Source: Michael S. Heiser, Reversing Hermon: Enoch, The Watchers & The Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 87–102.
This podcast explores the connection between Jesus' ministry and the sin of the Watchers, fallen angels from Second Temple Jewish tradition. It argues that key events, like Jesus' time near Mount Hermon and at Caesarea Philippi, are significant because this region, known as Bashan, was associated with giants, evil spirits, and the underworld in ancient times. The author suggests that Jesus' actions in these locations, including casting out demons, represent a cosmic confrontation against these dark forces and a claim for the Kingdom of God. The text also highlights how passages like Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 can be interpreted through the lens of Jesus conquering this demonic territory.
Mount Hermon and Bashan: Geographic and Spiritual Significance Mount Hermon is identified as a prominent geographical feature in the Holy Land, the tallest peak in Israel, standing at nine thousand feet. It was known by ancient names such as Sirion and Senir. Geographically, the base of Mount Hermon forms the northern border of the region of Bashan. This geographical proximity leads some scholars to identify Mount Hermon with the "Mount Bashan" mentioned in Psalm 68, although it is part of a larger mountain range. Psalm 68 refers to it as a "mountain of God" and a "many-peaked mountain," suggesting its impressive height and potential claim to a link between heaven and earth due to its towering presence. The significance of Mount Hermon and Bashan is deeply rooted in ancient history and cosmology. The sources explain that, in Old Testament times and for Second-Temple Jews familiar with texts like 1 Enoch, the entire region of Bashan was strongly associated with giants and evil spirits. These supernatural entities were understood, according to Genesis 6:1-4 and 1 Enoch, to be the spawn of the Watchers. This association helps explain why the link between Mount Hermon and Mount Bashan would have made sense to ancient readers.
The Sin of the Watchers and its Location A foundational concept discussed is the sin of the Watchers, which provides a crucial link between the ministry of Jesus and specific locations. According to 1 Enoch 6, which is explicitly connected to Genesis 6:1-4, the Watchers (identified as "sons of heaven") saw beautiful human women and desired them. They proposed to choose wives from them and beget children. Their chief, Shemihazah, expressed concern that they might not follow through, leaving him solely responsible for a great sin. In response, all two hundred of the Watchers swore an oath and bound one another with a curse to commit this deed. This significant event of swearing and binding themselves with a curse took place specifically on the peak of Mount Hermon during the days of Jared. The mountain was even named "Hermon" because of this oath and curse. This act of transgression by the Watchers on Mount Hermon is presented as a fundamental reference point for understanding subsequent spiritual and historical events.
Giants: Their Identity, Origin, and Association with Bashan The sources extensively discuss giants, referred to by various names such as Nephilim, Rephaim, Anakim, Emim, Zamzummin, and Amorites. These giants are presented as the offspring resulting from the illicit union between the Watchers ("sons of God") and human women ("daughters of men") described in Genesis 6:1-4 and 1 Enoch. The region of Bashan, first encountered biblically during Israel's desert wanderings, was specifically known as the historical home of these giant clans. Deuteronomy and Joshua record that Og, the king of Bashan defeated by Moses and Israel, was a giant and the last of the Rephaim, possessing an iron bed nine cubits long. The Amorite designation is particularly highlighted as connecting back to a broader Mesopotamian cultural context ("MAR.TU") associated with "giant talk" and figures like the apkallu, some of whom were also described as giants. The sources emphasize that the terms, descriptions (like the height of the Amorites), and biblical accounts of giants like Og in Bashan are intimately connected to the original context of Genesis 6:1-4, the Mesopotamian apkallu backstory, and the Watchers story in 1 Enoch, forming a complex network of related ideas. The ancient capital of Bashan, Ashtaroth, and the city Edrei were also associated with King Og and carried dark spiritual significance.
The Underworld, Rephaim, and the Origin of Demons Bashan, specifically through its connection to cities like Ashtaroth and Edrei, is strongly associated with the underworld, described as "Canaanite hell." Canaanite literature, such as the Ugaritic texts, links this region to the abode of the rpum (Rephaim), who are depicted as deified dead kings dwelling in the underworld. While Canaanite texts don't necessarily describe the rpum as giants, the biblical texts explicitly connect the Rephaim to the underworld and identify them as giants. Passages from Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah are cited where the term "rephaim" is translated as "dead," "departed," or "shades" in the underworld, often obscuring this connection in English translations. This association of Rephaim giants with the underworld is presented as the "biblical justification" for the teaching found in 1 Enoch that demons are the spirits of dead giants. 1 Enoch 15 describes that when the giants (begotten by spirits and flesh) die, their spirits become evil spirits whose dwelling is on the earth. These "bastard spirits" (a term used in the Dead Sea Scrolls for Watcher-spirits/demons) are said to lead astray, do violence, cause illness, and rise up against humans. Thus, the source presents a lineage: Watchers + human women = Giants (Nephilim/Rephaim). When Giants die, their spirits = Demons.
Jesus' Ministry in the Region of Bashan and Mount Hermon The sources connect Jesus' ministry directly to the geographical and spiritual backdrop of Bashan and Mount Hermon, framing his actions as "classic spiritual warfare." Two specific, well-known episodes are highlighted as taking place in this significant region. First, the "gates of hell" incident in Matthew 16 occurred at Caesarea Philippi, a city located at the foot of Mount Hermon in what was historically Bashan. This city had a history as a pagan worship site, dedicated to Baal and later Pan, and was considered a place of spiritual darkness or the "gates of hell" in ancient understanding. Jesus' declaration that the "gates of hell shall not be able to withstand" his church, spoken at this location, is interpreted not as the church being on the defensive, but as the kingdom of God being the aggressor, attacking the defensive structures of hell in a cosmic confrontation at ground zero of biblical demonic geography. Second, the Transfiguration, which immediately followed Peter's confession chronologically in the Gospels, is argued by many scholars to have taken place on Mount Hermon itself, given its proximity to Caesarea Philippi and its height. Jesus choosing this location to be transfigured and reveal his divine glory to Peter, James, and John is interpreted as a powerful symbolic act of claiming this mountain, historically associated with the Watchers' sin, for the Kingdom of God and putting hostile unseen powers on notice.
Jesus as the Cosmic Conqueror: Reversing Hermon Jesus' actions in the Bashan/Hermon region and his subsequent death and resurrection are presented as a direct challenge and reversal of the spiritual corruption associated with the Watchers' sin and the powers of darkness centered there. The concept of the "gates of hell" being assaulted by the church, not the other way around, highlights Jesus' active defeat of these powers. The source further draws on Paul's use of Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8 to illustrate Jesus' cosmic conquest. While Psalm 68 describes Yahweh ascending after conquering and receiving tribute/captives, Paul applies this to Jesus ascending and giving gifts (apostles, prophets, etc.) to his people. The source explains that Paul is not describing liberation of captives, but rather interpreting Jesus' ascension as a victorious conquest over demonic enemies (like Bashan/Hermon), after which the "booty" (the benefits of the conquest) is distributed to his followers. This interpretation aligns Psalm 68 and Ephesians 4 by focusing on conquest rather than liberation. The reference to Jesus descending to the "lower regions" before ascending (Ephesians 4:9-10) is linked to either his descent into the Underworld (Sheol) to confront imprisoned spirits or his descent to earth (the lower regions) via the Holy Spirit at Pentecost after his conquering ascension. Regardless of the specific "descent" interpretation, Jesus' actions, culminating in his death and resurrection, are seen as the means by which he reverses the curse initiated at Hermon, defeats the powers of darkness, ensures that those aligned with him do not share living space with Watcher spirits in the underworld, and demonstrates his ultimate authority even over entities like Legion in Bashan territory, proving that they "would be lords of nothing."