DIVINE PRESENCE LIGHT HAHYAH OHYAH WATCHERS BEHOLD HAYYI GIANTS..
Divine presence, presence of God, Inner God, or simply a presence is a concept in spirituality, religion and theology that deals with the idea of a Diety, an angel, a God or a Goddess to be "present" with human beings. The concept is shared by many all religious traditions, it is historically found in a number of independently derived conceptualizations, and each of these has culturally distinct terminology. One of the most relevant concepts and terms used is Divine light which suggests an aspect of divine presence with qualities of illumination thought, intelect, knowledge, insight wisdom, being and divine love and Inner light suggests the presence of God or a presence as a "light". The Religious Society of Friends regards this concept as a fundamental belief.
Immanence usually applied in monotheistic, pantheistic, pandeistic, or panentheistic faiths to suggest that the spiritual world permeates the mundane is contrasted with transcendence, in which the divine is seen to be outside the material world.
Numen – Latin term for "presence", used historically to refer to a Roman religious concept.
Theophany – the appearance of a deity to a human.
Higher consciousness–is the consciousness of a higher Self, transcendental reality, or God.
Numen – Latin term for "presence", used historically to refer to a Roman religious concept.
Theophany – the appearance of a deity to a human.
Higher consciousness–is the consciousness of a higher Self, transcendental reality, or God.
DIVINE LIGHT
In theology, divine light (also called divine radiance or divine refulgence) is an aspect of divine presence perceived as light during a theophany or vision, or represented as such in allegory or metaphor.The Great Life (Hayyi Rabbi or Supreme God/Monad) is the ruler of the World of Light.
Heavenly light from the Dawn of Civilization. In philosophy, naturalism is the idea or belief that only natural laws and forces (as opposed to supernatural ones) operate in the universe.
Visions are known to emerge from spiritual traditions and could provide a lens into human nature and reality. Prophecy is often associated with visions.
In theology, divine light (also called divine radiance or divine refulgence) is an aspect of divine presence perceived as light during a theophany or vision, or represented as such in allegory or metaphor.
The term "light" has been widely used in spirituality and religion.
Buddhist scripture speaks of numerous buddhas of light, including a Buddha of Boundless Light, a Buddha of Unimpeded Light, and the Buddhas of Unopposed Light, of Pure Light, of Incomparable Light, and of Unceasing Light.
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the Divine Light illuminates the intellect of man through "theoria" or contemplation.
In Hinduism, Diwali—the festival of lights—is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness. A mantra in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.3.28) urges to God: "from darkness, lead us unto light". The Rig Veda includes nearly two dozen hymns to the dawn and its goddess, Ushas.In the terminology of Sant Mat, Light and Sound are the two main and expressions of God[9] and from them all the creation comes into existence. Inner Light (and Inner Sound) can be experienced with and after an initiation by a competent Guru during meditation, and are considered the better way to reach Enlightenment.
Manichaeism, the most widespread Western religion prior to Christianity, was based on the belief that God was, literally, light. From about 250-350 CE, devout Manichaeans followed the teachings of self-proclaimed prophet Mani. Mani's faithful, who could be found from Greece to China, believed in warring kingdoms of Light and Darkness, in "beings of light," and in a Father of Light who would conquer the demons of darkness and remake the earth through shards of light found in human souls. Manichaeism also co-opted other religions, including Buddhist teachings in its scripture and worshipping Jesus the Luminous who was crucified on a cross of pure light.In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld.
Description: The Great Life (Hayyi Rabbi or Supreme God/Monad) is the ruler of the World of Light.
Light is a core concept in Iranian mysticism. The root of this thought lies in Zoroastrian beliefs, which define the supreme God, Ahura Mazda, as the source of light.
Light is a core concept in Iranian mysticism. The root of this thought lies in Zoroastrian beliefs, which define the supreme God, Ahura Mazda, as the source of light.
Wonderment, awe, bewilderment, curiosity, fascination, marvel, shock, stunner, surprise, wonder, astoundment.
The phrase 'Signs of wonder' primarily derived from Old and New Testament references and is now used in the Christian and mainstream press and in scholarly religious discourse to communicate a strong emphasis on recognizing perceived manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the contemporary lives of Christian believers. This phrase is seen multiple times throughout the Bible to describe the activities of the early church, and is historically recorded as continuing, at least in practice, since the time of Christ.
The signs/miracles/wonders of light and life start from conception, birth, a new born child, to walk, to speak, to fall in love. The ocean. All the stars in the sky. The sun and the moon. Man's inhumanity to man. The wonders man working together can make, The clockwork precision of the ever moving and evolving universe. The tenacity of life and marvelous variety of evolution. The incalculable amount of what we do not know. The nature of God and his plan. The imagination. The artistry man is capable of.
It has historically been seen as an important aspect of human nature, specifically being linked with curiosity and the drive behind intellectual exploration. Wonder is a verb meaning to feel curiosity, doubt, or admiration. Wonder can also be a noun describing a feeling of admiration, usually caused by something new or beautiful. Wonderment is a synonym for the noun definition of wonder. It is a noun meaning a state of reverence or adoration. The opposite for this word would be a strong belief that something will happen or be the case which is expectation.
The Book of Enoch (Enoch 1), the Book of the Secrets of Enoch (Enoch 2) and the Book of Jubilees contain more details about the fallen angels referred to in Genesis. Enoch 2 was probably written by a Hellenistic Jew in the first century CE. Enoch 1 and the Book of Jubilees are Jewish works of the intertestamental period written down in the second century BCE. The information contained in them is much older than the date of these manuscripts.
Enoch was the great grandfather of Noah. Genesis 5: 22-24 says, “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
An angel is said to be a spiritual being, believed to act as an agent, or messenger of the laws of God, from the time of Sumer till now, conventionally represented in human form with wings and long robes. In traditional Christian angelology an angel is a 'being' of the lowest order of the nine-fold celestial hierarchy. The word angel arrives into modern English from Old English engel (with a hard g) and the Old French angele. Both of these derive from Late Greek ἄγγελος angelos (literally "messenger"). According to Rabbinic Judaism, the angels have no bodies, but are eternally living creatures created out of fire. The Babylonian Talmud reads as "The Torah was not given to ministering angels." (לא נתנה תורה למלאכי השרת) usually understood as a concession to human's imperfection, in contrast to the angels.
Angel, in Armenian is հրեշտակ, it is a noun that signifies Angel or a messenger, later a deputy, a legate representing the highest spiritual authority. Also the word հրեղէնք, a noun means the angels.These two words both referring to angels appears to have been formed from the base root, verb active, հր, հր-ել, meaning to push, to drive, to give a push, to process on. The second syllable a morpheme -տակ in a postposition which means under, beneath, below. Armenian հրեղէն is also an adjective for fiery, of fire, igneous; empyreal and -եղէն is a suffix forming adjectives and nouns.
Last but not least and very relevant is the word from the root հրել, is հրեայ, a noun for Jew.from the base root, verb active, հր, հր-ել, meaning to push, to drive, to give a push, to process on, and -եայ, is a suffix forming an adjective. Thus the Jew/Hrya in Armenian meaning 'the pusher man,' 'the driver,' 'the processor' 'the Alchemist.' 'the fallen angel.'Jewish philosopher Maimonides explained his view of angels in his Guide for the Perplexed II:4 and II
... This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres move ... thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world.
— Guide for the Perplexed II:4, Maimonides
Maimonides had a neo-Aristotelian interpretation of the Bible. Maimonides writes that to the wise man, one sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually allusions to the various laws of nature; they are the principles by which the physical universe operates.
For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the naive?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the Deity, despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God. But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and demarcating these organs, and that this is the angel, or that all forms are produced by the Active Intellect; that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of the world" constantly mentioned by the sages, then he will recoil.– Guide for the Perplexed II:4
The alchemists of old for sure realized that they were involved with an art, an exact science.
The ultimate cause of or for wonderment. Synonyms for wonderment are amazement, awe, bewilderment, curiosity, fascination, marvel. One feels or has a sense of wonderment. It is a state of awe, admiration, respect, astonishment, surprise and or joy. People naturally have a sense of wonderment when they observe, see the natural phenomena that define existance/life. Parents feel wonderment at the birth of their children, and when their children start walking and talking. Looking at the infinite stars in the sky can create a feeling of wonderment. Being in nature stirs wonderment in many people.
Anything that creates wonderment is likely to make you say "Wow!"
Anything that creates wonderment is likely to make you say "Wow!"
'In silent wonderment' open-mouthed wonderment.' Looking in wonderment. Eyes opened wide in wonderment. One gasps in wonderment when one can't quite believe what they are seeing.
Humans gape in wonderment at the birth of their children, and when their children start walking and talking. Looking at the infinite stars in the sky creates a feeling of wonderment. Being in nature stirs wonderment. We are all in a permanant state of wonderment graced by light from the heavens.A sense of wonderment simply put is a sense of living in wonder, a feeling of child-like delight, amazement, and admiration at the natural state of the world. It refers to that feeling of grateful awe in the smaller things in life.
To experience wonder daily and live with a greater sense of appreciation, joy, and love for life.
one has to learn to just be and embrace the present moment. ...Cultivate ones natural state of innocence and curiosity. ...Harvest the good in any situation. ...Acknowledge all your experiences.
Wonder helps to put our place in the world into perspective. It not only allows us to see beauty in a crab-apple; it reminds us that we are finite and that we are a part of something much greater than our ability to comprehend it. Wonder is aroused by sensing the mystery of our life: Why am I alive?one has to learn to just be and embrace the present moment. ...Cultivate ones natural state of innocence and curiosity. ...Harvest the good in any situation. ...Acknowledge all your experiences.
Wonder and awe are essential to a passionate life. Here's how to activate them. Seek out displays of mastery and genius. ...Look at your life through someone else's eyes. ...Approach things from new angles. ... Change the context. ... Slow down. ... Get out of Dodge. ... Change your lenses. OCCULT TRANSFORMATIONS mystical, supernatural, or magical powers, practices, or phenomena. Precipitation for most people is associate with meteorological phenomena such as rain, snow and hail. While that is certainly a correct usage of the word, in alchemy, precipitation is a process that involves the conversion of matter from a soluable chemical to an insoluble solid. There are nine steps to alchemical precipitation.`Man must finish the work which Nature bas left incomplete'
The etymology of the word precipitate, praecip(it)- ‘headlong’, from prae ‘before’ + caput ‘head’. The original sense of the verb was ‘hurl down. This meaning alludes to the fallen angels. The angels Early alchemists Zosimus and Isis said alchemical knowledge came from fallen angels sexually attracted to human women. The early Christian church fathers believed them and claimed the angels had sinned against the orders of god. Who were these angels?The Book of Enoch (Enoch 1), the Book of the Secrets of Enoch (Enoch 2) and the Book of Jubilees contain more details about the fallen angels referred to in Genesis. Enoch 2 was probably written by a Hellenistic Jew in the first century CE. Enoch 1 and the Book of Jubilees are Jewish works of the intertestamental period written down in the second century BCE. The information contained in them is much older than the date of these manuscripts.
Enoch was the great grandfather of Noah. Genesis 5: 22-24 says, “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
An angel is said to be a spiritual being, believed to act as an agent, or messenger of the laws of God, from the time of Sumer till now, conventionally represented in human form with wings and long robes. In traditional Christian angelology an angel is a 'being' of the lowest order of the nine-fold celestial hierarchy. The word angel arrives into modern English from Old English engel (with a hard g) and the Old French angele. Both of these derive from Late Greek ἄγγελος angelos (literally "messenger"). According to Rabbinic Judaism, the angels have no bodies, but are eternally living creatures created out of fire. The Babylonian Talmud reads as "The Torah was not given to ministering angels." (לא נתנה תורה למלאכי השרת) usually understood as a concession to human's imperfection, in contrast to the angels.
Angel, in Armenian is հրեշտակ, it is a noun that signifies Angel or a messenger, later a deputy, a legate representing the highest spiritual authority. Also the word հրեղէնք, a noun means the angels.These two words both referring to angels appears to have been formed from the base root, verb active, հր, հր-ել, meaning to push, to drive, to give a push, to process on. The second syllable a morpheme -տակ in a postposition which means under, beneath, below. Armenian հրեղէն is also an adjective for fiery, of fire, igneous; empyreal and -եղէն is a suffix forming adjectives and nouns.
Last but not least and very relevant is the word from the root հրել, is հրեայ, a noun for Jew.from the base root, verb active, հր, հր-ել, meaning to push, to drive, to give a push, to process on, and -եայ, is a suffix forming an adjective. Thus the Jew/Hrya in Armenian meaning 'the pusher man,' 'the driver,' 'the processor' 'the Alchemist.' 'the fallen angel.'Jewish philosopher Maimonides explained his view of angels in his Guide for the Perplexed II:4 and II
... This leads Aristotle in turn to the demonstrated fact that God, glory and majesty to Him, does not do things by direct contact. God burns things by means of fire; fire is moved by the motion of the sphere; the sphere is moved by means of a disembodied intellect, these intellects being the 'angels which are near to Him', through whose mediation the spheres move ... thus totally disembodied minds exist which emanate from God and are the intermediaries between God and all the bodies [objects] here in this world.
— Guide for the Perplexed II:4, Maimonides
Maimonides had a neo-Aristotelian interpretation of the Bible. Maimonides writes that to the wise man, one sees that what the Bible and Talmud refer to as "angels" are actually allusions to the various laws of nature; they are the principles by which the physical universe operates.
For all forces are angels! How blind, how perniciously blind are the naive?! If you told someone who purports to be a sage of Israel that the Deity sends an angel who enters a woman's womb and there forms an embryo, he would think this a miracle and accept it as a mark of the majesty and power of the Deity, despite the fact that he believes an angel to be a body of fire one third the size of the entire world. All this, he thinks, is possible for God. But if you tell him that God placed in the sperm the power of forming and demarcating these organs, and that this is the angel, or that all forms are produced by the Active Intellect; that here is the angel, the "vice-regent of the world" constantly mentioned by the sages, then he will recoil.– Guide for the Perplexed II:4
The alchemists of old for sure realized that they were involved with an art, an exact science.
Abraham Heschel argued that awe and wonder are religious emotions because they reduce our feelings of self-importance, and thereby help to cultivate the proper reverent attitude towards God. Yet metaphysical naturalists such as Richard Dawkins insist that awe and wonder need not lead to any theistic commitments for scientists. I would argue that awe and wonder played a crucial role in Sumeria in the early period of natural scientific discovery. They focused their our attention and ours today on the natural world and universe of phenomena, and encourage open mindedness, awe and wonder diminish the feelings of self-importance, help humanity to be objective and focus on the value of the unknown being studied, which has in the past and will in the future provide a mode of living with understanding in the absence of full knowledge.
This experience I regard as a form of non-theistic spirituality, which is neither a reductive naturalism nor theism.
Behold
The meaning of the word behold is to perceive through sight or apprehension : see. : to gaze upon : observe. It was a pleasure to behold the beauty of the sunset. The enormous crowd was a sight to behold. intransitive verb. 'Behold' is used 1,298 times in the King James version of the Bible. It is derived from the Greek word 'eido,' which has the literal translation of: be sure to see.
Behold
The meaning of the word behold is to perceive through sight or apprehension : see. : to gaze upon : observe. It was a pleasure to behold the beauty of the sunset. The enormous crowd was a sight to behold. intransitive verb. 'Behold' is used 1,298 times in the King James version of the Bible. It is derived from the Greek word 'eido,' which has the literal translation of: be sure to see.
Watchers, ogle verb, stare at in a lecherous manner. Similar: leer at, stare at, gaze at, eye, origin Og, to eye, or eye.
The Book of Giants is an expansive narrative of the biblical story of the birth of "giants" in Genesis 6.1-4. In this story, the giants came into being when the Watcher "sons of God" (who, per the story's corroborative Jubilees account [Jub 4:15; 5:6], God originally dispatched to earth for the purpose of instructing and nurturing humanity "in proper ritual and ethical conduct," "to do what is just and upright upon the earth") were seduced by and had sexual intercourse with human women, who then birthed a hybrid race of giants.These Watchers (grigori) and giants (nephilim) engaged in destructive and grossly immoral actions which devastated humanity, including the revealing of heaven's holy "secrets" or "mysteries to their wives and children" and to mankind generally.When Enoch heard of this, he was distressed and petitioned God, who in his longsuffering and by divine revelation and counsel called Enoch to preach repentance unto them, that the earthly races might avoid God's wrath and destruction. In his mercy, God chose also to give the fallen Watchers an additional chance to repent by transmitting dreams to several of their giant-sons, including two brothers named Ohyah and Hahyah who relayed the dreams to an assembly of their grigori and nephilim companions. This assembly of Watcher-giant associates were perplexed by the dreams,[20] so they sent a giant named Mahway to Enoch's abode and to the places of his preaching (for Mahway had been instructed that he must first "hear" the prophet speak before petitioning him for the "oracle"). Enoch, in his attempt to intercede on their behalf, provided not only the oracle that the Watchers and giants had requested, but also twin "tablets" that revealed the full meaning of their dreams and God's future judgment against them. The Manichaean version is similar to the one found in Qumran, only adapted to Mani's story of the cosmos. The fallen angels are here archontic demons escaped from their prisons in the sky, where they were placed when the world was constructed. They would have caused a brief revolt, and in the process, two hundred of them escaped to the Earth. While most given names are simply transliterated into Iranian language, Ohyah and Hahyah are renamed Sam and Nariman. This version also contains a complete ending, telling how the forces of the Light, led by four angels identified with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Istrael, subdue the demons and their offspring in battle.
When the Watchers and giants had at last heard heaven's response, many chose, in their transcendent pride and arrogance,[8] rather than to turn from their evil ways, to act in defiance against God. The Qumran fragments are incomplete at this point.[8]
The Qumran Book of Giants, like its Manichaean counterpart, affiliates the names of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and the monster Humbaba with the Watchers and giants.
The question I am investigating is whether the ancient near east Jewish non-canonical Enoch text, specifically the part regarding the Watchers is basically the story of the Apkallu.
From my perspective, the Jewish Watchers angel concept and the Apkallu can be the same thing but just within a different culture's symbolism.
The Watchers from the Book of Enoch parallel the actions of deities from many cultures who descend from the sky, mate with humans & teach them the skills of civilization. In the Enoch book's perspective this was forbidden knowledge & led to mans corruption, which justified god's decision to send the flood & wipe man out. Pretty much corresponding to the Greek version, the Myth of Zeus punishing Prometheus for teaching humans the secrets of fire.
The Apkallu are often referred to as Seven Sages and their duty was to assist God Enki and introduce art and learning to humans. The Sumerian King List, found in the temple library of Nippur, ancient city of Mesopotamia offers information on how the first gods gave human beings the gifts necessary for cultivating society.According to the Sumerian King List there were five important cities that pre-date the Flood. “These early cities were ruled by eight legendary kings, each of whom reigned for one and more centuries. The first seven of these Antediluvian rulers were served by semidivine counselors, called Apkallu, who introduced learning and arts to Sumer.
These watchers are called the children of heaven, the children of Anu & seem to be based on the Anunnaki & Igigi that bred with humans, like Enki for instance.
So yes I'd say you're correct in seeing the cultural connection. The apkallu were 7 mythic sages, the first being the son of Enki, who was taught the 'divine statues' & given the 'wisdom of heaven'. These were the demigod priest-kings of Sumeria that ruled dynastically, much like the Egyptian kings whose culture they had much in common with.
Apkallu (Akkadian) and Abgal (Sumerian:𒉣𒈨 ) are terms found in cuneiform inscriptions that in general mean either "wise" or "sage".
In several contexts the Apkallu are seven demi-gods, sometimes described as part man and part fish, associated with human wisdom; these creatures are often referred to in scholarly literature as the Seven Sages. Sometimes the sages are associated with a specific primeval king. After the deluge (see Epic of Gilgamesh), further sages and kings are listed.
Post-deluge, the sages are considered human, and in some texts are distinguished by being referred to as Ummanu, not Apkallu.
The terms Apkallu (as well as Abgal) is also used as an epithet for kings and gods as a mark of wisdom or knowledge.
A further use of the term Apkallu is when referring to figurines used in apotropaic rituals; these figurines include fish-man hybrids representing the seven sages, but also include bird-headed and other figures.
In a later work by Berossus describing Babylonia, the Apkallu appear again, also described as fish-men who are sent by the gods to impart knowledge to people. In Berossus, the first one, Oannes (a variant of Uanna), is said to have taught people the creation myth the Enuma Elis.
Og, in Deuteronomy 3:11, and later in the book of Numbers and Joshua, is called the last of the Rephaim. Rephaim is a Hebrew word for giants. Deuteronomy 3:11 declares that his "bedstead" (translated in some texts as "sarcophagus") of iron is "nine cubits in length and four cubits in width".
When the Watchers and giants had at last heard heaven's response, many chose, in their transcendent pride and arrogance,[8] rather than to turn from their evil ways, to act in defiance against God. The Qumran fragments are incomplete at this point.[8]
The Qumran Book of Giants, like its Manichaean counterpart, affiliates the names of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and the monster Humbaba with the Watchers and giants.
The question I am investigating is whether the ancient near east Jewish non-canonical Enoch text, specifically the part regarding the Watchers is basically the story of the Apkallu.
From my perspective, the Jewish Watchers angel concept and the Apkallu can be the same thing but just within a different culture's symbolism.
The Watchers from the Book of Enoch parallel the actions of deities from many cultures who descend from the sky, mate with humans & teach them the skills of civilization. In the Enoch book's perspective this was forbidden knowledge & led to mans corruption, which justified god's decision to send the flood & wipe man out. Pretty much corresponding to the Greek version, the Myth of Zeus punishing Prometheus for teaching humans the secrets of fire.
The Apkallu are often referred to as Seven Sages and their duty was to assist God Enki and introduce art and learning to humans. The Sumerian King List, found in the temple library of Nippur, ancient city of Mesopotamia offers information on how the first gods gave human beings the gifts necessary for cultivating society.According to the Sumerian King List there were five important cities that pre-date the Flood. “These early cities were ruled by eight legendary kings, each of whom reigned for one and more centuries. The first seven of these Antediluvian rulers were served by semidivine counselors, called Apkallu, who introduced learning and arts to Sumer.
These watchers are called the children of heaven, the children of Anu & seem to be based on the Anunnaki & Igigi that bred with humans, like Enki for instance.
So yes I'd say you're correct in seeing the cultural connection. The apkallu were 7 mythic sages, the first being the son of Enki, who was taught the 'divine statues' & given the 'wisdom of heaven'. These were the demigod priest-kings of Sumeria that ruled dynastically, much like the Egyptian kings whose culture they had much in common with.
Apkallu (Akkadian) and Abgal (Sumerian:𒉣𒈨 ) are terms found in cuneiform inscriptions that in general mean either "wise" or "sage".
In several contexts the Apkallu are seven demi-gods, sometimes described as part man and part fish, associated with human wisdom; these creatures are often referred to in scholarly literature as the Seven Sages. Sometimes the sages are associated with a specific primeval king. After the deluge (see Epic of Gilgamesh), further sages and kings are listed.
Post-deluge, the sages are considered human, and in some texts are distinguished by being referred to as Ummanu, not Apkallu.
The terms Apkallu (as well as Abgal) is also used as an epithet for kings and gods as a mark of wisdom or knowledge.
A further use of the term Apkallu is when referring to figurines used in apotropaic rituals; these figurines include fish-man hybrids representing the seven sages, but also include bird-headed and other figures.
In a later work by Berossus describing Babylonia, the Apkallu appear again, also described as fish-men who are sent by the gods to impart knowledge to people. In Berossus, the first one, Oannes (a variant of Uanna), is said to have taught people the creation myth the Enuma Elis.
Og, in Deuteronomy 3:11, and later in the book of Numbers and Joshua, is called the last of the Rephaim. Rephaim is a Hebrew word for giants. Deuteronomy 3:11 declares that his "bedstead" (translated in some texts as "sarcophagus") of iron is "nine cubits in length and four cubits in width".
The Book of Giants is an expansive narrative of the biblical story of the birth of "giants" in Genesis 6.1-4. In this story, the giants came into being when the Watchers "sons of God"- (who, per the story's corroborative Jubilees account God originally dispatched to earth for the purpose of instructing and nurturing humanity "in proper ritual and ethical conduct," "to do what is just and upright upon the earth") - were seduced by and had sexual intercourse with human women, who then birthed a hybrid race of giants. These Watchers (grigori) and giants (nephilim) engaged in destructive and grossly immoral actions which devastated humanity, including the revealing of heaven's holy "secrets" or "mysteries to their wives and children" and to mankind generally. When Enoch heard of this, he was distressed and petitioned God, who in his long suffering and by divine revelation and counsel called Enoch to preach repentance unto them, that the earthly races might avoid God's wrath and destruction.
In his mercy, God chose also to give the fallen Watchers an additional chance to repent by transmitting dreams to several of their giant-sons, including two brothers named Ohyah and Hahyah who relayed the dreams to an assembly of their grigori and nephilim companions.[5] This assembly of Watcher-giant associates were perplexed by the dreams,[20] so they sent a giant named Mahway to Enoch's abode and to the places of his preaching (for Mahway had been instructed that he must first "hear" the prophet speak before petitioning him for the "oracle"). Enoch, in his attempt to intercede on their behalf, provided not only the oracle that the Watchers and giants had requested, but also twin "tablets" that revealed the full meaning of their dreams and God's future judgment against them.[8]
The Manichaean version is similar to the one found in Qumran, only adapted to Mani's story of the cosmos. The fallen angels are here archontic demons escaped from their prisons in the sky, where they were placed when the world was constructed. They would have caused a brief revolt, and in the process, two hundred of them escaped to the Earth.[21] While most given names are simply transliterated into Iranian language, Ohyah and Hahyah are renamed Sam and Nariman.[22] This version also contains a complete ending, telling how the forces of the Light, led by four angels identified with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Istrael, subdue the demons and their offspring in battle.
When the Watchers and giants had at last heard heaven's response, many chose, in their transcendent pride and arrogance,[8] rather than to turn from their evil ways, to act in defiance against God. The Qumran fragments are incomplete at this point.[8]
The Qumran Book of Giants, like its Manichaean counterpart, affiliates the names of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and the monster Humbaba with the Watchers and giants.[4][8]
The question I am investigating is whether the ancient near east Jewish non-canonical Enoch text, specifically the part regarding the Watchers is basically the story of the Apkallu.
From my perspective, the Jewish Watchers angel concept and the Apkallu can be the same thing but just within a different culture's symbolism.
The Watchers from the Book of Enoch parallel the actions of deities from many cultures who descend from the sky, mate with humans & teach them the skills of civilization. In the Enoch book's perspective this was forbidden knowledge & led to mans corruption, which justified god's decision to send the flood & wipe man out. Pretty much corresponding to the Greek version, the Myth of Zeus punishing Prometheus for teaching humans the secrets of fire.
The Apkallu are often referred to as Seven Sages and their duty was to assist God Enki and introduce art and learning to humans. The Sumerian King List, found in the temple library of Nippur, ancient city of Mesopotamia offers information on how the first gods gave human beings the gifts necessary for cultivating society.According to the Sumerian King List there were five important cities that pre-date the Flood. “These early cities were ruled by eight legendary kings, each of whom reigned for one and more centuries. The first seven of these Antediluvian rulers were served by semidivine counselors, called Apkallu, who introduced learning and arts to Sumer.
These watchers are called the children of heaven, the children of Anu & seem to be based on the Anunnaki & Igigi that bred with humans, like Enki for instance.
So yes I'd say you're correct in seeing the cultural connection. The apkallu were 7 mythic sages, the first being the son of Enki, who was taught the 'divine statues' & given the 'wisdom of heaven'. These were the demigod priest-kings of Sumeria that ruled dynastically, much like the Egyptian kings whose culture they had much in common with.
Apkallu (Akkadian) and Abgal (Sumerian:𒉣𒈨 ) are terms found in cuneiform inscriptions that in general mean either "wise" or "sage".
In several contexts the Apkallu are seven demi-gods, sometimes described as part man and part fish, associated with human wisdom; these creatures are often referred to in scholarly literature as the Seven Sages. Sometimes the sages are associated with a specific primeval king. After the deluge (see Epic of Gilgamesh), further sages and kings are listed.
Post-deluge, the sages are considered human, and in some texts are distinguished by being referred to as Ummanu, not Apkallu.
The terms Apkallu (as well as Abgal) is also used as an epithet for kings and gods as a mark of wisdom or knowledge.
A further use of the term Apkallu is when referring to figurines used in apotropaic rituals; these figurines include fish-man hybrids representing the seven sages, but also include bird-headed and other figures.
In a later work by Berossus describing Babylonia, the Apkallu appear again, also described as fish-men who are sent by the gods to impart knowledge to people. In Berossus, the first one, Oannes (a variant of Uanna), is said to have taught people the creation myth the Enuma Elis.
Og, in Deuteronomy 3:11, and later in the book of Numbers and Joshua, is called the last of the Rephaim. Rephaim is a Hebrew word for giants. Deuteronomy 3:11 declares that his "bedstead" (translated in some texts as "sarcophagus") of iron is "nine cubits in length and four cubits in width",
When the Watchers and giants had at last heard heaven's response, many chose, in their transcendent pride and arrogance,[8] rather than to turn from their evil ways, to act in defiance against God. The Qumran fragments are incomplete at this point.[8]
The Qumran Book of Giants, like its Manichaean counterpart, affiliates the names of the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and the monster Humbaba with the Watchers and giants.[4][8]
The question I am investigating is whether the ancient near east Jewish non-canonical Enoch text, specifically the part regarding the Watchers is basically the story of the Apkallu.
From my perspective, the Jewish Watchers angel concept and the Apkallu can be the same thing but just within a different culture's symbolism.
The Watchers from the Book of Enoch parallel the actions of deities from many cultures who descend from the sky, mate with humans & teach them the skills of civilization. In the Enoch book's perspective this was forbidden knowledge & led to mans corruption, which justified god's decision to send the flood & wipe man out. Pretty much corresponding to the Greek version, the Myth of Zeus punishing Prometheus for teaching humans the secrets of fire.
The Apkallu are often referred to as Seven Sages and their duty was to assist God Enki and introduce art and learning to humans. The Sumerian King List, found in the temple library of Nippur, ancient city of Mesopotamia offers information on how the first gods gave human beings the gifts necessary for cultivating society.According to the Sumerian King List there were five important cities that pre-date the Flood. “These early cities were ruled by eight legendary kings, each of whom reigned for one and more centuries. The first seven of these Antediluvian rulers were served by semidivine counselors, called Apkallu, who introduced learning and arts to Sumer.
These watchers are called the children of heaven, the children of Anu & seem to be based on the Anunnaki & Igigi that bred with humans, like Enki for instance.
So yes I'd say you're correct in seeing the cultural connection. The apkallu were 7 mythic sages, the first being the son of Enki, who was taught the 'divine statues' & given the 'wisdom of heaven'. These were the demigod priest-kings of Sumeria that ruled dynastically, much like the Egyptian kings whose culture they had much in common with.
Apkallu (Akkadian) and Abgal (Sumerian:𒉣𒈨 ) are terms found in cuneiform inscriptions that in general mean either "wise" or "sage".
In several contexts the Apkallu are seven demi-gods, sometimes described as part man and part fish, associated with human wisdom; these creatures are often referred to in scholarly literature as the Seven Sages. Sometimes the sages are associated with a specific primeval king. After the deluge (see Epic of Gilgamesh), further sages and kings are listed.
Post-deluge, the sages are considered human, and in some texts are distinguished by being referred to as Ummanu, not Apkallu.
The terms Apkallu (as well as Abgal) is also used as an epithet for kings and gods as a mark of wisdom or knowledge.
A further use of the term Apkallu is when referring to figurines used in apotropaic rituals; these figurines include fish-man hybrids representing the seven sages, but also include bird-headed and other figures.
In a later work by Berossus describing Babylonia, the Apkallu appear again, also described as fish-men who are sent by the gods to impart knowledge to people. In Berossus, the first one, Oannes (a variant of Uanna), is said to have taught people the creation myth the Enuma Elis.
Og, in Deuteronomy 3:11, and later in the book of Numbers and Joshua, is called the last of the Rephaim. Rephaim is a Hebrew word for giants. Deuteronomy 3:11 declares that his "bedstead" (translated in some texts as "sarcophagus") of iron is "nine cubits in length and four cubits in width",
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