The Book of Giants is a very, very fragmented manuscript that is not represented by any complete manuscript thus, both the contents and order of events it relates are a matter of speculation. The bits and pieces of info it provides refers to events recorded in Genesis 6 and the apocryphal text of the Watchers sections of the Book of Enoch (aka 1 Enoch aka Ethiopic Enoch). I will follow the enumeration as per Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr., and Edward Cook, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (Harper: San Francisco, 1996 AD, pp. 246-250) whereby the “Q” refers to Qumran preceded by the cave number, etc.
1Q23 Frag. 9, 14-15 This section states that “they knew the secrets of” with who they were and secrets of what missing in the text. However, this appears to coincide with Enoch 9:6 which notes that one of the fallen sons of God Watcher Angels named Azazel, “taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven.” The fragment also notes that “[si]n was great in the earth” as per Genesis 6:5, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The fragment states that “[they begat] giants” which Genesis 6:4 has as “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” Also, Enoch 7:1-2 refers to as “And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them…And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants.”
Lastly, this section of fragments states that “they killed many” which may line up with Enoch 7 which states that the “great giants” which resulted from the Watchers mating with human women “consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind.”
4Q531 Frag. 3 This section may be a combination of references to the overall corruption brought about by the giants as well as the oncoming flood as it states, “[everything that the] earth produced…the great fish…the sky with all that grew…[fruit of] the earth and all kinds of grain and all the trees…beasts and reptiles…[al]l creeping things of the earth and they observed all…[eve]ry harsh deed and…utterance…male and female, and among humans.” Genesis 6:13 covers the destruction of all but Noah and his family thusly, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Enoch 7 states that once the great giants consumed all the acquisitions of men and then turned against them and devoured mankind “they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.” Within the context to “sin against” appears to refer to consuming for food.
But why would consuming birds, beasts, reptiles and fish be referred to as sin? It seems that this coincides with the greater context of Genesis which in chapters 1 and 2 had stated that God’s originally approved diet was a vegetarian one, “I have given every green herb for meat” (1:30), “every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food…of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat” (2:9, 16).
1Q23 Frag. 1, 6
This section contains references to two hundred donkeys, asses, rams, goats, “[beast of the] field from every animal, from every [bird]…for miscegenation” which refers to interbreeding. This may then touch upon the above reference to sinning against animals. The Bible knows nothing of this but by the time Enoch was written, the author seems to feel free to write about hybridization beyond Angel and human to Angel-human hybrid with animals. However, miscegenation merely refers to the interbreeding of beings, people or animals, which are thought to be of different “races,” “species” or otherwise, kinds. Thus, it the text may merely be a reference to interbreeding animals with each other.
The reference to two hundred is simply due to the fact that Enoch 6:6 specifies that this is the exact number of Angels who fell during the Genesis 6 affair which Enoch refers to as Watchers.
4Q531 Frag. 2
This segment takes a step back to the begetting and corruption which resulted therefrom, “they defiled…[they begot] giants and monsters…they begot, and, behold, all [the earth was corrupted]…with its blood and by the hand of…[giant’s] which did not suffice for them and…and they were seeking to devour many…the monsters attacked it.”
4Q532 Col. 2 Frags. 1-6 This section is somewhat baffling, stating “flesh…al[l] monsters…will be…they would arise…lacking in true knowledge…because…the earth [grew corrupt] mighty…they were considering…from the angels upon…in the end it will perish and die…they caused great corruption in the [earth] [this did not] suffice to…they will be…”
This may be dealing with the 1 Enoch 15:8-9 claim that demons are the spirits of dead giants, “they will call them evil spirts of the earth, for their dwelling will be on earth. The spirits that have gone forth from the body of their flesh are evil spirits…Evil spirits they will be on the earth, and evil spirit they will be called.”
2Q26
Reportedly, there was a time when the giants became troubled by dreams and visions the first of which was of a water submerged tablet which when pulled out of the water was illegible. Some scholars consider it a styled warning of the coming flood. The text states, “they drenched the tablet in the wa[ter]…the waters went up over the [tablet]…they lifted out the tablet from the water of…”
4Q530 Frag.7
The giants seem to have a brainstorming session about the dream and visions, “[this vision] is for cursing and sorrow. I am the one who confessed…the whole group of the castaways that I shall go to…[the spirits of the sl]ain complaining about their killers and crying out…that we shall die together and be made an end of…much and I will be sleeping, and bread…for my dwelling; the vision and also…entered into the gathering of the giants.”
6Q8
We now get some of the names of the giants as the discussions continue, “…Ohya and he said to Mahway…without trembling. Who showed you all this vision, [my] brother? …Barakel, my father, was with me…Before Mahway had finished telling what [he had seen]…[said] to him, Now I have heard wonders! If a barren woman gives birth…”
4Q530 Frag. 4
They seem to finally get the point; that the dreams and visions foretell their demise, “[There]upon Ohya said to Ha[hya]…[to be destroyed] from upon the earth and…[the ea]rth. When…they wept before [the giants].”
4Q530 Frag. 7 “…your strength…Thereupon Ohya [said] to Hahya…Then he answered, It is not for us, but for Azaiel, for he did [the children of] angels are the giants, and they would not let all their loved ones] be neglected [we have] not been cast down; you have strength…” Most readily accessible translations have a closing bracket at “loved ones]” and some have it as “l[oved ones].”
We appear to be getting into a section which lay the blame for the Watcher’s fall squarely on Azazel or, as here, Azaiel. The Book of Enoch also specifies that Azazel is specifically to be blamed in 9:6; 10:4, 8 and 13:1. Azazel’s main comrade Semjaza or Semjase, and below as Shemihaza, played a major role in the Billy Meier alleged alien UFO contacts—see Semjase in the Billy Meier case & the Book of Enoch – cosmic coincidences?
4Q531 Frag. 1
Giants realize that they are up against loyal Angels and do not stand a chance against them, “[I am a] giant, and by the mighty strength of my arm and my own great strength…[any]one mortal, and I have made war against them; but I am not…able to stand against them, for my opponents…reside in [Heav]en, and they dwell in the holy places. And not…[they] are stronger than I…of the wild beast has come, and the wild man they call [me] …Then Ohya said to him, I have been forced to have a dream…the sleep of my eyes [vanished], to let me see a vision. Now I know that on…Gilgamesh…” So this fragment ends with a reference to the namesake of the Epic of Gilgamesh who within that famous Mesopotamia tale wherein he is indeed, a giant.
6Q8 Frag. 2
More descriptions of visions, “…three of its roots” referring to a tree being pulled up “[while] I was [watching,] there came…[they moved the roots into] this garden, all of them, and not…” In this regard, Ezekiel 31’s tree related parable may be of interest.
4Q530 Col. 2
Discussions continue and a shift appears to occur which seeks include blaming potentates for the destruction to come as it “…concerns the death of our souls…and all his comrades, [and Oh]ya told them what Gilgamesh said to him…and it was said…‘concerning…the leader has cursed the potentates’ and the giants were glad at his words. Then he turned and left…”
This section continues with more descriptions of dreams which are related to monsters (who or whatever they are) and giants, “Thereupon two of them had dreams and the sleep of their eye, fled from them, and they arose and came to…[and told] their dreams, and said in the assembly of [their comrades] the monsters…[In] my dream I was watching this very night…[and there was a garden]…gardeners and they were watering…[two hundred trees and] large shoots came out of their root…all the water, and the fire burned all [the garden] They found the giants to tell them [the dream…].”
Finally, this section has Enoch being appealed to, “[to Enoch] the noted scribe, and he will interpret for us the dream. Thereupon his fellow Ohya declared and said to the giants, I too had a dream this night, O giants, and, behold, the Ruler of Heaven came down to earth…and such is the end of the dream. [Thereupon] all the giants [and monsters] grew afraid and called Mahway. He came to them and the giants pleaded with him and sent him to Enoch [the noted scribe]. They said to him, Go…to you that…you have heard his voice. And he said to him, He will…[and] interpret the dreams…”
Col. 3 of the above 4Q530 states, “how long the giants have to live” and proceeds to relate the results of Mahway’s discussion with Enoch, “[he mounted up in the air] like strong winds, and flew with his hands like ea[gles…he left behind] the inhabited world and passed over Desolation, the great desert…and Enoch saw him and hailed him, and Mahway said to him…hither and thither a second time to Mahway [The giants await your words, and all the monsters of the earth. If…has been carried…from the days of…their…and they will be added…we would know from you their meaning…two hundred tr]ees that from heaven [came down].” There is quite the bracket between “[The giants await” and “two hundred tr]ees” so that this version may have misplaced a closing bracket and an opening one somewhere in between.
In any regard, much like above, the Book of Enoch’s chapter 16 also related that the fallen seek Enoch to petition for them.
4Q530 Frag. 2 We now learn Enoch’s reply to the request for petitioning God in behalf of the fallen. Within the Book of Enoch we are told that the reply is, “as to the Watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who had been aforetime in heaven, say to them: ‘You have been in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth.’ Say to them therefore: ‘You have no peace.’”
It is rather riotous that the fallen had revealed, don’t’cha know, the secrets of heaven itself and yet, God specifies that they one accessed and revealed the “worthless ones.” So all of the deepest hidden secrets held by the secret society mystery religions and occultists of the millennia are simply worthless.
Within the Book of Giants, “The scribe [Enoch…] a copy of the second tablet that [Epoch] se[nt…] in the very handwriting of Enoch the noted scribe […In the name of God the great] and holy one, to Shemihaza and all [his companions…] let it be known to you that not […] and the things you have done, and that your wives […] they and their sons and the wives of [their sons…] by your licentiousness on the earth, and there has been upon you […and the land is crying out] and complaining about you and the deeds of your children […] the harm that you have done to it. […] until Raphael arrives, behold, destruction [is coming, a great flood, and it will destroy all living things] and whatever is in the deserts and the seas. And the meaning of the matter […] upon you for evil. But now, loosen the bonds bi[nding you to evil…] and pray.”
4Q531 Frag. 7
This final section appears to have related a vision of Enoch, “[…great fear] seized me and I fell on my face; I heard his voice […] he dwelt among human beings but he did not learn from them…”
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