Source: Michael S. Heiser, Reversing Hermon: Enoch, The Watchers & The Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 23–36.
This podcast delves into the interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4 by Second Temple period Jewish writers, highlighting how texts like 1 Enoch expanded upon the biblical narrative by affirming its supernatural elements. It introduces 1 Enoch as a composite work, focusing on the "Book of the Watchers" (chapters 1-36) which details the sin of the Watchers—celestial beings who descended to earth, married human women, produced giants, and taught forbidden knowledge. The text argues that this supernatural backstory, likely influenced by Mesopotamian concepts, was the dominant understanding of Genesis 6 in the first century and significantly informed New Testament writers and early Christian thought regarding the origins of evil and demonic activity.
The Story of the Sin of the Watchers in 1 Enoch: This is identified as a key focus, expanding upon the biblical account in Genesis 6:1–4. Second Temple Period Jewish writers, including the author(s) of 1 Enoch, understood and preserved a supernaturalist backstory for this event, which they saw as originating from a Mesopotamian literary inheritance. This interpretation, rather than stripping away supernatural elements, affirmed them. This understanding was prevalent among Second Temple Jews and subsequently influenced New Testament writers, suggesting that parts of the New Testament can best be understood in light of this Watcher story. The core narrative details how celestial beings, referred to as Watchers, saw human women, desired them, and agreed to descend to earth and take them as wives. Their leader, Shemihazah, initially feared they would not go through with it, but they all swore an oath and bound themselves with a curse. Two hundred Watchers descended onto the peak of Mount Hermon.
The Composite Nature and Structure of 1 Enoch: The book known today as 1 Enoch is not a single, unified work but rather a composite literary work made up of distinct sections composed at different times. The main sections include The Book of the Watchers (chapters 1–36), The Book of Parables (chapters 37–71, also called Similitudes), The Book of the Luminaries (chapters 72–82, also called the Astronomical Book), The Book of Dreams (chapters 83–90), The Apocalypse of Weeks (chapter 91:11–17), The Epistle of Enoch (chapters 91:1–10, 92–105), The Birth of Noah (chapters 106–107), and Another Chapter of Enoch (chapter 108). The first section, the Book of the Watchers, contains the primary account of the sin of the Watchers, specifically in chapters 6–16, with the initial five chapters serving as an introduction to this section. Other sections like the Book of Parables focus on judgment, the Astronomical Book on astronomical observations and their theological meaning, the Book of Dreams on allegorical visions mirroring biblical passages, the Apocalypse of Weeks on future history divided into ten periods leading to judgment, the Epistle of Enoch on woes against sinners and exhortations for the righteous, and the final sections on Noah's birth and assuring salvation for the righteous.
Details of the Watchers' Transgression and Forbidden Teachings: The Watchers' sin involved more than just taking human wives. They "defiled themselves through them" and taught humanity forbidden knowledge. They revealed "sorcery and charms" and the "cutting of roots and plants." Beyond this, figures like Asael taught men how to make weapons of war (swords, weapons, shields, breastplates) and how to work metals like gold and silver for ornaments. He also revealed how to use antimony, eye paint, precious stones, and dyes, leading men and their daughters to transgress and mislead "holy ones." Other Watchers taught specific mysteries: Shemihazah taught spells and root cutting, Hermani taught sorcery and magic, Baraqel taught signs of lightning, Kokabel taught signs of stars, Ziqel taught signs of shooting stars, Arteqoph taught signs of the earth, Shamsiel taught signs of the sun, and Sahriel taught signs of the moon. These Watchers revealed all these mysteries to their wives and children. This transmission of "heavenly knowledge" to earthly humans was considered categorically improper and morally destructive.
The Offspring of the Watchers and the Consequences: The union between the Watchers and human women resulted in the birth of "great giants." These giants then begat Nephilim, and to the Nephilim were born Elioud, all growing in size. These giants were destructive: they devoured the labor of men, who could not supply them, and they began to kill and devour men. They also sinned against animals, creeping things, and fish, devouring one another's flesh and drinking blood. As a consequence of these actions and the godlessness upon the earth, the earth itself brought accusation against the lawless ones, and the cry of perishing men went up to heaven. The source emphasizes that the nature of the giants was "mixed," being a mingling of "spirits and flesh," whereas angels properly belong in heaven and humans on earth. This transgression of categories had terrible results, particularly after the giants' physical death.
Divine Response and Judgment: Witnessing the terrible events, four archangels—Michael, Sariel, Raphael, and Gabriel—appealed to God, and the souls of humankind demanded judgment. God responded by announcing a coming end for the whole earth, a deluge to destroy everything. Sariel was sent to Noah to tell him to hide, reveal the coming flood, and teach him how to preserve himself and his seed for future generations. Beyond the flood, the archangels were commanded to round up and bind the offending Watchers. They were to be confined in a "fiery abyss" of "torture" and "prison" until their eternal judgment, when they would perish for all generations. A significant consequence for humanity followed the death of the giants: evil spirits would arise from their dead bodies. These spirits were destined to haunt mankind until the final judgment.
Influence on Later Thought and Early Christian Tradition: The understanding of the Watcher story deeply informed Jews during the Second Temple Period and significantly influenced New Testament writers who were part of that environment. The sources assert that the Watcher story lurks behind various New Testament passages and that early Christian tradition was aware of and embraced this reading of Genesis 6:1–4. Examples cited include the Christian Testament of Solomon, which reinterprets the demon Asmodeus as born from a human mother and an angel, and identifies demonic power thwarted by Jesus as one of the giants. The Pseudo-Clementine Homilies refer to the giants as "bastards" and "demons" who survived the flood as disembodied "large souls" that plague humanity. Tertullian called the offspring of fallen angels a "demon-brood" responsible for diseases and calamities. Commodianus linked the disembodied existence of giants to the subversion of bodies. Importantly, early church figures like Irenaeus also adopted this view, linking the origin of sin directly to Satan and his forces, echoing themes from 1 Enoch. Irenaeus connected Satan's apostasy to other angels and then to mankind, specifically detailing how "unlawful unions" of angels with human women produced giants, an "infamous race," who performed wicked deeds. Irenaeus described these wicked deeds in terms mirroring the forbidden knowledge taught by the Watchers in 1 Enoch, such as sorcery, idolatry, and the misuse of natural elements. This demonstrates how the Watcher tradition shaped early Christian views on sin, angels, demons, and the events of Genesis 6.