples’ constant nagging – “When will you restore the kingdom?”). Anyway, that tradition of finding god through the act(s) of becming more “holy” has found its way down through all those years, wars, and territories and now you have rednecks in Texas who use the Old Testament as the primary source for teaching science class…
Short answer to “when” – my guess would be ca. 7th through 4th century BC, during and after Babylonian exile. Not quite Hellenistic, but almost. I believe the text in its final, “received” form and the rules governing Jewish holiness and purity were already set in motion when Alexander the Great came through on his way east in 334 BC, which ushered in Hellenism. Christianity is essentially a master borrower of Jewish messianism sprinkled with a tad of Hellenistic mystery cults (read the opening chapter to John and you’ll see what I mean), so when I talk of the Jews’ move to holiness, I’m lumping Xians in with them. Xianity was essentially bolted on top of Judaism anyway, at least in the beginning.
Also, if you think about it, the Greeks’ power was so immense, and the people had just returned from Persia under Cyrus, so you think the Jews would have bent to Alexander’s wishes instead of risking another deportation and/or conquest, and that is where I think the Jewish authorities began to shake hands with Hellenism and where a lot of hybrid religious views spawned. Again, some of the scholarship backs this up, but not all of it.