Continuing a consideration of Thomas Horn’s article titled “Did Ancient Biotech Create ‘Nephilim”? Will Modern Science Bring Them Again?” which begins with this translation “The benei Elohim saw the daughters of Adam, that they were fit extensions (Gen 6:2, Interlinear Hebrew Bible).” Find my three part consideration here.
Some of my books that will be helpful in dealing with such issues are the following, which you can find where I offer my reads a money saving deal:
On the Genesis 6 Affair’s Sons of God: Angels or Not? A survey of early Jewish and Christian commentaries including notes on giants and the Nephilim
In Consideration of the Book(s) of Enoch
What Does the Bible Say About Angels? A Styled Angelology
Horn follows up with:
“The Old Testament contains associated reference to genetic mutations/i>, which developed among humans following this activity, including unusual size, physical strength, six fingers, six toes, animal appetite for blood and even lion-like features among men (2 Sam 21:20; 23:20).”
But again, this is too much, too fast. That some unfortunately translate Nephilim as giants is just about the only associated reference to unusual size. Numbers 13 is a case of unfaithful/disloyal spies presenting a don’t go in the woods-like fear mongering scare tactic when they did that which the text tells us was presenting a bad/evil report, see Did Caleb and the spies see Nephilim giants in the land?
There is no reason to correlate physical strength genetic mutations.
And while there is reason to correlate six fingers and six toes with genetic mutations, there is no reason to correlate six fingers and six toes with Genesis 6, Angels, Nephilim, giants, etc. the fact is that the Bible tells us about one single person that had six fingers and six toes so this should not been viewed as some sort of Nephilim gene issues (see 2 Samuel 21:20 and 1 Chronicles 20:6). By “animal appetite for blood” I suppose he is referring to the sin issue just noted above.
As for “lion-like features among men (2 Sam 21:20; 23:20),” this is a case of reading into the text in order to puff up a point. The one and only text regarding lion-like features states that Benaiah “slew two lionlike men of Moab” and since nothing more is said we can either conclude that they were lion-human hybrids, had lion-like features or was a manner whereby to refer to their ferocious demeanor: which best fits the text as that section refers to various hand-to-hand combat situations. If they actually had lion-like (physical rather than attitudinal) features then 1) that is a lot to read in to one single word especially when 2) the whole rest of the entirety of the Bible knows nothing of any such thing.
Yet, most telling is what we learn when we allow the Bible to define its own statements. In this case, 1 Chronicles 12:8 states, “the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains.”
You see, since warriors were said to be as swift as the roes/gazelles upon the mountains then someone might tell us that those man had roes/gazelles-like features. Yet, clearly since the latter statement is symbolic of swiftness then the former, that they had “the faces of lions” refers to their ferocity, intimidating visage, etc.
Based on what really just turns out to be one single text, Jasher, Horn refers to “recombinant DNA technology…when the genetic structure of one species is altered by the transfer of a gene or genes from another.”
The bulk of Horn’s article elucidates genetic manipulation experiments and Transhumanism.
So, “Did Ancient Biotech Create ‘Nephilim”? Will Modern Science Bring Them Again?”: “No” and “No.”
Thomas Horn decides to, specifically, quote from the Catholic Douay-Rheims Version of Isaiah 26:14 because it reads, “Let not the dead live, let not the giants rise again…” and from this he can speculate that “it may reflect a prayer from the prophet, a petition to God not to allow the giants to incarnate again” about which he then asks “Did Isaiah pray this way because he knew something about the future, something related to a return of Nephilim?”
The last “No” I offered also speaks to this claim as the Bible knows absolutely nothing of any concept such as a return of Nephilim.
In any case, Horn appears to make much ado about not very much as (based on a particular translation of) Isaiah 26:14 he tells us “The relationship between creatures called ‘Rephaim’ and the Nephilim of ancient texts is enlightening, as Rephaim are viewed as the spirits of dead Nephilim in the grave.”
But the Isaiah verse does not refer to Nephilim, but to rapha’ which Douay-Rheims decided to translate as “giants” for some odd reason.
The fact is that this is another case of reading into the text in order to buttress a point. The Isaiah text reads, in part (vss. 12-16): “LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.”
Thus, this is about how at times the Hebrews had “other lords beside” the LORD who “had dominion over” them but those very same lords “are dead”—period. Raphaim/rephaim are not “creatures,” such as Nephilim or Nephilim related, giants. One problem is that there are two words that we know of as rapha’: H7497 is the main usage which also makes it clear that they are not “creatures” but are a people group (circa 24 references).
H7496 which is a term is generally viewed as referring to ghosts/spirits or “shades” (Job 26:5, Psalm 88:10, Proverbs 2:18; 9:18; 21:16; Isaiah 14:9; 26:14, 19) which makes Horn’s claim that it “carries with it the meaning ‘to heal’ or to be ‘healed’ as in a ‘resurrection’” quite odd.
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