The following chart notes which early commentators, both Jewish and Christian, held to the Angel view of the Genesis 6 affair, as I term it, and which held to other views which mostly consist of the Sethite view or misc. (such as Noblemen view, Judges view, etc.).
The date range is from 250 BC to the 5th century AD. Out of 43 texts the results are: 28: Angel view 10: Misc. views
5: uncertain
See my section on the Nephilim here as well as my section on Angels.
Consider this a work in progress.
| Author | Citation | Date estimation | Angel | Non-Angel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | LXX/Septuagint | 250 BC | X | |
| Unknown | 1 Enoch 6-19; 86-88; 106: 13-15, 17 | 165-64 BC | X | |
| Unknown | Jubilees 4:15, 22; 5:1 | 150 BC | X | |
| Unknown | Dead Sea Scroll: Damascus Document aka Fragments Of A Zadokite Work, 2:16-191 | 100 BC | * | * |
| Unknown | Dead Sea Scroll: Book of Giants | 100 BC | X | |
| Philo of Alexandria | Giants 6-7 | 20 BC-50 AD | X | |
| Josephus | Antiquities, Book 1.3.1 | 37-100 | X | |
| Peter | 2 Peter 2:4-6 | 65-68 | X | |
| Jude | Jude 6-7 | 65-80 | X | |
| Pseudo-Philo | Biblical Antiquities 3:1-2 | 70 | X | |
| Clement of Rome | Recognitions, Book 1 Chapter 29 | Died 99 | X | |
| Unknown | Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: Naphtali 3:4-5 & Reuben 5:6-7 | 70-200 | X | |
| Justin Martyr | 1 Apology 5; 2 Apology | 100-165 | X | |
| Irenaeus of Lyons | Demonstration 18; Heresies 16.2 | 115-202 | X | |
| Tatian the Assyrian | Address to the Greeks, chap 7 | 120-180 | ** | ** |
| Rabbi Akiba | Greek translation of Gen 6 | 130 | X | |
| Rabbi Simean ben Yohai | Midrash Genesis Rabbah 26:5-7 | 130-160 | X | |
| Rabbi Jose – Babylonian Talmud | Sanhedrin 108a | 130-160 | X | |
| Clement of Alexandria | Miscellanies 5.1.10 | 150-215 | X | |
| Bardesan | The Book of the Laws of Divers Countries | 154-222 | X | |
| Tertullian | Idolatry 9; Veiling 7; Women, 1.2 | 160-225 | X | |
| Julius Africanus | Chronology, Fragment 2 | 160-240 | X | |
| Origen Adamantius | Contra Celsus, Book V, section LV | 182-254 | *** | *** |
| Unknown | Targum Neofiti aka Neophyti | 1st-4th cent. | **** | **** |
| Lactantius | Divine Institutes 2.15 | 240-320 | X | |
| Commodianus | Instructions | 250 | X | |
| Eusebius of Caesarea | Preparation, 5.5 | 263-339 | X | |
| Unknown | Genesis Apocryphon 2:1 | Late 1st cent. | X | |
| Unknown | 2 Baruch 56:10-14 | Late 1st cent. | X | |
| Unknown | 2 Enoch, Chap 18 | Late 1st cent. | X | |
| Athenagoras | A Plea for the Christians, 24 | 2nd cent. | X | |
| Unknown | The Clementine Homilies, Homily VIII, chaps XIII, XV, XVI | 300-320 | X | |
| Unknown | Pseudo-Clementine Literature, Book I | 300-320 | X | |
| Unknown | Targum Onqelos aka Onkelos | 300-400 | X | |
| Ephrem the Syrian | Commentary on Genesis 6 | 306-373 | X | |
| Ambrose of Milan | Noah and the Ark 4.8 | 340-397 | X | |
| Augustine of Hippo | City of God, Book XV | 354-430 | ***** | ***** |
| John Cassian | Conference VIII, chap XXI | 360 | X | |
| Sulpicius Severus | History, 1.2 | 363-420 | X | |
| John Chrysostom | Homily on Genesis, 22.6-8 | 374-407 | X | |
| Symmachus | Greek translation of Gen 6 | Late 2nd cent. | X | |
| Babylonian Talmud | Yoma 67b | 500 | X | |
| Unknown | Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel aka Pseudo-Jonathan 6:1-2, 4 | 5th cent. | X |
Footnotes:
* Tatian the Assyrian: Mentions Angel/demon copulation in general and not in direct reference to the Genesis 6 affair.
** Origen Adamantius: “whatever may be the meaning of the ‘sons of God desiring to possess the daughters of men,’ it will not at all contribute to prove that Jesus was not the only one who visited mankind as an angel” Origen did ascribed corporality to Angels.
*** Targum Neofiti aka Neophyti: Has Nephilim as “warriors” but that “these are the warriors that (were there) from the beginning of the world, warriors of wondrous renown.” The 16th cent. MS has a note that reads “There were warriors dwelling on earth in those days, and also afterwards, after the sons of the angels had joined (in wedlock) the daughters of the sons.”
**** Augustine of Hippo: Chap 5 he claims that the Angel view is “suggested,” chap 22 he states that “may suppose it,” chap 23 “the sons of God, who are also called angels of God…But that those angels were not angels in the sense of not being men, as some suppose…by the Spirit of God they had been made angels of God, and sons of God; but declining towards lower things, they are called men.”
An additional note:
Outside of the chart I am adding a reference to The Book of Jasher which is mentioned in the Bible (Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18) and yet, there are various works by this name and it is uncertain which if any is anywhere close to the original: see Book of Jasher on the Nephilim.
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