Source: Michael S. Heiser, Reversing Hermon: Enoch, The Watchers & The Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 105–121.
This podcast explores a perspective from the Second Temple Period and some early Christian thought suggesting that human depravity wasn't solely attributed to Adam's sin, as commonly taught today. Instead, many believed the fallen Watchers, angelic beings who corrupted humanity through forbidden knowledge and illicit unions, were a significant catalyst for widespread evil, even after the Flood through their demonic offspring. This Enochic tradition influenced interpretations of Genesis 6 and appears to resonate with Pauline theology, particularly his statement in Galatians that the Law was "added because of transgressions," possibly referring to the cosmic transgressions initiated by the Watchers, with Jesus' mission serving as a counter-movement to their destructive influence.
Multiple Explanations for Human Depravity: The sources highlight that in the Second Temple Period, there wasn't a single, uniform explanation for human sinfulness, but rather two prominent perspectives. One perspective viewed sin as stemming from an intrinsic problem within human nature, an "innate inclination" or an internal "condition of sinfulness." This idea is illustrated by passages from the Dead Sea Scrolls, where a person seeks purification from an "evil plague" that is rooted internally and not merely a desire to commit specific sinful acts. Another scroll describes humanity as a "creature of clay, fashioned with water," a "foundation of shame and a source of impurity," inherently sinful rather than just weak or guilty of particular actions. The thinker Philo also reportedly held a similar view, seeing Adam's sin as evidence of this inherent evil inclination in humanity. The second perspective attributes human sin primarily to the temptation and influence of external, demonic forces, specifically the fallen Watchers. This view suggests that individual sin is not necessarily part of the human constitution but rather the result of a powerful demonic presence or the effects of a "demonic age." These two views offer distinct motivations: either an internal propensity for sin or an external catalyst. While traditional interpretations often locate human sinfulness solely within, arising from Genesis 6:5's description of human wickedness, the sources emphasize that the Watchers' story in Genesis 6:1-4, especially when read in its original context related to the apkallu story, provides an alternative, complementary explanation for the wickedness leading up to the Flood.
The Sin of the Watchers as a Source of Evil: The transgression of the Watchers, described in Genesis 6:1-4 and extensively in texts like 1 Enoch, is presented as a significant event in Second Temple Jewish thought that many viewed as a catalyst for human depravity and cosmic disorder. The Watchers were heavenly beings who left their designated realm, descended to earth, and had offspring with human women, producing giants known as the Nephilim. Beyond this illicit union, the Watchers also reportedly taught humanity forbidden knowledge, including things like metalworking, cosmetics, sorcery, and other mysteries. This revelation of forbidden knowledge was seen as corrupting humanity, giving them "tools to do evil." In Second Temple thought, particularly in 1 Enoch, this transgression was not just a moral failing but a cosmic one; the Watchers were seen as heavenly bodies ("wandering stars") who transgressed their appointed order, reflecting a disruption in the divine creation. This cosmic dimension of their sin contributed to the understanding that their actions had far-reaching consequences beyond individual human acts, leading to widespread wickedness on Earth. The sources suggest that for many Jews in this period, the Watchers' transgression was a more prominent explanation for the origin and proliferation of evil than Adam's sin.
Second Temple Jewish Etiologies of Evil: The sources argue that, contrary to common modern Christian understanding which heavily emphasizes Adam's Fall (Genesis 3) as the origin of human depravity (largely based on Romans 5), Second Temple Judaism frequently drew upon the narrative of the Watchers' transgression (Genesis 6:1-4) and its elaboration in texts like 1 Enoch as the primary explanation for the origin and effects of evil. While some Second Temple texts, like certain Dead Sea Scrolls and the writings of Philo, point to an inherent human sinfulness, the Watchers narrative provided a detailed etiology involving angelic beings, forbidden knowledge, and the birth of monstrous offspring (Nephilim). This emphasis is supported by the observation that despite descriptions of human sinfulness throughout the Old Testament, Genesis 3 and Adam's Fall are not cited as the explanation for this depravity. The sources contend that for many first-century Jews, the Genesis 6 account, particularly as developed in Enochic literature, was the key text for understanding why evil was so pervasive. This understanding was deeply ingrained and influenced later thought, potentially including that of early Christians.
Demons Originating from the Nephilim: A critical point connecting the Watchers' sin before the Flood to the continued presence of evil afterward is the belief that demons are the spirits of the dead Nephilim, the giants born from the union of Watchers and human women. Although the Nephilim were destroyed (either in the Flood or subsequently), their spirits, being partly divine in origin (from the Watchers), did not perish. According to 1 Enoch and other Second Temple texts, these disembodied spirits remained on Earth and became evil spirits or demons. These demons are described as continuing the destructive activities of their fathers (the Watchers) and their own brief existence as giants. They "lead astray, do violence, make desolate, and attack and wrestle and hurl upon the earth and cause illnesses." They also rise up against humans because they originated from them. This concept provides a direct, post-Flood link between the Watchers' initial transgression and the ongoing human experience of evil, suggesting that the "source" of sin after the Flood stems not from continuous direct action by the imprisoned Watchers, but from the activities of these demonic spirits who are the legacy of their sin. These Watcher-spirits are explicitly identified in texts like 4Q 510 as among the various demonic entities causing humans to transgress.
Paul's View of the Law in Galatians 3-4 and the Watchers: The sources explore how Paul's challenging statements about the Law in Galatians, particularly his assertion that it "was added because of transgressions," might be illuminated by the Enochic understanding of the Watchers' sin. While it's common to interpret Paul as meaning the Law was given to cause or provoke transgressions, this interpretation is challenged by ancient commentators who saw the Law as added to restrain transgression. A key question then arises: whose transgressions prompted the Law's addition? The sources propose that instead of assuming Paul exclusively meant Adam's singular transgression (as in Romans 5), he might have been referencing the plural "transgressions" of the Watchers, an idea pervasive in Second Temple Judaism. This perspective aligns with several parallels between Paul's argument in Galatians 3-4 and Enochic literature, including the subordination of Mosaic Law to earlier revelations (like the promise to Abraham), a shared emphasis on the cosmic significance of transgressions, and concern with the role of angels. If Paul understood the Law as added to restrain the cosmic disorder and human depravity initiated by the Watchers' sin, it helps explain his view of the Law as something positive (restraining evil) yet also inadequate to ultimately solve the problem, thus requiring the advent of Christ.
Jesus' Mission as a Counteraction to the Watchers' Transgression: The birth and mission of Jesus are presented as a divine intervention designed to reverse the consequences of the Watchers' transgression and the cosmic upheaval it caused. The sources highlight a deliberate contrast between the Watchers' actions and Jesus'. The Watchers, as "Sons of God," rebelled in heaven and "entered" human women on Earth to produce illegitimate offspring. In contrast, God sends His Son to be born "from a woman" at the "fullness of time." This divinely orchestrated birth of Jesus is seen as counteracting the rebellious, illegitimate unions of the Watchers. While the Watchers' actions led to destruction, the terrorizing activities of their demonic offspring, and the Watchers' own loss of access to God, Jesus faithfully offers himself to rescue humanity and the cosmos. Furthermore, the "spirit of God's son" (the Holy Spirit) is sent into believers' hearts, granting them legitimate sonship and direct access to God through prayer, directly contrasting with the illegitimate status of the Nephilim and the Watchers' loss of divine access. From this perspective, Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection are not only about addressing human sin (from Adam or inherent nature) but also about healing the cosmic damage and reversing the effects initiated by the Watchers, ultimately reconciling all things in creation. This understanding elevates the cosmic significance of Christ's work, addressing not just the "Fall" in the garden but also the broader dimensions of evil introduced by angelic rebellion. Early church fathers like Irenaeus reportedly incorporated both Adam and Watcher etiologies into their understanding of sin and saw Jesus' work as addressing both. Tertullian is also mentioned as potentially connecting the Watchers' sin to New Testament instructions, specifically Paul's command for women to cover their heads.